Alberta Art Exhibitions

Looking Back at Art Exhibitions in Alberta – Painting Canada

I have presented several solo art exhibitions in Alberta over the past fifteen years. While my home and studio are based on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, I have developed a strong and loyal following in Alberta. Traveling coast to coast to coast across Canada deeply informs my practice, and exhibiting nationally allows me to share this work with Canadians while introducing it to new audiences and collectors.

2013 #ICONICCANUCK at CARFAC Alberta Gallery A at Harcourt House – Brandy Saturley

The first time I introduced my work to Alberta audiences was in late 2013, with a solo exhibition titled #ICONICCANUCK. The exhibition marked my first solo presentation and featured paintings largely inspired by Canada’s hockey culture. #ICONICCANUCK emerged as a pseudonym through my engagement with Canadian popular culture and my interactions on social media, particularly Twitter at the time.

The work carried layered stories of hockey culture and its influence on the Canadian psyche. The hashtag came to define a genre within my practice, often referred to as “Pop Canadianisms,” exploring Canadian identity, culture, and history through a contemporary, accessible, and often humorous lens. A small companion book was published alongside the exhibition, featuring 15 paintings from the show.

#ICONICCANUCK was presented at the CARFAC Alberta Gallery in the Harcourt House Arts building in Edmonton, Alberta.

2013 #ICONICCANUCK at CARFAC Alberta Gallery A at Harcourt House – Brandy Saturley

The work continued to grow and evolve, and in 2016 I set out on the road once again to immerse myself in Canadian culture, landscapes, and art communities across the country. That year took me north to Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories, where I finally reached the edge of the Arctic Circle and gathered scenes and stories from this remote and strikingly beautiful region of Canada.

From there, my travels continued through Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa. In each city, I spent time visiting local galleries, sharing meals with artists, and engaging with the communities I was exploring. These encounters became an essential part of my research and process.

2016 was a pivotal building year, laying the groundwork for a series of solo exhibitions in 2017 and solidifying the national scope of my practice.

2017 Canadianisms: A Half Decade Painting Canada – Gallery @501 Sherwood Park – Brandy Saturley

Entering 2017, the year began with a solo exhibition in Edmonton. Titled Canadianisms: A Half Decade Painting Canada, the exhibition opened in January at Gallery@501 at Strathcona County in Sherwood Park. Building on the momentum of my 2013 exhibition, the show featured over 30 paintings, along with my hand-painted art crates displayed in the gallery’s front window. A small companion book was published to accompany the exhibition.

The exhibition included select works from #ICONICCANUCK and traced a clear progression into my most recent paintings, incorporating collage alongside figurative landscapes and still lifes. While hockey remained a recurring theme, the exhibition broadened its focus to include visual narratives shaped by my travels across Canada.

2017 Canadianisms: A Half Decade Painting Canada – Gallery @501 Sherwood Park – Brandy Saturley

From the Edmonton area, the work travelled south to the Calgary region, where my next solo exhibition opened in July at the Okotoks Art Gallery. This presentation was a more intimate iteration of the Sherwood Park exhibition, featuring fewer than 20 paintings, with my hand-painted art crates installed at the centre of the gallery space.

The exhibition continued as a five-year retrospective of work created under #ICONICCANUCK, bringing together select portraits and figurative works reflecting Canadian identity, alongside new paintings produced following the January exhibition.

2017 Canadianisms: A Half Decade Painting Canada – Okotoks Art Gallery – Brandy Saturley

Following 2017, I continued painting stories of Canada, with my focus shifting increasingly toward landscapes and rural narratives. In 2022, I was an artist-in-residence at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. As a guest in the Leighton Studios, supported by a Fleck Fellowship, I spent two weeks painting in place and exploring the surrounding mountain environment.

That same year, I expanded my professional representation in Alberta when Willock & Sax in Banff began representing The Art of Brandy Saturley.

2022 Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity – Thom Studio – Brandy Saturley

In 2023 and again in 2025, I expanded my view of Canada through invitation-only artist residencies at the Pouch Cove Foundation in Newfoundland. Each residency lasted one month and allowed me to develop work rooted in place, shaped by my experience as a “come from away.” In 2025, I also presented a solo exhibition in Newfoundland, marking a moment when my work, not just myself, had fully landed in another region of Canada.

