About the artist:

Born in Toronto in 1935, Tom McNeely studied with two prominent Canadian artists before setting off on his own highly successful career. His distinctively-styled portraits of some of the world's most famous personalities have been featured in numerous museums, and his paintings for Canada's Expo '67 and the 1976 Olympics brought him worldwide fame. McNeely's paintings of Golda Meir, Muhammed Ali and Cardinal Leger have been proudly featured in books about these great world leaders, and they have won McNeely lasting acclaim. Other works include stunning portraits of celebrities from the 1950s like Elvis, Marilyn Monroe and James Dean, as well as noted American composers, conductors and folk singers. He has also created spectacular paintings featuring Diana, Princess of Wales. About his work, McNeely says, "Before I begin to paint, I immerse myself in my subject. I learn all I can about the person and the age when he lived. Only then, when I feel completely familiar with the subject -- almost as if I can see him firsthand -- do I begin a work of art."