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Canadian Art in Kelowna

ART AND THE CITY – Kelowna Offers Canadian Art Lovers An Eclectic Mix

With Sopa Fine Arts dealer, Deborah Boileau (Brandy Saturley)

Family Day weekend found me in the beautiful Okanagan Valley and specifically the city of Kelowna. Known for it’s orchards, wine, ski hills and tremendous Okanagan Lake; there is a great variety of Canadian Art to see in Kelowna, British Columbia.

My visit began in the South Pandosy neighborhood, a funky and fashionable neighborhood hosting unique and eclectic art galleries, vintage, interior design and décor, and high-end fashion.

My first Art Gallery stop at Sopa Fine Arts. A gallery I have exhibited with, this is a gem in the Kelowna art scene. Located in the South Pandosy (or SoPa) neighborhood of Kelowna, BC, Sopa Fine Arts is a contemporary fine art gallery specializing in original art work by leading international and mid career artists, and a selection of talented emerging Canadian artists. The gallery with it’s New York edge, rustic wood and long white walls; presents large format paintings, sculpture and a variety of abstract contemporary art. The gallery is a refuge and place of solitude to enjoy the art in a welcoming environment, that appeals to new collectors as much as it does to the seasoned collector.

My next Art stop was at the Kelowna Art Gallery in downtown Kelowna near the Kelowna Yacht Club and lakeside skating rink this time of year. Another haven of art; the Kelowna Art Gallery is one of my favourite smaller public art galleries in Canada. I have visited public galleries across Canada over the past decade and the KAG is one of the best for it’s size, always presenting a mix of student to established Canadian artists in their four gallery spaces, including a courtyard space for installation art.

Currently at the KAG:

Joice M. Hall: Sacred Sights Gwaii Haanas at Kelowna Art Gallery

Joice M. Hall GWAII HAANAS – Islands and Sacred Sites

A painting installation inspired by 1600 digital photographs taken during a two-week artist residency in Haida Gwaii in 2016. The 18-foot installation is a panoramic landscape celebrating ocean, forest, and marine life inspired by her residency in Gwaii Haanas, guided by Parks Canada resource officers.

Gary Pearson: Short Fictions

Short Fictions presents the fascinating evolution of Kelowna painter Gary Pearson’s career over the decades that he has worked as a professional artist. The Kelowna-based artist works largely in painting and drawing, with a strong graphic sensibility and a stark, spare, linear style. The exhibition encompasses large format paintings, watercolour studies, drawings and video.

Gary Pearson: Short Fictions at Kelowna Art Gallery

I always enjoy exploring cities and taking in the art offerings from both public and private galleries. My Art and The City diaries began about 5 years ago after I decided that I should do more than take photos and paint on these trips. I began writing down my thoughts about these galleries and places across North America. I have visited public galleries across Canada from the smallest northern towns such as Yellowknife, to the metropolis of Toronto. I realize now that these trips have created a visual database of the Arts across North America and specifically Canada. With this vast perspective on what Canadian Art is, from community Arts to auction houses, public art galleries to the commercial big business of contemporary art in Canada; I feel very fortunate as a Canadian Visual Artist to have gained such a broad perspective and understanding of Art in Canada. There is much great art in Canada, and much more than just landscape painting for those who venture beyond their local commercial gallery. Collecting great art begins with building your taste profile, what better way to do this than to get out and enjoy art of all kinds. Happy Art hunting! ~ Brandy Saturley

February 14, 2018

ART AND THE CITY: Murakami

Art and The City, Art Business

ART AND THE CITY: Murakami – Japan’s Warhol at The VAG

Takashi Murakmi: The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg – opening February 2, 2018 at Vancouver Art Gallery

The last time I was on the road for the work of Art, was in November last year when I visited Vancouver for the opening of the new Emily Carr University and a variety of art openings around the city. It’s 2018 and I’m back on the road taking in the Art, and the city of Vancouver. ART AND THE CITY: Takashi Murakami style.

DAY 1: Takashi Murakami Lecture at SFU

Takashi Murakami Lecture at Simon Fraser University – January 31, 2018

At the end of January I joined a crowd of enthusiastic artists, collectors, curators, fans and students of the renowned Japanese contemporary art star, Takashi Murakami. Japan’s answer to Andy Warhol, there was significant media in town for a few days leading up to the main event at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

In Vancouver for his first major retrospective presented in Canada, ‘The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg’ at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Murakami works in a multitude of traditional art media (such as painting and sculpture) as well as commercial media (such as fashion, merchandise, and animation) and is known for blurring the line between high and low arts. He coined the term “Superflat“, which describes both the aesthetic characteristics of the Japanese artistic tradition and the nature of post-war Japanese culture and society, and is also used for Murakami’s own artistic style and that of other Japanese artists he represents.

Takashi Murakami Lecture at Simon Fraser University – January 31, 2018

Murakami is the founder and President his own art corporation, Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd., through which he manages several younger artists. He was the founder and organizer of the biannual art fair Geisai.

I thought his lecture was very honest; for an artist that employs 300 people, owns his own galleries, restaurant, manages other artists careers, is an entrepreneur, and geek at heart. His approach to art is one that I have taken in my own career, and Murakami has found his own niche within in a business that is continually morphing into new forms. While his contemporaries such as the YBA (Young British Artists, Damien Hirst) and Koons, who also took an entrepreneurial approach to the Art business, have somewhat changed their course in recent years, Murakami continues to push the ‘Artrepreneur’ envelope as his consumption of all things visual and aural continues to drive his world domination forward.

