Dr. George Tsoukas

             Dr. George M. Tsoukas, MD, FRCPC: Associate Professor, Department of Medicine.; senior endocrinologist at the McGill University Health Centre

My life as an artist

As a young man I was fascinated by the wealth of information and of knowledge that exists in our world. I found myself as a boy experimenting in ethics mathematics and science. In university I studied intensively a variety of fields such as physics, chemistry, philosophy and eventually landed in the world of medicine.

Most people now know me as a practicing physician and academic doctor, teaching medicine and doing research in a world class university.

Family and people who know me well however, realize that what clearly dominates all else in my private and intellectual life is the realm of aesthetics.

As a student in medicine, I began to realize that art is just as important as science in bringing us joy, nurturing our body and mind. Art, in all its forms, from music, literature or the visual arts is the delight of man’s existence without which, life would be drab and meaningless.

In my career and, while studying medicine, my intention was to also attempt to become a sculptor. Circumstances however, led me to take up painting and art history instead, studying under professor George Galavaris at McGill.

At the same time, a local artist friend, Mr. Guy Valmont, introduced me to the Montreal Arts Club.

There I met a towering figure in Canadian painting, Mr. Adam Sheriff Scott.

Scott’s teachings led to a total metamorphosis of my soul, as I started to see using the eyes of a painter.

Through his mentorship, my perspective of the world totally changed, influencing all aspects of my life including my daily work and, in my human interactions as a physician.

Another of his students, the brilliant and explosive artist, Mr. Armand Tatossian, became my close associate, brother, fellow painter, teacher and inseparable friend.

Armand and I studied drawing in France and Italy We followed the paths of the impressionist school and spent months painting in Barbizon outside of Paris. The Greek islands intrigued and taught us how to play with light, reflecting on white surfaces, much like the snow we knew back in Canada. In the winter, we would travel to the Caribbean, painting boats, sunsets and seascapes, often reporting to our teacher, Mr. Adam Sheriff Scott.

Our common studio in Montreal became our home, where we dabbled in mixing paint and where we drew models and gobbled countless bottles of wine. It became a hub for local talent and discussion, including visits by artists such as Mr. Soulikias Tzanoff and Umberto Bruni, each influencing my style of painting, as well as my outlook on art.

From the way I paint, I consider myself a Canadian landscape painter. I have tried to capture the moodiness and the special light of Quebec s landscape. More recently, the colors on my palette have become thicker and brighter, the brush stroke bolder and more active. Although the dynamism of early youth is gone, I continue to express myself through traditional realistic art.

My works have been exhibited in various art galleries, blots of my existence in this earthly world.