Painting Peace, Love, and Canada

The inspiration for this painting, Peace, Love, Canada, was sparked by the rise of #ICONICCANUCK on social media. Back in 2013, I launched my Instagram page just before embarking on my inaugural solo exhibition at Edmonton’s Gallery A, which was then part of Visual Arts Alberta. The hashtag #ICONICCANUCK ignited a frenzy of engagement with my Canadian-themed artworks. Amid the whirlwind of activity, I found little time to engage in lengthy written responses to comments. Instead, I opted to communicate through imagery, a mode of expression that resonates deeply with my artistic sensibilities.

Peace Love Canada

Chair of Contemplation, September 2023, Brandy Saturley

“Take everything as it comes; the wave passes, deal with the next one. ~ Tom Thomson

In response, I would respond using three distinct emojis: the iconic peace symbol fingers, a vibrant red heart, and the unmistakable Canadian flag. These visual responses allowed me to convey my sentiments succinctly and artistically. The idea of transforming these emojis into a tangible painting had been brewing in my mind for quite some time. Now, as I prepare to embark on a journey to a painting residency in Newfoundland, I find myself reflecting on the extensive travels I’ve undertaken across this magnificent country over the past decade, as well as drawing inspiration from the legendary landscape painter Tom Thomson.

Painted in acrylics and gouache on canvas, this distinctively ‘Canadian pop art style’ painting was created using hard edged strokes, layering of cobalt, ultramarine and Payne’s grey with hints of cobalt violet, blue-green and hints of a peach toned linen. The piece was painted to appear as if the linen canvas below is showing through and the edges unfinished, when in fact it is just the way the paint has been applied.

Drawing upon the essence of Tom Thomson’s masterpiece, ‘Summer Day,’ I present to you ‘Peace, Love, Canada.’

Peace Love Canada

Peace, Love, Canada – original acrylic painting on canvas, 2023, Brandy Saturley

10 important Canadian Artists – Pop Art is Canada

Pop art is a visual art movement that emerged in the 1950s and 1960s, characterized by its use of popular culture imagery and a focus on everyday objects and consumerism. While pop art was most closely associated with artists from the United States and the United Kingdom, there are Canadian artists who have embraced the pop art style and incorporated it into their work. Nestled within the vibrant mosaic of global pop culture, one might wonder: Why is Pop Art, Canada?

The answer lies in the rich, idiosyncratic tapestry of culture that unfurls across this vast nation, a culture that proudly stands apart from the ubiquitous influences of the United States and the United Kingdom. In Canada, Pop Art takes on a unique and captivating form, one that embraces the diversity of our landscapes, people, and traditions. It is a celebration of the extraordinary within the ordinary, a reflection of the bold and boundless spirit that defines our great nation. So, why is Pop Art, Canada? Because here, amidst the mountains and moose, the maple leaf and the mountie, our culture resonates with a charm all its own, inviting the world to explore and appreciate the distinctiveness that is Canada.

Contemporary canoe paintings

10 Canadian visual artists known for their contributions to pop art, including artists creating in the 1960’s and contemporary Canadian artists of today.

1. Michael Snow is a multidisciplinary artist known for his work in painting, sculpture, film, and music. His art often incorporates elements of pop culture and consumer imagery, exploring the intersection of art and everyday life.

Pop Art is Canada

2. David Craven is a Canadian artist known for his pop art-inspired paintings and mixed-media works. He often uses bright colors and iconic pop culture symbols in his art.

3. Claude Tousignant is a Quebecois artist associated with the Automatistes and Les Plasticiens art movements. While not strictly a pop artist, his work has sometimes incorporated pop art elements, including bold geometric shapes and color.

 

4. Greg Curnoe was a Canadian artist associated with the London Regionalism movement. While his work is often more associated with regionalism, his use of everyday objects and themes from popular culture aligns with pop art sensibilities.

5. Joyce Wieland was a Canadian artist known for her pop art-influenced works, including textile art and mixed-media pieces. She often explored themes related to Canadian identity and culture.

6. General Idea (Felix Partz, Jorge Zontal, and AA Bronson): General Idea was a Canadian artist collective known for their work in pop art and conceptual art. They often used mass media imagery and appropriated popular culture symbols in their art.

