Tim Packer

Tim Packer is a Toronto-born painter whose work reflects a deep engagement with design principles and the Canadian landscape. A former detective, he transitioned to full-time painting in 2000. His bold, expressive style draws comparisons to the Group of Seven and has earned recognition from the McMichael Canadian Collection. Rooted in tradition yet distinctly contemporary, Packer's work celebrates light, form, and rhythm across the landscape. He also teaches widely across Canada.Tim Packer was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1961. He studied commercial art while in high school and graphic design at George Brown College. While pursuing a successful career as a detective with the Toronto Police Service, Tim continued to paint in his spare time. In 2000, he made the decision to leave policing and to devote himself to painting full-time.

An obsession with the principles of design and an affinity for Canadian motifs has led to an inevitable comparison to the works of the Group of Seven. It should come as no surprise that his art has already caught the eye of the McMichael Canadian Collection, home of the largest public collection of the Group’s work. He has been invited to participate in the gallery’s artist in residence program several times.

Tim is an active instructor, teaching painting workshops for various groups across the country. He is one of the founding artists of Art Academy Live, a revolutionary new concept offering downloadable art instruction on the Internet, which has been featured in a number of publications including The Artists Magazine, and Watercolour Magic.