Later in 2025, I returned to Edmonton, Alberta, with a solo exhibition at the Miller Art Gallery on 124 Street. It was my first solo exhibition in Alberta since 2017, and I arrived with a significant body of new work. Titled The Wild Life, the exhibition featured paintings of polar bears and people, alongside a commissioned work created for the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. Sharing the continued evolution of my “Pop Canadianisms” with Alberta audiences was both meaningful and affirming.

2025 The Wild Life at Miller Art Gallery – Edmonton, Alberta – Brandy Saturley

Alberta Art Exhibitions – The Art of Brandy Saturley

Across provinces and over more than a decade, my practice has been shaped by movement, immersion, and conversation with place. Alberta, in particular, has played a significant role in this journey, with collectors, institutions, and communities supporting and collecting my work for nearly fifteen years. From urban centres to rural landscapes, coastlines to mountains, each exhibition and residency has added another layer to an evolving visual language rooted in Canadian experience. Sharing this work nationally continues to feel both purposeful and generous, allowing the stories within my paintings to meet new audiences while remaining grounded in the places that have championed them.

2025 – The Wild Life – Miller Art Gallery, Edmonton Alberta – Brandy Saturley

February 10, 2026

20 Years Painting Canada

Art Career

What Nearly 20 Years of Painting Canada Has Taught Me

After nearly two decades of painting my way across Canada, one thing has become abundantly clear: Canada is not one art scene. It never was. After nearly 20 years painting Canada one thing is clear – Regionalism is alive and well, quietly shaping subject matter, price points, conversations, and even how artists and collectors relate to one another.

Every province carries its own visual accent.

The Wild Life – Miller Art Gallery, Edmonton AB – 2025 – Brandy Saturley

The landscapes change, yes, but so does the emotional temperature of the work. The West leans into space, light, and openness. The Prairies carry restraint, repetition, and horizon lines that stretch patience and perspective. Ontario often balances concept with commerce. Quebec moves confidently between tradition and experimentation. Atlantic Canada holds history close, with work that feels weathered, human, and deeply rooted. The North resists simplification altogether.

These regional differences still matter. They inform what gets painted and what gets collected.

The East Coast: Negotiation and Personal Connection

I’ve also learned that price points are not universal across the country. What feels reasonable in one region can feel ambitious in another. On the East Coast especially, there’s more conversation around price, more negotiation, and more relationship-building involved in the sale. This isn’t a criticism. It’s cultural. Art there is personal. It’s tied to community, story, and often survival. Sales are slower, but often deeper.

Newfoundland Paintings – Brandy Saturley – 2024

Alberta: Decisive Collectors, Immediate Connection

One of the most striking collector cultures I’ve encountered is in Alberta. There’s a directness there that feels refreshing and unapologetic. Alberta collectors often buy on the spot. When the connection is made, the decision follows quickly, without prolonged hesitation or extended negotiation.

These collectors tend to trust their instincts. They respond to scale, confidence, and clarity of vision. There’s an appreciation for work that knows what it is and stands firmly behind it. Conversations happen, of course, but they’re efficient. The artwork either resonates, or it doesn’t.

This decisiveness doesn’t feel transactional. It feels practical. Art is valued as something to live with, not endlessly deliberate over. The result is a market that rewards artists who show up prepared, present their work clearly, and stand behind their pricing.

After years of painting and exhibiting across the country, Alberta remains one of the places where I’ve felt the least friction between artist and collector. When the work connects, the answer is often simply yes.

Alberta paintings – Brandy Saturley – 2025

Vancouver: Small, Abstract, and a Little Bit Shiny

Vancouver has long favoured a quieter kind of confidence. Collectors there tend to gravitate toward smaller-scale works, abstraction, and surfaces that carry a sense of refinement or subtle polish. There’s an attentiveness to finish, material, and atmosphere. The work doesn’t need to announce itself loudly. It needs to hum.

Abstraction plays well in Vancouver, especially when it leans contemplative rather than confrontational. Shifts in tone, light, and texture often matter more than overt narrative. There’s also an openness to work that feels elevated or luminous, pieces that reflect light, carry sheen, or reward close looking over time.

This collecting culture aligns closely with the city itself. Dense, design-aware, and visually restrained, Vancouver values art that integrates seamlessly into living spaces while still holding conceptual depth. The emphasis is less on declaration and more on resonance.

For an artist, Vancouver rewards precision. The work needs to be resolved, intentional, and confident in its quietness. When it is, collectors notice.

