‘Every day is the art’: This 80-year-old Toronto artist paddles the city’s waterways in search of his next painting

This 80-year-old Toronto local paddles his canoe for inspiration, capturing the city’s natural landscapes, from Lake Ontario to the Humber River, one brushstroke at a time.

Toronto local Stephen Waisberg loves everything about the city, from the iconic geese to waterfront views and parks.

To find inspiration for his solo exhibition Follow The Seasons at Hafta Frame It Gallery on Oct. 3, Waisberg took on a physical and thoughtful journey, paddling a fold-up canoe across the Humber River and Lake Ontario.

Around five years ago, Waisberg decided to take his art inspiration to another level by going on a five-month adventure through the Humber River and Lake Ontario to capture the light and rhythm of Toronto’s seasons.

“[The] every day is the art. I have to stay physically fit and in my mind to do the kind of art that I do, and I enjoy it. Being on the water, whether it’s on a river or a lake, gives you a totally different perspective. So, it was just a new avenue to explore,” Waisberg told Now Toronto.

The artist said he particularly enjoys the serenity of quiet environments, by listening to birds chirp and observing Canadian geese walk around.

After an hour and a half of frequent canoeing, Waisberg returns to the studio to paint his nature highlights.

“I’m really drawn to the changing of the light as I’m out on the canoe… I’m very much taken away by how the light plays with everything I’m looking at. It’s a question of what makes me pause canoeing and take in what I’m looking at in the moment,” he said.

As an 80-year-old Toronto local, Waisberg prefers to stay close to home and make the most of his surroundings, capturing everything from parks to lakes and rivers.

“It’s convenient. I’m 80 years old, I enjoy the neighbourhood, and I get just as much thrill,” Waisberg said.

But his favourite place is Colonel Sam Smith Park.

“It gives you great views of the shoreline and then the park itself and the marina where they have lots of small birdhouses on metal posts,” he said. 

‘I like to interact with the observer’: About the impressionist paintings and exhibition

Waisberg’s artworks reflect characteristics of the impressionism movement.

By utilizing oils and following the seasons, Waisberg captures his own experiences and hopes the observer finishes the painting with theirs.

“I want the observer to come to my show and bring their own experience with the seasons with them. I let them finish my painting in the sense that because it’s impressionist, they might have a different impression of summer and winter, and their own experience will fine-tune the picture for them,” he explained.

“I like to interact with the observer,” Waisberg added.

One of his standout pieces includes “Colour of Winter,” which is inspired by his experience in Etobicoke’s Tom Riley Park during the winter.

“During this one snowstorm relatively early in the winter, I went out into Tom Riley Park, and I remember walking along a path, and right beside me, it was almost as if the sort of bush was flash-frozen by the cold,” he said. “But the fall colour in the bush was still holding out.”

His other standout piece includes “Thistles By The Shore,” inspired by his paddling experiences around 9 a.m., starting near Sunnyside Pavilion, past the Humber River. During that paddling session, while going west along the Humber River’s rocky area, he saw thistles growing and felt the need to capture the light and tenacity of this “rugged” plant.

The exhibition opens with a public reception on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., and runs on select dates until Oct. 17, including:

• Tuesday, Oct. 6, to Friday, Oct. 9, from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 10, from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, Oct. 13, to Friday, Oct. 16, from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 17, from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.