In 1985 a solo show of Glen Loates's work was exhibited at the Royal Ontario Museum, titled Glen Loates: A Brush with Life. It came three years after The Bald Eagle had been presented to President Ronald Reagan in the Oval Office; the painting was loaned back to the Royal Ontario Museum for this exhibition.

Above: President Ronald Reagan receiving 'The Bald Eagle' from Glen Loates in 1982

The exhibition presented a selection of works exploring the natural world. In our archives we found the artist statement Glen wrote for it. We reproduce it here in full, in his own words.

"All artists have their own reasons for painting, but there is, I believe, a universal experience and understanding in the painting of animals that everyone can share. I am a self-taught artist who enjoys experimenting and accepting new challenges with every painting I create. I am constantly striving to improve my technical skills and continue to learn as I interpret nature on paper.

In my father's studio, I made my first attempts to draw what I had actually seen in nature. There was a light on the back porch that used to attract moths. I was fascinated by the delicate structure of their wings, so I captured some specimens and tried to sketch the intricate patterns using pencils and crayons. As an exercise, it was the best thing I could have done. I drew the moths over and over again until they looked right to me.

By 1954, I was making [a] little "flipbook," in which I drew the progression of an animal's movement on consecutive pages of a notepad. When quickly thumbed, these created a nice approximation of movement. I wanted to get the feeling of how a bird flies or mammals walk and jump.

To this day, I try to portray this sense of animation in my art. As many as forty-five rough pencil sketches may be necessary to record the movements and anatomy of an animal or bird.

For the details of feathers and fur, I use skins and pelts loaned to me by the Royal Ontario Museum. Many curators of the museum's life sciences departments deserve much credit for their endless encouragement and help. Terence Shortt, the museum's past chief artist, shares his experiences and knowledge with me.

I always start each animal painting by completing the eye of the subject first and painting the background detail last. I prefer to use watercolour paint, but occasionally I work with pastels and ink. While it may be necessary to use photographs for reference, I avoid it if possible. My field sketches and colour notes, as well as my sensory experience on location, have the greatest influence on the quality of the pictures I make."

Above: the original artist statement, 1985

Two things in that statement are worth pausing on. The first is the eye. He begins every animal painting by finishing the eye before anything else, and paints the background last. The second is the number. Forty-five sketches, of one animal, before the painting starts.