Rob Gonsalves facts for kids

Robert "Rob" Gonsalves (born July 10, 1959 – died June 14, 2017) was a Canadian artist known for his unique paintings. His art style is called magic realism, which is a type of art where realistic scenes have a touch of magic or impossible things happening. His work often reminds people of famous artists like Salvador Dalí or René Magritte, but with his own special twist. Rob Gonsalves created original paintings, special limited edition prints, and pictures for his own books.

Early Life and Inspiration

Rob Gonsalves was born in Toronto, Ontario. When he was a teenager, he found inspiration in the amazing artwork on album covers for Progressive Rock bands like Genesis and Yes. These covers often showed fantasy worlds and surreal (dream-like) scenes, which really sparked his interest in art. He also loved city environments and old Victorian buildings, and these often appeared in his paintings.

Gonsalves studied Architecture at Toronto Metropolitan University. This helped him learn how to play with perspective (how things look from different angles) in his art. This skill became a very important part of telling stories in his paintings. He also spent a year studying at the Ontario College of Art and Design.

Artistic Career

After college, Rob Gonsalves worked as an architect. He also painted special murals called "trompe-l'œil" (which means "trick the eye" in French). These murals made flat surfaces look like they had depth or real objects. He also painted sets for theaters. In 1990, his art got a lot of attention at the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition. After this success, he decided to become a full-time painter.

Understanding Magic Realism

While some people might think Gonsalves's work is surrealistic, it's actually a bit different. Surrealism often comes from dreams or the unconscious mind. Rob Gonsalves, however, carefully planned his paintings. He took ideas from the real world and added a sense of magic to them. He used clever tricks to make things look like they were changing or blending into something else. This is why his style is called "Magic Realism." His art tries to show how people want to believe in impossible things and be open to new possibilities.

Exhibitions and Books

Gonsalves's art was shown in many places, including Art Expo in New York and Los Angeles. He also had his own shows at galleries like Huckleberry Fine Art and Saper Galleries.

In 2003, the publisher Simon & Schuster released Imagine a Night, Gonsalves's first book. It featured sixteen of his paintings. The book was very popular, so in 2004, they released a second book called Imagine A Day. For this book, he won the 2005 Governor General's Award for Children's Literature – Illustration, which is a big honor in Canada.

He continued to create more books, including Imagine a Place in 2008 and Imagine a World in 2015.

Legacy and Remembrance

Rob Gonsalves faced personal struggles and passed away on June 14, 2017. His official Facebook page shared that "Rob Gonsalves battled the dark but succumbed June 14th." He is remembered by his wife and family.

In 2018, his fellow artist and widow, Lise Carruthers, started working to keep his artistic legacy alive. In 2019, a special black granite monument was placed at his gravesite in the Necropolis Cemetery in Toronto. Each side of this monument features a beautiful porcelain copy of one of Gonsalves's paintings. There are also plans for future art exhibitions to showcase his original artworks. The website robgonsalves.live was created in 2019 to help keep his memory and art alive for everyone to enjoy.