Vancouver Island Paintings – Brandy Saturley – 2025

20 Years Painting Canada

Across Canada, however, landscape painting continues to hold. Despite decades of predictions about its decline, collectors still respond to place. Not postcard versions of Canada, but lived-in ones. Weather, distance, memory, solitude. Landscape remains a shared language, even as the dialect changes from province to province.

Rocky Mountains Higher – Brandy Saturley – 2017

In recent years, I’ve witnessed Indigenous art command long-overdue attention and market strength. This visibility matters, though it also brings responsibility. Institutions, collectors, and artists alike must approach Indigenous work with care, context, and respect, not trend-chasing. The depth, diversity, and regional specificity within Indigenous art resists any single narrative, much like Canada itself.

Monarch of The Arctic Realms, Brandy Saturley, 2024

Another noticeable shift has been the increased visibility of women artists. There’s more space now, more recognition, and more leadership. While equity is still a work in progress, the conversation has changed. Women’s voices are no longer peripheral. They’re shaping the centre.

With Hearts On Our Sleeves, Brandy Saturley, 2017

What painting Canada for nearly twenty years has taught me most is this: the country reveals itself slowly. It resists shortcuts. You have to show up, travel it, listen to it, and let the regions speak for themselves.

Canada isn’t one story. It’s many, told in different accents, under different skies, at different price points, with different expectations. Painting my way through it has been less about defining Canada and more about paying attention to its nuances.

And that, I think, is where the real work lives. See more Canadian Paintings here.

Brandy Saturley with her art shipping crates, 2017

January 12, 2026

2025 Art in Review

Art Career

2025 Art in Review

As I look back on 2025, I’m struck by the momentum, travel, and creative expansion that shaped this year. From major exhibitions and artist residencies to new publications, commissions, and cross-Canada collaborations, it has been a year defined by movement, storytelling, and deep engagement with place. Here is my 2025 Art in review on a remarkable year in the studio and on the road.

January — Boston, USA

The Art of Brandy Saturley at Winteractive Boston, 2025

The year began with an invitation to present my mural work at Boston’s WINTERACTIVE festival. Now in its second year, the outdoor art celebration brought together public artworks and interactive installations across 17 sites, presented by the Downtown Boston Alliance. Participating in this event reaffirmed my commitment to bringing art into public space and engaging audiences of all ages.

**February — Painting Canada Book Release**

Book Release – Painting Canada by Brandy Saturley, 2025

February marked the publication of Painting Canada, a 112-page book spanning nearly two decades of my work. The book traces my evolution as a painter and storyteller, exploring how Canadian culture, landscape, and collective identity shape my artistic voice.

March — Waterton Lakes, Alberta

Paintings of Waterton Lakes National Park by Brandy Saturley

In March, I created a suite of landscape paintings for Gust Gallery in Waterton Lakes National Park. These five works honour the park’s dramatic scenery, wildlife, flora, and fauna. I also began preparing artwork and research materials for my upcoming April residency in Newfoundland.

April — Residency in Newfoundland

Artist in Residence at Pouch Cove Foundation, Newfoundland Canada

April took me to Newfoundland for a residency at the Pouch Cove Foundation. During my time on the rugged Atlantic coast, I created five new paintings that later appeared in my solo exhibition Newfoundland Impressions. The month also included the official book launch for Painting Canada.

May — Polar Bear Kings Return in Banff

Back in the studio in May, I created a new series of small “Polar Bear King” paintings for Willock & Sax Gallery in Banff, Alberta. This collection introduced a new character, a moose, expanding the narrative world of the polar bear king and adding a new layer of playfulness and symbolism.

2025 Art in Review: June — Digital Display in Toronto

Brandy Saturley @ 2 Bloor West

In June, my artwork lit up Toronto on a large-scale LED billboard at 2 Bloor West, bringing contemporary Canadian iconography into the heart of the city.

July — Fundraiser & New Commission – Canada Day feature

The digital display continued through July. I also completed a painting for the ArtAttack fundraiser at Miller Art Gallery in Edmonton and began work on a special commission for The Tragically Hip—an exciting creative milestone. On Canada Day Willock & Sax Gallery in Banff featured my new polar bear king paintings.

August — Five New Works & Studio Pack-Up

August brought five new small paintings and the start of a major transition as I packed up my studio in preparation for a move.

September — New Studio in Parksville

Brandy Saturley Studio – Parksville, BC

In September, I relocated to Parksville on Vancouver Island and set up my new studio. With the beach only steps away, the landscape immediately began to influence my work.

