Robert Blonski was born in Niagara Falls in 1969. In 1989 he moved to Guelph, Ontario, to attend the University of Guelph’s Fine Arts Programme. During the period of his attendance, the Fine Arts faculty was characterized by a strong support for drawing as an art form. Robert offers that faculty members “…encouraged an understanding of the various languages of drawing.” After completing his degree in 1993 he moved to Toronto where he produced a series of quiet and thought-provoking investigations forming the basis for several local exhibitions. During this time Robert was also recognized by both the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council, receiving grants in 1996, 1997 and 2001. Robert’s current exploration of the image of the bonsai began, perhaps not ironically, in the heart of downtown Toronto. From the confines of his inner-city studio he produced oil paintings that demanded an immediate emotional response and forced the viewer to re-consider their connection to the natural environment. These paintings were the birth of the bonsai images. Robert himself was not immune to the message within his work; in 2002 he and his wife,relocated to the village of Elora where his participation in the local arts community was immediate. Area exhibitions have followed his arrival and his new environment has enriched his continued participation in the Toronto Arts community.