A Manitoulin Island artist who left an mark on the arts in the region and across the country has passed away at the age of 90.
Ivan Wheale, who died Aug. 9 at the Manitoulin Health Centre, was born Nov. 9, 1934 in Sunderland, England.
“Although Ivan had been fighting a courageous battle with cancer, his laughter and great spirit came through each and every day,” said his obituary, which was published by The Manitoulin Expositor.
“He was loved by many and adored by his community for his kindness, humour and mentoring.”
Wheale was predeceased in 2014 by his wife of 57 years, Jean Wheale, and is survived by his four children, nine grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.
A celebration of life will be held at Island Funeral Home in Little Current on August 21, 2025 at 1 p.m.
In 2014, on the occasion of Wheale being made the first honorary fellow of the Art Gallery of Sudbury for his contributions to the gallery, he spoke to Sudbury.com about how he first became an artist.
Wheale told us at the time his contributions to what was to become AGS included fundraising for its initial establishment at the Bell Mansion and donating his own works to its permanent collection.
He said he'd always had a penchant for art, but decided to quit his day job and become a professional painter in the 1960s, after seeing an exhibit of Van Gogh's paintings.
“My wife was pregnant at the time,” Wheale said.
“It wasn't really the right time to quit my job. My wife said 'You're not going to be happy if you don't try, and if it doesn't work, get back to work.' It worked out, it's been great ever since.”
A biography of Wheale on the website for the Perivale Gallery in Spring Bay, Manitoulin Island, where he’d been exhibiting since 1981, said he settled in Canada in 1957 and moved to Manitoulin in 1975.
The website said his paintings “are strong studies in realism, capturing the atmosphere, texture and nature of the landscape. His landscapes are in watercolours and oils.”
Wheale is a self-taught artist whose work hangs in numerous public and corporate collections, including the Queen’s Collection at Windsor Castle and Queen's Park in Toronto.
“Ivan Wheale’s paintings are strong studies in realism, capturing the atmosphere, texture and nature of the landscape,” said the biography. “His landscapes are in watercolours and oils.”
Wheale is the recipient of many awards, including an Honorary Degree from Laurentian University, the Rotary International Paul Harris Award and the Canada Council.
He was an art instructor at Haliburton School of Fine Arts, Elliot Lake School of Fine Arts, Cambrian College, Georgian College, the Ontario Arts Council and Laurentian University.
He has held over 94 solo exhibitions, said the website, including three touring exhibitions circulating Ontario, and a 50-year retrospective at the Centennial Museum, Sheguiandah. He has also contributed to over 65 group exhibitions.
Sudbury artist Monique Legault, who also exhibits at the Perivale Gallery, considered Wheale to be a mentor.
She admires him so greatly that for years, her social media profile picture was one of herself and Wheale, and she changed it back to that photo this week. The photo prompted many people to ask Legault if Wheale is her grandfather.
“He painted until his last breath,” Legault said.
Indeed, Wheale exhibited at the La Cloche Art Show in Whitefish Falls just last month, and delivered a virtual address from his hospital bed to participating artists.
We also reached out to Perivale Gallery owner Shannon McMullan for comment on his passing, and she sent us some written comments.
“Perivale Gallery has shone brightly on Manitoulin Island since its beginnings in 1981, thanks in no small part to the brilliance of Ivan Wheale,” she wrote.
She said the gallery was founded by her parents, Bob and Sheila McMullan as the Perivale Country store, but morphed into something greater thanks to their friend, Ivan Wheale, who asked if he could hang a few of his paintings.
“They agreed — and everything changed. Before long, the artwork began outselling the antiques, and the gallery’s focus shifted entirely,” McMullan said.
“A few years later, to accommodate Ivan’s large-scale paintings, my parents added a spacious new room to the gallery. We still affectionately refer to it as “the Ivan Room,” a lasting tribute to the artist who helped shape Perivale Gallery’s identity …
“A charming and patient teacher, Ivan has helped shape not only the gallery, but me as a curator.
“His presence continues to be felt in every corner of Perivale. Each summer, Ivan’s workshops fill up almost instantly — a testament to his reputation and the deep respect he commands in the art community. Over the years, countless artists have been mentored by him through his classes and workshops, each one benefiting from his gentle encouragement and generous spirit.”
Art Gallery of Sudbury director Demetra Christakos said her memories of Wheale go back to when she was a teen, as her mother ran an art supply store in Sudbury, which Wheale frequented.
Although everyone was terribly sad to hear that he’d entered hospice care, she said his was an “example of a rich life” well-lived. “He was painting right up to the very end,” Christakos said. “I don’t think anyone could ask more of him.”
A written statement from the art gallery, in whose collections there are works by Wheale, extended condolences to his friends and family.
“Ivan Wheale is the pre-eminent high realist landscape painter in this area of Northern Ontario and has been an example, teacher, mentor and source of inspiration for generations of younger artists going back to the early 1970s,” said the statement,
“He was a self-taught painter who has been a close observer and recorder of the landscape of the North Channel and shore of Lake Huron and Manitoulin Island for more than 60 years. … His was an artist's life well-lived and we are grateful for the opportunity to have known him and to have the legacy of his work.”
Heidi Ulrichsen is Sudbury.com’s assistant editor. She also covers education and the arts scene.