October — A New Coastal Series

Macdonald Realty calendar by Brandy Saturley

October marked the beginning of a new series of paintings inspired by the beaches and rhythms of Parksville. I also collaborated with Macdonald Realty on a calendar project and shipped new paintings to Edmonton for my November exhibition.

November — Remembrance Day Display & Solo Show Opening

Brandy Saturley signing prints for The Tragically Hip Poster Cellar at Mitchell Press – Burnaby, BC

My Remembrance Day digital artwork appeared on the 2 Bloor West LED billboard once again this year. I also travelled to Vancouver to sign 175 limited-edition prints with Mitchell Press for The Tragically Hip Poster Cellar Strictly Limited Series. The month concluded with the opening of my solo exhibition The Wild Life at Miller Art Gallery in Edmonton.

I licensed an image of my Rundle mountain painting to the Canadian Journal of Rural Medicine for the cover of their Fall 2025 issue.

December — Closing the Year With a West Coast Focus

The Wild Life by Brandy Saturley at Miller Art Gallery – Edmonton, Alberta

I wrapped up the year by completing a new series of eight beach- and West Coast-inspired paintings. Miller Art Gallery hosts a Curators Talk supporting The Wild Life, a fitting way to reflect on a year of creative exploration and national engagement.

December 2, 2025

Behind a Solo Art Show

Art Career, Art Show

The Work Behind a Solo Art Show

One of the interesting things about being an artist is that you often get applause for the small things, while the big things – the projects that take the most time, effort, and investment – rarely get the recognition they deserve. Bringing a solo art show to life can take years of work, all for a brief but beautiful moment of celebration and connection with the public.

I’m currently preparing for the opening of my second solo art show this year. Just last week, my art shipper picked up fifteen paintings headed for Edmonton, Alberta. It’s a 1270 km journey that includes a ferry ride, but in truth, the journey of these paintings began long before last week, and much farther than 1270 km ago.

Preparing for a solo art show begins years before the opening night. It starts with ideas, tiny seeds that grow into new paintings, and with the experiences that shape what I want to say about the world. For me, these seeds are planted when I travel to explore new parts of Canada. On these journeys, I gather reference material: photographs, videos, sketches, and mental notes of smells, sights, and sounds. When I return home to my Vancouver Island studio, those impressions begin to take root and grow.

Brandy Saturley with her art shipping crates

I start by nurturing these ideas digitally, collaging moments into visual storyboards, snapshots of my experiences distilled into narrative form. From there, I edit and refine until I have a solid grouping of fully developed compositions. These collaged compositions then become loose renderings on canvas, sketched out with a chalk pen. Once I have several canvases drawn, I begin laying down underpaintings, blocking in colour and light, before building up the layers of vivid hues that give each piece its life.

The Gift Shop painting in progress – Brandy Saturley studio – Vancouver Island

The Work Behind A Solo Art Show Takes Time

Each painting takes weeks or sometimes months to complete. When finished, they’re sealed with protective varnish and readied for hanging. This process repeats again and again until a cohesive body of work begins to emerge. Not every painting makes the final cut, perhaps I create fifty pieces in a series, but when it’s time for a solo exhibition, I’ll select fifteen to twenty that best tell the story.

Once the paintings are chosen, they’re carefully packed and shipped to the gallery. From there, the gallery team takes over – unpacking, taking inventory, preparing the space, curating the show, and installing the work. Together, we promote the show and they plan the opening night, complete with wine, conversation, and guests.

Booking a solo show typically happens about two years in advance. So, each exhibition is really several years in the making. During that time, I’m not just painting; I’m running a business – working on commissions, participating in group shows, managing my website and social media, connecting with galleries and collectors, and keeping the financial side of the studio running.

Brandy Saturley with her art book – Painting Canada, 2025

To keep the creative momentum going, I’m always planting seeds for future work and exhibitions. Often, I’m preparing for a show two years in the future while also celebrating a body of work that began years before. The cycle never really stops, you’re constantly creating your future through your art.

As I close in on my next solo show at The Miller Art Gallery, I’m taking a moment to pause and appreciate the work of today. For while the public sees the finished paintings, celebrating them for one fleeting evening, what they don’t often see are the years of quiet effort behind each brushstroke, each idea, and each show. And that’s what makes the celebration all the more meaningful.

The Wild Life, The Miller Art Gallery @ The Roxy – Edmonton, Alberta November 2025

See more Canadian paintings by Brandy Saturley.