Contemporary Canadian Artists:

It’s worth noting that while the artists listed above may have incorporated elements of pop art into their work, they have unique styles and themes that set them apart. Pop art in Canada, during the original movement, was not as dominant or widespread as it was in the United States and the United Kingdom, but these artists contributed to the broader pop art movement in their own distinct ways.

7.  Charles Pachter is a Canadian artist known for his vibrant and iconic paintings, often featuring Canadian symbols and cultural references.  His colourful work merging playful even irreverent elements with deeply iconic imagery. He incorporates elements of pop art by using bold colors and reimagining familiar Canadian imagery, such as the moose and the Queen of England, in a pop art style.

Pop Art is Canada

8. Chris Cran is a contemporary Canadian artist recognized for his playful and subversive take on traditional and pop art. His work often blurs the lines between realism and abstraction, and he has created pieces that appropriate pop culture imagery and challenge viewers’ perceptions of art.

9. Gary Taxali is a Canadian artist and illustrator celebrated for his distinctive retro-influenced pop art style. His work often features vintage-inspired characters and advertisements, evoking a sense of nostalgia while commenting on contemporary issues.

Pop Art is Canada

10. Brandy Saturley is a contemporary Canadian painter known for her “Canadian Pop Art” style, which combines elements of pop art with a focus on Canadian culture and landscapes. Her paintings often feature iconic Canadian symbols like hockey players, the maple leaf, the Rocky Mountains and wildlife in a vibrant and contemporary manner. Her signature pop-art outlines and underlying contexts elevate everyday objects, symbols, landscapes and wildlife to icon status.

canadian club pop art

These contemporary Canadian artists, along with the previously mentioned ones, demonstrate the continued influence and evolution of pop art in Canada. They infuse the movement with their unique perspectives, addressing both Canadian identity and broader cultural themes in a contemporary context. While each artist brings their individual style to their work, they all contribute to the rich tapestry of Canadian pop art.

Celebrating 15 years, 400 paintings – Making Art in Canada

Fifteen years ago I committed to my Art career full-time, and I have made over 400 paintings informed by my travels and obsession with my country, Canada. Reflecting the collective Canadian consciousness, filtered through my eyes and ears, and brush to canvas. July 1st marks a very important day in my life and the collective consciousness of Canadians. Celebrating 15 years, making Art in Canada.

In 2019, I spent the summer studying contemporary art practices at the Royal College of Art in London, UK. This year I joined the artist roster at Adele Campbell Fine Art in Whistler, Canada.

Recently I spoke with YAM Magazine Victoria about about my distinctive style of Canadian Pop Art and what original art adds to a home.

The Peninsula News Review Sidney and North Saanich, popped into my studio and I shared some of the paintings I made during 2020, and the initial COVID-19 shutdown.

In support of the annual Art Gallery of Greater Victoria fundraiser, the TD Canada Trust Paint-In, you will find my work in this year’s virtual guide.

For the 35th Anniversary of the Sooke Fine Arts – my hometown, I will be showing two paintings as part of this years’ virtual programming. This show has become a world-class annual exhibition of Vancouver Island and coastal artists of British Columbia.

More to come!

Sincerely Yours,

Brandy Saturley (a.k.a #iconiccanuck)

Best Paintings of 2020 – My Top Nine in Art

Every year comes with review. In this year filled with quarantines, masks, and limited travel; my best paintings of 2020 reflect the times. In total, I made 26 new paintings this year, a pretty prolific year in visual art. A typical year finds me on the road every few months. My year usually comes with time to explore new landscapes, take in Art Fairs and Shows in North America, and an annual vacation to a relaxing destination to rejuvenate my perspective. This year was a very different year, and it came with much more time concentrating on studio work and work on my website. as well as cataloguing and photography of Art.

From portraits of Canadians to prairie landscapes, from self-portraits to figurative and symbolic works, here are my are my top nine paintings created in 2020. Acrylic paintings on canvas ranging from large scale works at 3×4 feet, right down to smaller works of 14 inches. My top nine artworks begin small in size, but not in detail.

