Biography 

           Born in Montreal, Canada in 1927, Sidney moved early with his family to Perth, Ontario in the picturesque Ottawa Valley, where he soon developed an intense and abiding interest in the landscape and the outdoor life.  It was, however, in the field of music that Mr. Mooney’s artistic talents were first encouraged; in that he took up the study of the violin and vocal music in Perth before moving to Toronto, Ontario, to further his education at the Royal Conservatory of Music and his career in various choral ensembles.  It is noteworthy that today, this innate musical sensibility persists to infuse his works with the counterpoint and rhythm of colour and composition which are the hallmarks of his artistic signature.

Some time later, while working in Ottawa, Canada Mr. Mooney began to pursue his vocation in painting and, though largely self-taught, it was at this point in his life that he was fortunate to meet A.Y. Jackson during many of his frequent teaching stints among Ottawa art students and teachers.

            Quite naturally, the work of Dr. Jackson and other members of the Group of Seven was to play a pivotal role in Mr. Mooney’s early development as an artist; but within a short time his own aptitude and unique impulse has impressed themselves upon his older mentors sufficiently that he was soon conducting classes in their absences, in addition to accompanying Dr. Jackson on some of his field trips in Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec, eliciting comments notably about his virtuosity in producing such a wide range of tonality from a relatively restricted and subdued palette.

            In the ensuing years his creativity continued to grow both in scope and in scale and he has produced an important body of work inspired by his many sketching forays in the Gatineau Hills, Quebec and the gentler Ottawa Valley as well as more wide-ranging projects in Algonquin Park and Georgian Bay, Ontario.

            The group influences combined with Mr. Mooney’s creativity of colour and sensitivity to Canada’s countryside is what has catapulted this artist to his present position of the widely sought collectors in Canada and abroad, in both the private and corporate sectors.

            Due to the exposure he has received through group exhibitions at the various Galleries, Mr. Mooney’s works are now commanding more competitive bidding at auction.  Colleen Fogarty of Studio Colleen says of her 12 year association with the artist: “Sid Mooney is an exceptional talent, reminiscent of the Group of Seven, but no mere copyist.  His own remarkable creative juices make his work singular and original”.  A lifelong devoted family man, Sidney Mooney continues to paint and hone his technique surrounded by his wife and family in his adoptive Ottawa.