Evolution of Brandy Saturley
20 Years Painting Canada: The Evolution of Canadian Artist Brandy Saturley
Evolution of Brandy Saturley: As I near two decades of working full-time as an artist, I find myself looking back at the defining moments that have shaped my career so far. What began as an exploration of Canadian popular culture gradually evolved into a deeper quest to understand the intimate details of what it means to be Canadian.
The journey began with hockey symbolism, most notably a goaltender’s mask set against the Canadian flag. From there, the work expanded into storytelling rooted in memory, landscape, identity, and the shared experiences that connect Canadians from coast to coast to coast. Below is a timeline of highlights from the trajectory of my art career so far.
Goalie’s Mask: red, white & Dryden (The Goalies Mask Painting), c. 2011 Acrylic on canvas 48 x 36 x 1.5 in – Brandy Saturley
Career Highlights Timeline
2011
The Goalie’s Mask painting is born: a painting of Ken Dryden’s pretzel mask set against a Canadian flag divided by a blue line. The work encapsulated what I wanted to say about Canada at the time and became a turning point in my practice.
2012
Later that year, the painting found a home in the Hockey Gallery at Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, where it remained on display until Fall 2013. The website goaliesmaskpainting.com was launched with support from the Hall, and 29 limited edition metallic photo prints were sold, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the institution.
2013
#ICONICCANUCK was born: a Twitter handle that became an ongoing platform for engaging with Canadians online about culture, identity, and art. That same year, I presented a solo exhibition at CARFAC Alberta.
2014
The Goalie’s Mask painting was shortlisted for the Olympic Trophy in Sport Art and shipped to Toronto for exhibition at Canadian Olympic Committee headquarters.
Vimy Jam Acrylic 30 x 24 x 1.5 in – Brandy Saturley
2014
The People of Canada Portrait Project was launched, bringing together everyday Canadians who submitted photographs and answered a series of questions that informed unique painted portraits. The project ultimately resulted in 20 portraits exploring stories of the Canadian experience.
2015
A painting centered on rival Canadian hockey teams and a love story between a Toronto Maple Leafs fan and a Montreal Canadiens fan became a standout work.
2016
I took my studio on the road, travelling across Canada while creating art and speaking about my work. The journey included Vancouver, Yellowknife, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa.
2016
The painting Let Your Backbone Rise was created and later sold to a private collector in Quebec. The work was subsequently written about in a text by the University of New Brunswick.
Let Your Backbone Rise, c. 2016 Acrylic 36 x 36 x 1.5 in – Brandy Saturley
2017
As Canada celebrated its 150th anniversary, my work toured in solo exhibitions across Edmonton and Calgary. Canadianisms: A Half Decade Painting Canada opened at Strathcona County Gallery@501 and Okotoks Art Gallery.
2017
An important self-portrait was created featuring the artist in a Hudson’s Bay toque and plaid shirt, posed in the spirit of Rosie the Riveter with a heart on the sleeve, set against a Lawren Harris-inspired sky. The image became closely associated with #ICONICCANUCK.
Hearts On Our Sleeves, 2017 Acrylic On Canvas 40 x 30 x 1.5 in – Brandy Saturley
2018
An iconic portrait painting of Gord Downie was created and joined a private collection in Ontario.
2019
I travelled to London to attend the Contemporary Art Summer School at the Royal College of Art in Battersea, culminating in a group exhibition at the Dyson Gallery.
2020
The documentary film The Iconic Canuck was released online, exploring the origins of the hockey paintings and the evolution of my work following my return from England.
The Iconic Canuck – artist documentary film, 2020 featuring Brandy Saturley
2020
A self-portrait featuring the artist wearing a Mountie red coat, crouched on one knee with poppies across the back, became a defining image of the year.
2021
My work began moving beyond popular culture and deeper into personal visual storytelling about Canada. Paintings of outdoor hockey rinks and colourfully dressed boys playing pond hockey emerged as audience favourites.
2021
The Polar Bear King emerged as a recurring character and storytelling vehicle within my practice. The series explored themes of displacement, belonging, and Canadian consciousness through the image of a wandering polar bear.
King of The Polar Bears, c. 2021 Acrylic On Canvas 36 x 48 x 1.5 in – Brandy Saturley
2022
Figures within the Canadian landscape continued to populate my canvases. A new self-portrait featured the artist in red plaid with a crown of flowers, referencing Ukrainian heritage, posed against a wheat field and prairie sky.
2022
I was invited to attend an artist residency at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity as the recipient of a Fleck Fellowship, where a new body of large-scale work was created.
2022
I joined the artist roster at Willock & Sax Gallery.
2023
The Polar Bear King continued to reign over my practice as I completed 12 additional polar bear paintings.
2023
I was invited to the artist residency at Pouch Cove Foundation, spending a month creating large-scale paintings inspired by Newfoundland and its culture.
Pouch Cove Foundation Artist Residency – 2023 – Brandy Saturley
2024
An entire series of 25 paintings emerged from the Newfoundland residency experience.
2024
I created a series of small mountain paintings for Willock & Sax Gallery.
2024
Became an elected member of the Society of Canadian Artists
2024
I was contracted by Highness Global to exhibit artwork on large-scale LED screens at 2 Bloor West in Toronto, with multiple installations planned over the coming years.
Winteractive Boston, 2025, Brandy Saturley
2025
I was invited to participate in the annual Winteractive Outdoor Art Exhibition.
2025
I published my artist monograph, Painting Canada, a 112-page limited edition publication of 100 copies.
2025
A solo exhibition of Newfoundland paintings opened at James Baird Gallery.
2025
I returned to Pouch Cove Foundation for a second residency, producing five new Newfoundland paintings.
2025
I joined the artist roster at James Baird Gallery.
2025
I created a new series of small polar bear and moose paintings for Willock & Sax Gallery.
2025
A collaboration with Canadian rock group The Tragically Hip resulted in an original painting commission and 175 limited edition prints.
2025
My solo exhibition The Wild Life opened at Miller Art Gallery.
“Newfoundland Impressions” Opening James Baird Gallery, 2025 – Brandy Saturley
2026
I joined the artist roster at Nicholas Penn Fine Art.
2026
A solo exhibition with Willock & Sax Gallery featured new skiing paintings and mountain landscapes.
Evolution of Brandy Saturley: 20 Years Painting Canada
Over the last two decades, I have created nearly 500 paintings. My work has entered private collections around the world as well as public and corporate collections including the Peck Collection, Colart Collection, Canadian Tire, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, and Banff Lake Louise Tourism.
I am currently represented by Willock & Sax Gallery, James Baird Gallery, and Nicholas Penn Fine Art, and my work is also featured on Artsy.
My work has been featured by Forbes, CBC Arts, Our Canada, Galleries West, Canadian Art, and Whitehot Magazine. Self-published works are on file with Artexte and the Artist File at the National Gallery of Canada Library. Wikipedia.
Canadianisms: A Half Decade Painting Canada, 2017, Gallery @501, Brandy Saturley
2017 – Brandy Saturley on her hand-painted art crates
