A Canadian artist, Gordon Milne was born in Hamilton, Ontario in 1953. He attended the art program at McMaster University where he studied printmaking and sculpture.
Early in his career Milne worked as a printmaker – producing original etchings, woodcuts, linocuts and mixed media drawings. In 1982, at the start of a promising career, a gallery flood destroyed most of Gordon's artwork, leaving little to show from the 70’s. Although difficult at the time, it proved to be the event that altered Milne's focus from printmaking to painting – specifically portraiture.
During the past decade Gordon has been commissioned by the Canadian Sport Centre to produce a series of large-scale portraits celebrating the achievements of remarkable Canadian Olympians. The Canadian Sport Heroes Collection is currently comprised of 13 paintings and was recently unveiled during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. These monumental portraits have found a home in the collection of the new Canada’s Sport Hall of Fame in Calgary.
Gordon has also enjoyed a long-term relationship with the Alberta Ballet where he has regularly attended classes for the past 11 years – actively drawing this group of dedicated dancers to further develop his understanding of the beauty of movement. During this time he has completed major portraits of several iconic Canadian dancers. These portraits mark the inception of a new collection of work called Art & Dance honouring Canada's great dancers and choreographers.