Walter Bachinski was born in Ottawa in 1939. He graduated from the Ontario College of Art in 1965 and earned his Master's degree from the University of Iowa in 1967. He taught at the University of Guelph from 1970 to 1994. His early work was primarily in black and white, and concentrated on printmaking and drawing. His work continued to evolve as he explored the use of colours in pastels and his re-examination of the possibilities of 'still life' began in 1987 during an extended stay in France. In 1994 he honed to Shanty Bay, ON and in 1996 established Shanty Bay Press. He now divides his time between book projects and pastels, prints and sculptures.