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Tofino Is a Place for Artists

A truly West Coast experience, Tofino is a place for Artists.

When I break from the studio, I do so in search of adventure, and connection with nature. When I am looking to immerse myself in a truly west coast experience, the most ideal representation, can be found in Tofino. A place for Artists and art lovers alike.

Recently I escaped to this Vancouver Island surf town known for it’s long sandy beaches, great culinary experiences and rainforest surroundings. For an artist, the visual and aural stimuli sets your mind dreaming. Tofino comes with sounds of crashing waves, ravens, crows and eagles and a random rain storm tapping on your roof. For the very first time I was treated to an escape at The Wickanninish Inn. From top to bottom and inside out, every detail is distinctly west coast and thoughtfully executed. From the large cedar beams to the local art, which is plentiful throughout the resort, you are immersed in a finely crafted cultural experience. If you are a foodie, The Wick (which is how regulars refer to the resort) will set your taste-buds on a wild ride from which they may never recover. I suggest the tasting menu with BC wine pairing, after which you will really understand what makes Vancouver Island a province all it’s own.

A few photos from Tofino.

View from the room on the East wing of the Pointe building.

A glass of Taylor Fladgate Port and a Hudsons Bay Point Blanket by the fireplace with a view

A shower with a view – now feeling fully immersed

Down to Chesterman beach, chairs provided

The lines and the light – a painter and photographers delight!

Stretch and surf!

The job of the Artist, is to make you SEE. Mountains in the tide pools.

Until next time!

You can’t do Tofino without doing sunset at the Pier. Whether in Tofino or Maui, it is a ritual to honour the end of the day.

Symbolically Yours,

Brandy

August 31, 2020

Famous Canadian Landscape

Artist Process, New Paintings

Painting a Famous Canadian Landscape: A Tribute to Lake Louise

Lake Louise, located in Banff, Alberta, has been a source of inspiration for me on numerous occasions. Whether I visit during the vibrant summer months when the lake reflects shades of tropical turquoise or in the midst of winter, when the ice is thick enough for various recreational activities, the beauty of this iconic Canadian landscape never fails to captivate me. Throughout my art career, I have painted Lake Louise and its majestic peaks nine times, each rendition representing a different stage of my artistic journey.

Imagine Canoe: painting of a Blackfoot chief at Lake Louise, with red canoe

Following my return from London, I embarked on a new artistic venture: painting immense landscapes on unstretched duck canvas. My first undertaking in this style was Princess Louisa Inlet, situated on the sunshine coast of British Columbia. Rumored to be named after Princess Louise, or perhaps even Queen Victoria’s mother, this landscape became the initial exploration of my large-scale artistic vision. Subsequently, I completed my second expansive work, measuring an impressive seven feet in width, in December. This piece pays homage to the breathtaking view of Lake Louise, as seen from the eastern shoreline of the Fairmont Lake Louise, facing west.

The Sound of a Landscape – Princess Louisa Inlet: oversized acrylic landscape painting by Brandy Saturley

In the summer of 2019, my art career took me to London, England, coinciding with the 200th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s birth. This fortuitous timing granted me access to the monarch’s archives, allowing me to share the mementos and stories of her personal life—a side seldom glimpsed, especially on such a grand scale. During my time in London, the exhibition “Victoria: Woman & Crown” at Kensington Palace intrigued me the most. It offered a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the royal curtain, showcasing the love for the arts shared by Victoria and Prince Albert. The exhibition even included some of Victoria’s own personal paintings. Notably, there are significant connections between my hometown of Victoria, Canada (named after the monarch), and the province of Alberta (named after Victoria’s fourth daughter, Princess Louise Caroline Alberta). The name “Alberta” itself, derived from the feminine form of Albert and rooted in German, conveys a meaning of brightness, nobility, and fame.

Portrait of a young Queen Victoria, Kensington Palace, London England 2019

Both the Queen and Princess Louise were staunch supporters of the arts in their public lives. Louise, an accomplished sculptor and artist, was also a strong advocate for the feminist movement. The naming of Lake Louise in Banff, Alberta, serves as a testament to the lasting influence of the monarch.

During the creation of this large-scale Canadian landscape painting, I documented my daily progress in the studio through time-lapse filming. By condensing the footage, viewers can witness the numerous layers of acrylic color applied repetitively until the desired hues, form, and depth are achieved. Personally, I find that painting to music helps establish the desired atmosphere in my studio. Consequently, when editing this short film, I sought out music that not only complements the tone of the film but also resonates with the final artwork itself.

