William Meire has made a career of painting portraits of famous Canadians, as well as some who aren’t so well known. And so it’s entirely fitting that his new exhibition, Face of Canada, will have its debut on Canada Day at, you guessed it, Canada Place.

Face of Canada features more than 100 original oil portraits of Canadians who have played a role in the cultural life of the nation.

Meire, an internationally renowned artist who was born in Vancouver, says the eyes are the focal point of his paintings and that he takes great care to ensure that the eyes of his subject gaze back at him by the end of the final sitting.

“The eyes, they talk to me, and that’s when I know I’m done.”

Featured subjects in Face of Canada include David Suzuki, John Candy, Neil Young, Brian Adams, Wayne Gretzky, Louis Riel, Keanu Reeves, William Shatner ‘ even Jack Kerouac, whose parents were from Quebec.

Meire plans to paint director James Cameron next, and he hopes to get a sitting with former Vancouver Canuck Trevor Linden soon.

He prefers to paint live subjects and had great things to say about his sitting with William Shatner.

“He is the best. Great personality. Fun to work with, and he had a beautiful home.”