November 3, 2025

Painting Canada’s East and West

Art Career, Artist Residency

Comparing Coasts – Painting Canada’s East and West

When I set out to paint stories of Canada, I knew I couldn’t do it without eventually comparing my west coast home with the east coast of this country. Over the years, I have painted the prairies, the Rocky Mountains, and the North, but it wasn’t until 2023 that I found myself standing on the easternmost point of Canada, looking out toward the Atlantic from the rugged cliffs of Newfoundland, and painting Canada’s East and West coasts.

Pouch Cove, Newfoundland, Canada

An artist residency at the Pouch Cove Foundation allowed me to immerse myself for a month in rural Newfoundland, exploring the Avalon Peninsula and painting where the sun first rises in the country. It was exactly what I needed to complete a vision nearly two decades in the making – to fill the missing piece in my ongoing portrait of Canada.

High Tide, 36×48 inches, acrylic on canvas, 2024 – Brandy Saturley

What I discovered on the east coast is that, despite our vast distance, both coasts share a deep affinity for the ocean. We live surrounded by it, shaped by it, and inspired by it. Yet, the Atlantic feels more fierce, more exposed, an endless expanse that pulls you outward. Here on Vancouver Island, the ocean is often framed by islands or the distant outline of the United States. It’s tamer at first glance, but venture north and you’ll find wild, uninhabited shores every bit as raw and powerful as Newfoundland’s cliffs. The cliffs there are their Rocky Mountains – ancient, resilient, and endlessly humbling.

With Wind and Without, 48×30 inches, acrylic on canvas, 2024, Brandy Saturley

Both coasts share a rugged individualism that sets them apart from the rest of Canada. We are, in many ways, outsiders – shaped by isolation and by a closeness to the elements. For years, I’ve been trying to reconcile my ideas of Canada and what it truly means to be Canadian. In that process, I often felt like an observer on my own coast, always looking for a way in. Newfoundland changed that. Painting there deepened my understanding of my home on Vancouver Island, and in turn, made me love it even more.

When I Go To SEE. 30×60 inches, acrylic on canvas, 2025 – Brandy Saturley

Now, as I paint from my new studio further up the Island, shifting from a southern to a mid-Island perspective, I find myself turning inward. My daily walks by the ocean have become quiet meditations. The beaches, the light, and the rhythms of the tides are slowly revealing themselves as new subjects in my work. It’s an introspective time, one that feels like a natural continuation of everything I’ve been exploring across the country.

The World is Your Oyster, 30×30 inches, acrylic on canvas, 2025 – Brandy Saturley

This fall, I’ll be showing many of these new works, alongside paintings from across Canada, in my upcoming solo exhibition “The Wild Life” at the Miller Art Gallery in Edmonton, opening November 13, 2025. The show reflects a journey that has taken me from coast to coast, from one edge of the continent to the other. It’s a wild life indeed, and the journey continues.

Rocky Mountains Higher, 36×49 inches, acrylic on canvas, 2023 – Brandy Saturley

Read more about Brandy Saturley’s time painting in Newfoundland here.

October 23, 2025

What is Canada?

Art Career

Painting Canada Asks Me to Question, What is Canada?

When I began down a path fueled by an Olympic Games to answer the question, What is Canada to me? I never thought I would find myself nearly two decades later still working to express my thoughts of this country on canvas.

The 2010 Olympics in Vancouver were loud and rife with stereotype: giant igloos and Inukshuk, beer and moose. I became curious about what the West Coast was trying to say about itself and how it was representing all of us on the world stage. Canadians are known for our quirky, self-deprecating sense of humour, and for gleefully making fun of ourselves at our own expense. When I began thinking about my impressions of Canada, I too began with stereotype and popular culture. It felt like the most natural place to start.

I began painting hockey masks floating above the landscape, stories of hockey on canvas, and cultural icons reimagined through paint. I placed the Stanley Cup in the serene lounge of Château Lake Louise and set a giant cup of Tim Hortons coffee and donut holes on a frozen rink surrounded by skaters. I painted a Mountie with a thumbs up like The Fonz, riding a horse with a maple leaf tattoo on its flank that read “Eh.” I painted Pamela Anderson, clad in a bikini, reclining on top of a Macintosh’s Toffee Bar at Peggy’s Cove, and a portrait of everyday Canadians posed in front of the original Forum building, hockey stick in hand, wearing the same stoic expressions as American Gothic.