Brandy Saturley working on oversized landscape painting of Lake Louise, Alberta Canada

Through this oversized tribute to Lake Louise, I hope to convey the profound beauty and timeless allure of this famous Canadian landscape. With every brushstroke, I aim to capture the essence of a place that holds a special significance in both the natural and cultural heritage of Canada.

Watch the entire process of painting, Lake Louise Swish here:

See more photos and read about the painting here:

Oversized painting of Lake Louise inside Brandy Saturley studio.

See past works inspired by Lake Louise on the artists’ website here:

Poppies For Louise – by Brandy Saturley

January 2, 2020

Painting Inspired by Vimy 100

Artist Process

Vimy Jam – A Serendipitous Painting Inspired by Vimy 100

Serendipity is defined as; the phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for, meaning something beautiful coming together, that was not forced or planned in advance that put smiles on the faces of all affected and in doing so alters future events. This is the story behind a painting inspired by Vimy 100 celebrations in France.

In the past few weeks, serendipity found it’s way into my art, through a portrait project I began over four years ago, thanks to a very enthusiastic Canadian.

The People of Canada Portrait Project is a crowd-sourced, collaborative art project, where I ask Canadians to send in photos of themselves and share a bit about their ‘Canadian’ perspective. Initially this project came with a very ambitious goal of completing 20-25 painted portraits for Canada 150. This could have happened had I not been called on to exhibit solo exhibitions in public galleries in Alberta for Canada150. As the project is completely self-funded, and with me being the only artist painting the portraits, I decided to extend my deadline and allow the project to unfold more authentically. I wanted to take my time to paint these portraits and honour the stories of the people who had taken the time to send me creative snapshots of themselves. A new plan emerged and I included one of the portraits in my travelling exhibitions in 2017, and used these shows as an opportunity to spread the word about the project.

Fast forward to June 2018, now ten portraits towards my goal. I had a window of time in my studio schedule, an opportunity to paint more People of Canada portraits. Feeling the energy of Canada Day coming around the corner I looked through the submitted photos and felt a good story, energy, and message emanating from one photo. Submitted by an enthusiastic piper hailing from Sherwood Park Alberta, RCMP Pipes & Drums ambassador Bridgette Hardy-Crytes. The photo features the piper caught by surprise by the brush of eagle feathers to the head by Jeff Ward, an Indigenous performer with the Sons of Membertou, from Cape Breton. The photo was taken at Vimy 100 celebrations in Vimy, France where the two were brought together by the events of the day and their musical talents.

I began to sketch out the painting and think about creating a unique background to capture the day and place. The painting began, I emailed Bridgette to let her know I was working on the piece and that I had some questions for her to answer, I also asked about the man in the photo and if I could contact him for his perspective on the day.

So, here comes the serendipity. Bridgette tracked down Jeff and spoke with him on the phone after not seeing him since Vimy. The call lead to Jeff sharing a video of the day that had been uploaded to YouTube, and Bridgette sharing this information with me, now I was able to enjoy the mood of the day and story behind the photo, as if I had been there myself. What happened that day the photo was taken was an impromptu ‘jam session’ while Indigenous performers and the RCMP Pipes & Drums band were waiting in the wings to perform. Vimy was a pivotal battle which saw Canada and the Allies, including Mi’kmaq soldiers, win an important battle of World War I. This video shows musical artists collaborating, it conveys the spirit of coming together. A coming together on what once was a battlefield, where many lost their lives. A coming together that symbolizes the spirit of reconciliation, likes and not differences, the spirit of love.

The tone of that day was the tone in my studio, and I listened to the ‘jam session’ on loop as I finished the painting. From my studio on Vancouver Island to Sherwood Park, to Cape Breton, to Vimy Ridge in France; thanks to the Internet and technology our miles apart were erased, allowing me to capture the emotion of the day on canvas.

There will be more to this serendipitous story as I work to compile the answers to my questions from both Bridgette and Jeff.

For now, you can enjoy the painting, a little video of my process in creating the painting.

and this fantastic video of the ‘jam session’ that inspired ‘Vimy Jam’.

