Summary

Toronto the Good, print is an open-edition fine art print by Anne Reid Artist, based on the 2017 original painting. The Toronto skyline rises in gold and amber from a blazing horizon of red, orange, and magenta — the CN Tower at center, the city reflected in luminous water below. Toronto as prophetic vision: a city held in light, seen with hope.

Artwork Statement

I painted Toronto the Good in the community art center studio in Oakville. I began abstractly — choosing the dominant red-pink field first, then adding gold, white, and a little purple. I did not start with a fixed idea. I just painted, watched what was forming, and responded to what I could see emerging.

What began to appear looked like the skyline of Toronto. The gold forms suggested the city rising — buildings, skyline, Toronto seen from a distance across the water. It reminded me of driving along the Gardiner at the right time of day, when the light catches the glass of the high-rises and the downtown core almost looks golden.

Later, a friend saw something I had not consciously noticed. She said that turned 90 degrees clockwise, the purple area looked like eyes and the gold skyline like a nose — eyebrows, eyes, hidden within the city. To me that spoke immediately of the eyes of the Lord ranging to and fro throughout the earth, looking for those whose hearts are turned toward Him. I had painted the eyes into the work without realizing it. My friend saw them first.

The title reaches back to an old phrase associated with the city. But I do not use it naively. Toronto has always been a mixed story — beauty and calling alongside an underbelly. The scripture anchoring this painting is Isaiah 28 — a passage significant to me for decades. It speaks about pride, false refuge, exposure, and God dealing with what is corrupt or hidden. Not an easy passage — but one that carries the possibility of God establishing truth, strength, and justice, and giving strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate: watchmen, intercessors, prophetic people, artists, leaders, reformers.

That prophetic weight is why Bryn's story matters so much. A young woman named Bryn S. Elliott kept coming back to see it at a corporate art show in Don Mills. Her life had included trauma, addiction, rebellion, and the murder of her older sister, Abbe. She could not imagine anything good about Toronto. But the painting challenged her with the possibility of seeing the city differently. I gave her the original as a gift. She later wrote a book, Dying to Live. The painting was a gift to her — and her story became a gift to me.

When I was interviewed at the RAW Toronto show, the interviewer introduced the painting as Toronto on Fire — connecting immediately with Catch the Fire Toronto and the renewal history of the city. He was prophesying without knowing it. For those of us who remember those days, the cry is: Do it again, Lord.

In 1994, there was a major outpouring at a little church near the airport — now known as Catch the Fire Toronto. That move of God touched people across the world. When I look at this painting, I see a city God has visited before — and a city He can visit again.

When I say Toronto the Good, I am not saying the city is already everything it should be. I am speaking life over it — toward its God-given possibility. Like Jonah sent to Nineveh, this painting carries the conviction that God sees the city, loves the city, and still has a plan and a future for it. Toronto the Good is a painting about a city under the gaze of God — exposed, loved, challenged, prayed for, and invited into redemption.

Color & Mood

• Blazing crimson and warm red — passion, prayer, and intercession over a city
• Gold and amber city silhouette — luminous, held in divine light
• Magenta-pink sky with mosaic texture — layered, complex, celebratory
• Deep maroon-plum water reflection — the weight of the city's history
• Overall mood: bold, warm, celebratory, prophetically hopeful

Design Notes

• Landscape 4:3 horizontal composition — wide, expansive, suited to long walls
• CN Tower identifiable at center — immediate Toronto connection
• Mosaic-like brushwork throughout sky and water — texture that rewards closer looking
• Warm palette suits natural wood, warm neutrals, leather, and contemporary interiors
• Horizontal format suited to dining rooms, living rooms, and over-sofa placements

Where It Works

• Living rooms and dining rooms where a bold horizontal statement is welcome
• Offices and boardrooms that suit civic pride, vision, and warmth
• Toronto homes and condos with a personal connection to the city
• Prayer rooms and intercession spaces where the city is held before God
• Hospitality interiors seeking a strong local or Canadian identity statement

Toronto the Good, 60×45 in metal print — shown in a commercial interior setting.

Pairing Ideas

• Fourth Man, print — shared warm crimson and gold palette; fire, presence, and declaration
• Jehovah Nissi, print — warm red and magenta family; shelter, covering, and prophetic strength

Further Reading

• What Is Prophetic Art — Anne Reid Artist

Print Options & Materials

• Paper — classic fine art presentation behind glass
• Canvas — painterly warmth and depth
• Metal — most vivid gold and crimson; the city at full luminous intensity
• Acrylic — crisp depth and polished contemporary finish

Bathroom Suitability

Yes — Metal or Acrylic recommended for humid environments. Paper with UV glazing suits dry, well-ventilated spaces.

Sizing Guidance

Landscape format (4:3). Available sizes:

• 12×9 in — intimate scale; desk, shelf, or gallery-wall accent
• 24×18 in — small-room presence; above a console or in a hallway
• 32×24 in — mid-scale statement; above a sofa or dining table
• 40×30 in — large-format presence; anchors a living or dining room wall
• 48×36 in — statement art scale; commands a feature wall
• 60×45 in — architectural-presence scale; boardrooms, double-height walls, large hospitality interiors

Visit my Sizing & Placement Advice page for wall-fit and hanging guidance.

Quality & Care

Museum-grade inks on archival substrates. Metal and acrylic: wipe with a soft microfiber cloth. Paper: frame with acid-free materials and UV-protective glazing.

Shipping & Fulfillment

Orders are produced to order and shipped by my professional print lab partner in the United States. Production and transit times vary by size and finish; tracking is provided when your artwork ships. International orders may be subject to local duties, taxes, or import fees at delivery.

Collector Reflections

Toronto the Good has found its home with Bryn S. Elliott — a young woman who has experienced a life of trauma, abuse, addiction, rape, rebellion, and the tragic murder of her older sister, Abbe. Once hopeless, alone, and wishing for death, Bryn candidly shares her journey of overcoming these struggles in her book Dying to Live.

I met Bryn when she was in the middle of this journey. An artist herself, she was fascinated by this piece. Intimately acquainted with the underbelly of the city which took the life of her sister, it challenged her with the possibility that it could be seen in a different light. This painting was a gift to her. Her story is a gift to me.

Integrity Notes

This open edition print is a faithful reproduction of the original 2017 painting Toronto the Good (acrylic on canvas, 40×30 in). No compositional or color alterations beyond standard print preparation and digital signature. Original in private collection.

Copyright & Credits

© 2017 Anne Reid Artist. Original painting Toronto the Good, 2017, acrylic on canvas, 40×30 in; private collection. Collector story shared with permission.

Notes from the Studio

I painted this as a declaration over the city where I live. The gold is not idealization — it is about seeing Toronto through the lens of what God says about it, and holding that vision with love.

Need sizing or placement advice? Visit my Sizing & Placement Advice page or contact me: info@annereidartist.com