'I was hooked.' Toronto artist Myra Lowenthal reflects on the Beatles, her teenage muse

Back in 1964, Toronto artist Myra Lowenthal was far more than just a fan of the rock ’n’ roll supergroup, The Beatles.

Only 18 years old when this picture was taken by Toronto Star photographer Ted Dinsmore, Lowenthal is captured here putting the finishing touches on an impressive oil painting of lead singer John Lennon.

“This was the tip of the iceberg of my outpouring of Beatle imagery,” Lowenthal says, “using art to express the impact that the Beatles and their music had on me at that young age.”

Myra Lowenthal was an early convert to Beatlemania.

“They were not generally know in North America at that time,” she says. “I first noticed an article in the People section of TIME magazine about these four lads in England and their mop top haircuts, and I was intrigued.”

Soon thereafter (Feb. 9, 1964, to be exact), Lowenthal recalls, “They appeared on the ‘Ed Sullivan Show,’ and I was hooked.”

Later that year, tickets went on sale for the Beatles’ first shows in Toronto, and Lowenthal stood in line in the pouring rain for six hours to secure her seats. But, it was her art that brought her closest to the band.

Source: thestar.com

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