It was a celebratory Canada 151 indeed! And a great contrast to my experiences painting Canada over the last decade. A new chapter in this serendipitous story influenced by my travels across Canada. For more about the People of Canada Portrait Project visit http://www.peopleofcanada.ca

July 4, 2018

Life of An Artist

Artist Process

A Day in The Life of An Artist: documenting the creative process

An artists diary – inside the studio of Brandy Saturley

At the end of the work day, I take whatever paint I have left on my palette and I use it to make a small abstract painting on a torn out page of high-gloss magazine paper. I think I began this ritual about five years ago and it shows a day in the life of an Artist. I found that it gave me a time at the end of the day to break concentration and freely create something loose and immediate, a mental stretch of sorts to end a day of highly concentrated painting. Instead of scraping the paint off my palette and saving it, something that is very hard to do with acrylic paints, the leftover paint was helping to birth a new creation. Each page has come to represent a ‘day in the life’ of a painting, a painting diary of sorts. These 8×10 abstract paintings were forming a diary and a dialogue about working as a painter. Over the years I have saved thousands of these pages, most survived, not all as some became stuck to one another and i was unable to save them, and some I cut into shapes that I am certain will be used in future paintings, perhaps paintings with collage elements worked into the composition. A painting diary is a wonderful thing, it offers a record of my palette over the past few years, painting swatches if you will, a journal of colours.

From Vincent Van Gogh to Georgia O’ Keeffe, keeping a diary, or journal, has always been a crucial part of the artist’s life. For some, it helps formulate a better conceptual understanding of works created through sometimes intuitive processes. For others, it can be a reference for future art making. Whether a detailed written journal like that of Van Gogh, or a more visual diary of sketches, studies and even colour swatches, journals are a necessary part of the creative process and provide fuel for future discovery.

I recently gathered most of my ‘abstract palette pages’ and arranged them for a photo shoot in my studio. I spread the pages from floor to ceiling, running up my studio walls, integrating them with paintings in progress, the result is a vivid and energetic environment. How I imagine the inside of my mind looks at any given time. These photos show a glimpse inside my creative process, which heavily relies on intuition these days. A peek inside the artists’ process.

The Artists’ Diary – in the studio of Brandy Saturley

Behind the scenes – in the studio of Brandy Saturley

Photo Shoot – in the studio of Brandy Saturley – image courtesy the artist

March 20, 2018

Developing an Artist Signature

Artist Process

Developing an Artist Signature: I See Colour and Canada

I love colour and colour has become part of my signature style as an artist. I love vivid, bright and uninhibited splashes of colour. I love blending colours on my palette and right on the canvas. I like building layers of colour painted in thin glazes to achieve depth and harness light. Vivid colour, particularly Naphthol Red and Ultramarine blue,

Day 1: laying down the blueprint, sketching in raw umber on canvas

have become signatures of my work over the past couple decades. Colour alters the emotion of a piece and sets the mood, but I didn’t always love colour. Developing an Artist Signature of Canadian experiences and colours.

From the time I was a teenager to the time I entered college my comfort zone and frame of mind were black and white. All I did was draw portraits and still life in pencil, in sketchbooks of white Canson paper and lined notebooks. I loved playing with light and shadow, shading and depth, I was creating blueprints and gaining experience that would later serve me well in Art School.

Day 2: laying down the underpainting

For me the transition came in Art School and specifically in two classes; painting and graphic design. Graphic design taught me about the colour wheel and colour theory, a practical guide about colour mixing and the visual effects of specific colour combinations. Once my hands grasped those tubes of paint, squeezing pure vivid colour out onto a multitude of surfaces, I never wanted to go back, colour had me and I had colour.

So, when asked why I paint with such a vivid and saturated palette my response is, why not? It feels good, it feels happy, it fills me with joy and allows me to splash my emotions onto the canvas. For the past five years I painted with a very restricted palette of mostly my Naphthol Red and Ultramarine blue with the odd dash of Indian yellow for contrast. With this new body of work, and my more intuitive relationship with the influences of my Canadian travels, I am finding myself returning to the full spectrum of vivid colours that I began using in Art College. My technique is honed , I am in the groove and creating a distinct language that is becoming less representational and more symbolic. My work is becoming less about narrative and more about feeling. I am creating a new language that is all my own and I am letting my intuition lead. My artist instincts have become honed to a point that I feel confident in letting them lead. This is not to say I have no plan, and I do begin with a blueprint for any painting, like I learned to when I was a teenager in high school art class. I do study a subject deeply and formulate numerous possibilities, but what controls my final decisions before I apply paint to canvas, is my ‘gut instinct’ or intuition.

Day 3: Colour blocking and laying down glazes, layers of colour

Both Eastern and Western philosophers have studied the concept of intuition in detail. Recently, Gerd Gigerenzer, a director at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, spoke with Forbes about intuition, suggesting it is the highest form of intelligence. A recent documentary film on Netflix explored the topic of intuition. “The ancient Icelandic word for intuition is “innsæi,” but in Iceland it has multiple meanings. It can mean “the sea within” which is the borderless nature of our inner world, a constantly moving world of vision, feelings and imagination beyond words. It can mean “to see within” which means to know yourself…”

I like this, ‘the sea within’ and to ‘see within’. As my exploration continues and the new works are created I am excited at where this is heading. I seem to be experiencing that ‘full circle’ feeling as I return to my full spectrum vivid colour palette. These photos are a ‘sneak peek of a piece I have been working on for 3 days now, to view the other four paintings in this intuitive series of symbolic landscapes, see my new work here.

