Brent Townsend

Brent Townsend is a Canadian nature artist who in 1996 designed the portrait of a polar bear in early summer on an ice floe that appears on Canadian Toonie. 

Brent Townsend was born in 1962 in suburban Toronto. As a child, he was fascinated by the wealth of nature. Mostly a self taught artist, Brent Townsend has been selling his artworks since seventh grade. He paints what he likes whether others like it or not. When he was 27, he was named "Artist of the Year" by Minneapolis Wildlife and Western Art Exhibition, the first Canadian and the youngest artist ever to be so honored. Today, Townsend's art can be found through out North America.