David Milne (artist)

David Milne
Milne in his New York City studio, 1909
Born	David Milne (1882-01-08)January 8, 1882 Burgoyne, Ontario, Canada
Died	December 26, 1953(1953-12-26) (aged 71) Bancroft, Ontario, Canada
Nationality	Canadian
Education	Art Students League of New York
Known for	Painting

David Milne, (January 8, 1882 – December 26, 1953) was a Canadian painter, printmaker, and writer.

David Milne was born in the southwestern Ontario, village of Burgoyne (near in 1882. He was the last of 10 children born to Scottish immigrant parents. His early education was in Paisley, followed by high school in Walkerton, Ontario he performed well in school and soon after graduated began teaching in a country school near Paisley. During 1902 and 1903 he studied art through correspondence, eventually deciding to move to New York City in 1903 at the age of 21

In New York, he spent two years (and a third year of night school) studying at the Art Students League. He had five paintings exhibited in the Armory Show of 1913, and he was also represented by the N. E. Montross Gallery (same as 'The Eight' or Ashcan School artists). In 1912, he married Frances May (known as Patsy) and later they moved to Boston Corners, a small hamlet where Milne painted with oils and watercolours. Milne left Boston Corners in 1917 for basic training in Toronto for World War I. He was stationed in Quebec and then quarantined in England for a month, during which time World War I ended. Because of his background as an artist, he was asked to complete paintings and drawings as a war artist. Milne produced artworks of battlefields in France and Belgium as well as of soldiers in Kinmel Park Camp in England.

Between the years of 1919 and 1929, Milne lived in Boston Corners and the surrounding areas, focusing his artistic work on the landscape. In 1929, Milne returned to Canada to paint in Temagami, Weston and Palgrave. He separated from his wife in 1933, moved to Port Severn, Ontario and sold many of his paintings to prominent art patrons Vincent Massey and Alice Massey. In the late 1930s, Milne settled down in Uxbridge, Ontario with Kathleen Pavey, a nurse, and the two had a son (also David) in 1941. During the later years of his life, Milne worked again in watercolours, and changed his subject matter to more whimsical, fantasy and childlike inspirations. He continued to travel to Algonquin Park and Baptiste Lake to paint the Canadian landscape.