Toller Cranston was a Canadian Olympic figure skater and artist. His artwork was characterized by his radiant figurative paintings, depicting men and women draped in ornamental clothes. Born on April 20, 1949 in Hamilton, Canada, Cranston's artistic interests were piqued by his mother, an amateur painter, who encouraged him to attend the École des beaux-arts de Montréal. Cranston became self-supporting as an artist, making enough money to cover his skating expenses. He held his first exhibition at his coach Ellen Burka's home in the spring of 1969. In November 1971, he had another successful one-man show in Toronto, the result of almost a year's work. Thereafter, he continued to have gallery and museum displays, with over 250 exhibitions around the world. He continued to paint even after his official retirement. “To be a genuine individualist requires a great deal of strength and courage,” he said of life and art. “It is never easy to chart new territory, to cross new frontiers, or to introduce subtle shadings to an established color.”