Day 4: laying down more colour glazes, blending, and defining edges

November 9, 2017

The Artist’s Process

Artist Process, Canadian Paintings

The Artist’s Process: from inception to creation, the process of making original fine art

Originally published May 15, 2017

Goalie’s Mask: red, white and Dryden, acrylic on canvas, 2011 on art shipping crates in the studio. Brandy Saturley, Canadian Painter

This is a big year for Canada and a big year for my art career. With one solo exhibition behind me and another on the horizon, I am preparing to share my stories of Canada on canvas hanging in the art galleries and in person. What inspires the art? What am I trying to convey with my paintings? Here I will share the intent behind a few of my most celebrated pieces, and how I feel about the job of the artist and that of the viewer, the Artist’s process.

Behind the Painting: Is Canada the Goalie of The World? During the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games the city was punctuated by Canadian stereotype and the air thick with smells of maple syrup pride. I came home from the experience with visions of red, maple leaves and hockey. All these experiences zipping across my temporal lobe. I have always loved the works of American painter, Georgia O’ Keeffe. She was known for painting animal skulls on the landscape and in 1931 created a painting featuring a cows skull on a blanket of red, white and blue. The piece represented the enduring American spirit. I began to think about this painting and it began to inspire my own comment on my country, referencing the enduring Canadian spirit. I came to rest on the image of a hockey goalie mask on the iconic Canadian flag. To me, the goalie mask speaks of us standing guard, it is a symbol of resilience and protection. In most cases a masked human, taking the shots and not shooting back, the goalie plays the role of protector and watcher, much like a mother grizzly over her cubs. This painting was the beginning of this body of work, my ‘Canadianisms’, and set me on a journey of realizing the Canadian spirit on canvas.

Saint Kanata, acrylic on canvas, 2011 – Brandy Saturley, Canadian Painter

Behind the Painting: An #ICONICCANUCK

#ICONICCANUCK was the title of my first exhibition of these paintings, as my ‘Canadianisms’ referenced so many icons of Canada, including the landscape and wildlife of the country. The first human icon I painted was, Shania Twain, a celebrated Canadian singer and songwriter and best-selling female country music artist of all time. ‘Saint Kanata’ references the strong and resilient Canadian spirit and the composition for the piece was inspired by the work of famous polish Art Deco painter, Tamara De Lempicka. Lempicka was the first woman artist to be a ‘glamour’ star.

Behind The Painting: With Our Hearts On Our Sleeves

Hearts On Our Sleeves, acrylic on canvas, 2016 – Brandy Saturley, Canadian Painter

‘Hearts On Our Sleeves’ has many influences, but I will begin with the initial intent. When I began thinking about creating this new self-portrait I had an image in my mind, that of ‘Rosie The Riveter’. An iconic war-time poster image, the image did not really hit it’s full stride until it inspired a social movement that increased the number of women in the workforce, and became a symbol of feminism. I wanted to paint a self-portrait for all, but also for Canadian women from all walks and in all professions. As I began painting I came to focus on the eyes and began to see the Mona Lisa on my subliminal horizon, a horizon influenced by the landscapes of Lawren Harris with muted tones and almost abstract forms. The heart on the sleeve quite literal in it’s placement and meaning. As with all art, ultimately what you see is based on your experience, so even though I began with an intent, it becomes your place now to bring your story to the finished piece.

During this half-decade I have found inspiration across the country and through the eyes and minds of the people I have connected with on my travels. We have talked about Canada, about what we love and the future of our great country, of reconciliation, of acceptance, of equality and of protecting the environment. We have talked about what we create and why we create. We have talked about ideas for future collaborations. On each journey I write daily, record video, and photos. Coming home each time to Vancouver Island filled with new ideas about Canada. From the most rural to the grandest; I am cultivating a visual language that is distinctly Canadian.

November 7, 2017

Tag Archive for: artist process

Posts

A truly West Coast experience, Tofino is a place for Artists.

Painting a Famous Canadian Landscape: A Tribute to Lake Louise

Vimy Jam – A Serendipitous Painting Inspired by Vimy 100

A Day in The Life of An Artist: documenting the creative process

Developing an Artist Signature: I See Colour and Canada