In 2016 I set out on a series of journeys that would take me across Canada and into the Northern Territories. Through residencies, exhibitions, and planned excursions, I began to ask a deeper question: Who are Canadians? What began as a playful exploration of symbols and stereotypes evolved into a profound investigation of identity, geography, and collective consciousness.

The question “What is Canada?” became not a single answer but a lifelong dialogue.

It became about experience and connection, about gathering impressions and stories, then filtering them through paint, memory, and emotion.

Nearly twenty years later, my visual stories of Canada now encompass people, landscapes, myth, and Mother Nature herself. My work has become a conversation between the land and the people, between history and the present moment. From coast to coast to coast, each painting tells part of the story of how this vast and complex country shapes those who live within it.

Writers such as Margaret Atwood, Louise Penny, Mike Myers, and Will Ferguson have wrestled with similar questions in their work. In Ferguson’s Why I Hate Canadians, he writes with both affection and frustration about our national character – our politeness, our contradictions, and our quiet pride. Like these authors, I too am searching for Canada, not as a fixed image, but as an evolving reflection of its people and places.

Through painting, I have learned that Canada is not one story but many. It is the laughter echoing from a rink in small-town Saskatchewan, the vast silence of the Arctic, the salt air of the Atlantic, and the rain-soaked forests of the Pacific. It is our symbols, our humour, and our shared moments of awe in nature’s company.

To paint Canada is to keep asking the question. And in doing so, I continue to discover a country that reveals itself one brushstroke at a time. For collectors, each painting in this ongoing series offers a piece of that discovery – a visual story of Canada seen through the eyes of an artist who has spent decades exploring its symbols, spirit, and soul.

See more Canadian paintings by Brandy Saturley.

October 14, 2025

Studio Move to Parksville

Art Career

A New Place to Paint – Studio Move to Parksville, BC on Beautiful Vancouver Island

When an opportunity presents itself, and it feels meant to be, I go with my gut and jump. No hesitation, I go and don’t look back. It is a characteristic that has helped me a great deal in my art practice, and I don’t spend a lot of time questioning, nor do I wait for perfect timing, as there is no such thing. That said, this feels pretty ideal at this stage in my career. A home and studio move to beautiful Parksville a place known for it’s expansive sandy beaches, low tides, sand dollars and it’s annual sand sculpture competition that attracts teams from all over the world.

low tide in Parksville, BC Canada

We are a couple weeks in and as I continue setting up the new studio, and organizing my inventory, I have been busy exploring the new neighborhood and all it offers. Every day I walk the beach for an hour, I go in the morning and get to experience a shifting landscape as the beach changes with the monthly tide charts. Some days I can walk out for a mile and other days I am hugging the shoreline. The receding waves reveal oysters, clams, crabs and undulating sand ripples sculpted by the tides. Beautiful abstract sculptures and paintings made by the ocean and changing daily.

low tide in front of The Beach Club resort, Parksville, Canada.

With these first few weeks walking and exploring I just want to be outside as much as possible as summer turns to warm fall. Beach days are still here and the land is plentiful. I can see myself doing some plein air painting here. It is peaceful and the ocean breeze carries a crisp reminder that the seasons are changing. The colours are muted with warm greys, cerulean blues and the shimmering oyster shells. There are hints of lime green with seaweed and vivid red oranges with abandoned crab shells abounds. The discarded clam shells offer creamy yellows and deep hues of purple on the inside.

beach shells in Parksville, BC

You will also find structures built from logs on the beach. Places to escape on hot days, forts of the sea built from play and for privacy. These huts look like ancient remnants of villages which once dotted the land. Your imagination and building skills can take you anywhere on a west coast beach.

beach structure in Parksville, BC Canada

You will also find dozens of structures that look like people set on logs near the beach. The art of rock stacking is alive in Parksville. I have found similar structures everywhere from remote Newfoundland to Yellowknife on the Bay. Little human like stacks make you realize humans have been here and they have left their signature through their rock structures.

Rock Stacking on the beach in Parksville, Canada

Beyond the beautiful beaches you will find an unassuming town that offers every amenity of a city. There are murals to been seen on many buildings and amazing eateries hidden within simple structures.

One of many murals in Parksville, BC

Beyond the streets is a wonderful Canadian art gallery, The McMillan Arts Centre. One of the oldest buildings in the area, the current McMillan Arts Centre started life as Parksville School in 1913. At that time, Memorial was one of the main streets in Parksville, and the building was a centrepiece. The Oceanside Community Arts Council (OCAC) purchased the building in the 1990s and the upper part of the building became the McMillan Arts Centre (the MAC). The MAC showcases the works of 2D, 3D and performance art. The MAC is also a place where various concerts, workshops, and rehearsals are held. The art scene in Parksville is strong.