9. Sunday Sailboats

top nine paintings 2020

8. Long and Winding Road

best paintings 2020

7. Stitched in Canada

top nine paintings 2020

6. Contemplating Romance

best paintings 2020

5. Please Stand By

bestart2020

4. Golden Souls of Salt & Wheat

3. The Barn

top paintings 2020

2. West Coast Solitudes

best in visual art 2020

1.  Spirit of Remembrance

best art from canada 2020

My top nine Canadian paintings in 2020, they are a mixture of all themes I have been creating for the past decade. Rendering my distinctive ICONOGRAPHY of Canada, on canvas. Distinctive Canadian pop art style paintings, with vivid and saturated palettes. The paintings sometimes vibrate with their complimentary and contrasting palettes. Using Kroma and Golden acrylics, and Rosemary handmade paintbrushes. You can see more of the paintings created in 2020 here.  Along with more paintings from the past decade.

Sincerely Yours,

Brandy Saturley

What is Canadian Pop Art? art made by a Canadian Artist that includes imagery from popular culture.

In order to explain what ‘Canadian Pop Art’ is, we must first look at what Pop Art is and when it began as a movement within the historical context of Art. The ‘Pop Art’ movement began in the United Kingdom and the United States (primarily NYC) during the mid to late 1950’s. The movement challenged the tradition’s of fine art by including imagery from popular or mass culture. This style of art often removed or isolated objects and material by placing them in new contexts and new environments. Most famously, the icon of the Pop Art movement in the US was NYC art star, Andy Warhol. Along with artists Roy Lichtenstein, David Hockney, Robert Indiana and Jasper Johns, the movement exploded the art world and status quo.

famous Canadian pop art painting - Brandy Saturley

With Hearts On Our Sleeves – painting by Brandy Saturley 2017

What is Canadian Pop Art? well, take the pop art movements begun in the UK and the USA and add a maple leaf in front. Canadian Pop Art is artwork that is inspired by the Pop Art movement, that has taken on it’s own distinctive maple syrup flare and sassy commentary on stereotypical hockey loving Canada. Not to confuse this with ‘Canadian Pop Artists’ which are those of the musician kind, like Justin Bieber. Canada’s Pop Art is made up of visual artists who are painters, sculptors, printmakers and graphic artists.

Canadian Pop Art comes with biting humour and commentary about being Canadian, it blurs the boundaries between ‘high art’ and themes of mythology and classical history. Pop Art as painted by Canada’s pop artists elevates commonplace objects or everyday Canadian life, like Tim Horton’s Coffee or a toque, to the level of high art. Pop Art attracts the viewer with it’s commonplace objects and vivid palettes and asks the viewer to look more intently at everyday life in Canada.

examples of Canadian Pop Art paintings

Four paintings about Canada: snow, beer, hockey, and Tim Hortons

I met with another famous Canadian pop art painter, the ‘King of Canadian Pop Art’ when I flew out to for the Art Toronto annual art fair. Charles Pachter (now in his late 70’s) is undoubtedly Canada’s Andy Warhol and his legacy in and outside of the studio is no doubt ‘iconic’ in every sense of the word. Pachter graciously toured me around his home and shared his studio where I peeked into the inner workings of another famous self-representing Canadian artist.

Famous Canadian Pop Art painters

Famous Canadian Pop Art painters: Brandy Saturley and Charles Pachter at the Moose Factory in Toronto

Developing my commentary on all things Canadian and adding my voice to the Pop Art landscapes of Canadian Art. Whitehot Magazine published this piece written by Andrea Bell,  “In her most recent work, Saturley has turned once again to the landscape, never really having left. Her new, visionary paintings collage different, unexpected elements of Canadiana rendered in her characteristic pop aesthetic. They oscillate between a graphic realism used for Canada’s famous mountain peaks or views of forest lakes, and the abstractness of the colorful, even psychedelic backgrounds. The sincerity of their celebration keeps them from tripping over into kitsch. Instead they are otherworldly and transportive, playful and humorous.”

In the bigger sense, on some level, I am engaging everyone in the discussion and appreciation of Art in Canada, and the best way I know how is to poke a little fun at Canada, using our iconography and in turn creating my own brand of Pop Art made in Canada.

Sincerely Yours

Brandy Saturley (a.k.a #ICONICCANUCK)