Rich Thistle

Rich Thistle is a multi-disciplined, Canadian, visual artist respected for his aviation art, watercolor and acrylic landscape paintings of Canada's lake country, automotive art and portraits. His images extend to other subjects, including horses, tractors, sailboats and canoes. His images are published as limited edition litho and Giclée prints, posters and collector plates. He spent thirty years as a visual art educator and consultant while developing a full-time career in art. Rich studied at the Ontario College of Art & Design, earned a BA (Visual Art Major) from the University of Western Ontario and is a graduate of Stratford Teachers' College.

Thistle originals are in the collections of the Canadian War Museum, Channel Islands Jersey Museum, HRH Prince Charles, Canadair Bombardier, 431 Squadron Snowbirds, CFB Greenwood, and many other corporate, public and private collections. Rich has been profiled on national television and radio. His images appear on the covers of Canadian, American and British magazines and books and in television documentaries. One of his paintings is depicted in bronze in the Royal Canadian Mint’s CANADA REMEMBER’S medallion set.

Rich was commissioned by Canada’s Snowbirds to paint a special image, published by the Team as a limited edition print celebrating their 30th anniversary in 2000 and has since released a second Snowbird print. He has created collector posters for aviation and veteran’s associations and aviation events. Based on the history represented in his paintings, Rich has written several articles for Canadian and American publications.