The MAC – McMillan Arts Centre in Parksville, BC Canada

Parksville is a place to make art and escape the big city while remaining close to the city centre of Nanaimo and not far from Victoria, BC. Parksville is considered part of the Oceanside community which includes nearby Qualicum Beach. Happy to be in this community and I look forward to learning more about what makes this town tick, beyond the beach. As I continue to get my new studio set up I am mindful of where these new vistas might take my visual stories of Canada.

As new paintings become available, you can find them here.

September 22, 2025

Art of 2025

Art Career

Explore the Art of 2025 – New Paintings, Major Shows, and Momentum

We’re not even halfway through the year, and already 2025 is shaping up to be one of the most dynamic and creatively fulfilling years of my career as a Canadian visual artist. With 26 new paintings completed, a newly released book celebrating my work, and solo exhibitions in both Newfoundland and Banff, the momentum is undeniable, and the response from collectors has been just as energizing for the art of 2025.

Brandy Saturley with her Art Book – Painting Canada released April 2025

Earlier this year, I presented a solo show of twenty original works at James Baird Gallery in Newfoundland, where the raw beauty and deep cultural resonance of the province inspired a powerful new series. This summer, I’ll head west for a solo feature with Willock & Sax Gallery in Banff, a region whose dramatic landscapes and creative pulse are a perfect match for this evolving body of work.

Newfoundland Impressions by Brandy Saturley at James Baird Gallery April 2025

I also released a new book chronicling my artistic journey across Canada – a collection that weaves together stories, sketches, and paintings from coast to coast. At the same time, I had the privilege of contributing to a public art exhibition in Boston, where two of my murals were presented to a broad and diverse audience, bringing a uniquely Canadian voice to an international stage.

Winteractive 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts – mural by Brandy Saturley

With so many milestones already behind me this year, it’s no surprise that sales have been swift, and many of these new works are already in private and corporate collections across the country.

Behind the scenes in Brandy Saturley studio – June 2025

If you’ve been thinking about bringing an original piece of Canadian contemporary art into your life, now is the perfect time to explore what’s available. From vivid landscapes and symbolic storytelling, to modern expressions of Canadian identity, the new paintings speak to place, people, and the evolving story of this country.

Brandy Saturley in her studio at Pouch Cove Foundation – April 2025

Each work tells a story. Perhaps one of them is yours.

👉 Explore Available Paintings

June 13, 2025

Top Canada Art Blog

Art Career, Canadian Art

How I Became a Top Canada Art Blog

I think it was around the year 2000 when I launched my first artist website—an online portfolio that marked the beginning of my professional art career. Over the years, that simple website evolved into a dynamic space where I could share not only my paintings but also my journey through the ever-changing landscape of the Canadian art world. How I became a top Canada art blog.

In the beginning, I wrote blog posts monthly, often reflecting on local events or exhibitions close to home. As my career expanded across Canada and into North America, so did the scope of my writing. Eventually, my blog became more frequent—sometimes with multiple posts in a single week—covering everything from travel adventures and exhibition openings to topics like buying art, understanding the art market, and investing in original work.

Writing has become a valuable part of my creative process. It allows me to explore ideas beyond the canvas—where my artist brain meets my entrepreneurial side. I often use the blog to tell the stories behind individual paintings, giving readers insight into how a piece comes to life in the studio. It’s become an important tool for educating and engaging with art lovers, collectors, and aspiring artists. I believe sharing the behind-the-scenes experience helps bridge the gap between artist and viewer—bringing more understanding to what it means to be a professional Canadian artist today.

Right now, I’m writing from Newfoundland, Canada, where I’m enjoying an artist residency at the Pouch Cove Foundation. This place is born of waves, wind, jagged cliffs, and solitude. It’s incredibly conducive to reflection and writing. The studio features floor-to-ceiling windows that open onto a field of swaying grass, flanked by trees and a dramatic cliffside, with a single house perched at the top. As I write, I watch the wind dance through the grass and crows play in the trees—a meditative view and the perfect backdrop for creativity.

Brandy Saturley Top 25 Canada Art Blog

Yesterday, I received some exciting news—Feedspot has selected my blog as one of the Top 25 Canada Art Blogs. This recognition made me smile, as I truly enjoy writing and sharing this side of my artistic life. For those unfamiliar, Feedspot is a global content curator that ranks blogs, podcasts, news outlets, and social media creators to help audiences easily discover new voices and perspectives.

I’m honoured to be listed alongside some of Canada’s most influential art voices, including Booooooom, Akimbo, Canada Council Art Bank, and the Art Gallery of Ontario.

To everyone who has followed, read, or shared my blog over the years—thank you. Whether you’re here for the paintings, the stories, or the behind-the-scenes journey, I’m grateful you’re part of this creative adventure with me.

April 9, 2025

Artists in Canada

Art Career, Opinion

What Are the Statistics on Visual Artists in Canada?

Did you know that the National Gallery of Canada Library maintains an extensive database of professional visual artists in Canada? This valuable resource contains information on over 42,000 Canadian visual artists and more than 5,300 biographies, thanks to the support of CHIN, the National Gallery of Canada Foundation, and the dedicated work of Colin MacDonald, author of A Dictionary of Canadian Artists, alongside a team of staff and volunteers.

Canadian Paintings at Okotoks Art Gallery, 2017 – Brandy Saturley

In the visual arts field, the term “artist” is broadly defined, encompassing painters, sculptors, printmakers, designers, photographers, architects, and artisans. To be considered an artist “in Canada,” one must either be born in Canada or have worked here. The database does not imply any form of selection or recognition—only that a file exists, which may contain anything from a single press clipping to an extensive archive of exhibition records and media coverage.

Canadian Visual Artist, Brandy Saturley on her Art Shipping Crates

The Reality of Being a Visual Artist in Canada

According to the most recent census data, there are approximately 203,000 full-time professional artists in Canada, with around 21,000 working as visual artists. More than half (51%) of these artists are self-employed, valuing the flexibility, control, and sense of purpose that comes with managing their own creative careers. In contrast to the general workforce, where only 20% work from home, 54% of artists conduct their practice from home studios.

However, financial stability remains a challenge. Half of all artists report total personal incomes below $40,000, and when looking specifically at earnings from the cultural sector, two-thirds (66%) earn less than $40,000 annually, with 21% earning under $10,000. Despite these challenges, half of the artists surveyed would choose the same career path if given the chance to start over, a testament to their passion and dedication.

Postage stamp by Canadian Artist, Brandy Saturley

Artists as Multi-Talented Contributors

Many artists contribute to the arts beyond their own creative work. A significant portion (71%) hold more than one job, and 72% of those with secondary employment work within the cultural sector, blending their creative pursuits with other artistic or administrative roles. Yet, despite wearing multiple hats, almost half (44%) of self-employed artists have never received formal business or career management training—an area that remains crucial for long-term sustainability.

The Art of Brandy Saturley in Boston at Winteractive 2025

My Journey as a Full-Time Canadian Artist

Like many artists, I started my career balancing a full-time job outside the arts while developing my practice. This experience provided me with valuable skills that eventually supported my transition into a full-time artistic career. For nearly two decades, my art has been my sole profession—I don’t take on side gigs to supplement my income, nor do I frequently accept commissions. If I do take on a commission, it’s because I’m genuinely excited about the creative collaboration and the relationship behind the opportunity.

Canadian Artist Brandy Saturley with her Art Book, Painting Canada, 2025

From the beginning, I admired artists who successfully built sustainable careers while they were alive. Meeting renowned figures like Vilmos Zsigmond, the Academy Award-winning cinematographer of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Takashi Murakami, whose commercial success is as impressive as his artistic vision, reinforced my belief that it’s possible to make a living from art. I have never relied solely on my local market to grow my career. Instead, I’ve always looked beyond, balancing the creative and business sides of the industry to push my work forward.

Navigating the Art World: A Balancing Act

Being a full-time artist is both exhilarating and unpredictable—like riding waves on a surfboard, with highs, lows, and unexpected turns. Some might call it luck, but I see it as a combination of preparation, focus, and the ability to seize opportunities as they arise. In an industry filled with uncertainty, I work hard to be a reliable and adaptable presence. Every idea, whether it comes to fruition or not, holds the potential for creative and professional growth.

Brandy Saturley in her Victoria BC Canada studio

If you’re considering working with me—whether as a collector, collaborator, or client—I bring not only my artistic vision but also the dedication and business acumen necessary to see a project through successfully. Let’s create something meaningful together.

February 12, 2025