DAY 2: Polygon Gallery in North Vancouver

Polygon Gallery North Vancouver

It’s another day of grey and rain on the ‘wet’ coast, dark and damp days mean I am searching for new indoor art experiences, and thankfully North Vancouver has a new one I was anxious to visit. After a walk, and a 15 minute ride on the ‘Seabus’ I found myself at the Polygon Gallery. The Polygon exhibits contemporary art with a focus on photography and Canadian artists.

Operating as Presentation House Gallery for forty years, the organization presented more than 300 exhibitions, earning a reputation as one of Canada’s most adventurous public art institutions. Some of the most important local and international artists have been featured—from acclaimed Vancouver photographers Stan Douglas and Fred Herzog to world-renowned artists Ansel Adams and Andy Warhol—as well as the work of North Vancouver students participating in innovative education programs, such as Gallery School and Chester Fields.

North Vancouver Exhibit – Polygon Gallery

Polygon is a stunning new space with lots of windows and open beam ceilings, allowing natural light to diffuse the space below. The Patkau Architects-designed gallery offers jaw-dropping views of downtown Vancouver from Lonsdale Quay. I could not think of a more fitting space to host the inagural exhibition, ‘North Vancouver’. In its new home, The Polygon will expand on the organization’s long history of presenting the work of artists who respond to transformations taking place in the world.

Day two down, tomorrow I am headed to the big party at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

DAY 3: Takashi Murakami Birthday Bash & VIP Preview Vancouver Art Gallery

Takashi Murakami: The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg at Vancouver Art Gallery – image: Brandy Saturley

The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg in Vancouver, and by Octopus the artist refers to himself, his art, his career, and his consumption of all things that influence his art.

Takashi Murakami: The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg is a major retrospective of Takashi Murakami’s paintings, presenting more than fifty works spanning three decades of the artist’s career. The first survey of Murakami’s work to be shown in Canada, this exhibition showcases the artist’s paintings from his earliest mature work to his recent large-scale projects, including a newly created five-metre-tall sculpture and three multi-panel paintings created specially for the Vancouver Art Gallery exhibition.

Anticipation was the feeling and sensory overload was the experience upon entering and moving through the exhibition. Japanese pop art, employing a team of 300 assistants and artists, from silk-screening to anime and painting to graphic modelling, a feast for the eyes and the brain. Attendees were encouraged to dress in a creative, colourful and fun way to compliment the exhibition. The people watching at the event was as entertaining as the art itself, and with a cast of Vancouver Art world characters, ready to meet the cast of characters presented in the art. The after party hosted at the Commodore Ballroom offered the chance to mix and mingle and dance the night away in Murakami-land. With items up for auction going for upwards of $160K. A fascinating experience from all angles, and a grand opportunity for Murakami’s launch into the Canadian art market.

The exhibit is an antidote to the west coast greys and rain. A rainbow party with a deeper message. Technical excellence and idealized characters blurring the lines between high brow and lowbrow. This exhibition is accessible to all and offers something for all ages and walks of life.

That’s all from Vancouver folks!

Sincerely Yours,

Brandy Saturley

February 5, 2018

2017 In Canadian Art

Art and The City, Art Business

The Work Behind The Artist – Celebrating 2017 in Canadian Art

Every year I look back at the work behind the artist, meaning I celebrate the work behind the final product that is art. It is a behind the scenes view for my readers and a reminder that much goes into an art career, beyond the art itself. 2017 was Canada150 here in Canada, but also a celebratory year for my art career, and an opportunity to present my work of the past half-decade to art lovers across the country. Here is my month-by-month highlight reel from the year of ‘Canadianisms’, which continues to bring opportunities and feed my work in 2018.

JANUARY Edmonton/Victoria

2017 began with the grand opening of ‘Canadianisms: A Half Decade Inspired by Canada’ at Strathcona County Gallery @501 in Sherwood Park, just outside Alberta’s capital, Edmonton. Thank you to Brenda Barry Byrne and her team at Gallery @501 for a successful event which included me delivering an artist talk about the work created over the past five years, inspired by my travels across Canada.

Canadianisms kicks off 2017 at Gallery @501

FEBRUARY Edmonton/Vancouver

‘Canadianisms’ continues at Gallery @501 an interview with Sherwood Park News and a special event final week of the show as the gallery hosted Salvi Group (Homes). The end of the month offered an art trip to Vancouver to see the truly remarkable and inspiring, ‘Spindle Whorl’ exhibit featuring a retrospective of the career of Susan Point.

Interview with Sherwood Park News about Canadianisms exhibit

MARCH – Edmonton/Vancouver

On the heels of the closing of the first ‘Canadianisms’ exhibition in 2017, I head to Edmonton in March to present a Professional Development Talk at Visual Arts Alberta/CARFAC about building my career as a Canadian artist. My ‘Poppies For Lousie’ painting inspired by Lake Louise, and my ‘Canoe View’ painting, graces the cover and interior of the 2017-2018 brochure for Music In The Morning Concert Series in Vancouver, BC.

Presentation at Visual Arts Alberta/CARFAC in Edmonton

Music in the Morning is a distinctive morning concert series that inspires its audiences with masterpieces of the past, while challenging them with music of our time performed by the finest local, national and international talent – all at affordable ticket prices. In its 30th season, Music in the Morning is known for uncompromised quality, intimate setting and friendly rapport between artist and audience. With sell-out crowds, Music in the Morning fills a unique niche in the city of Vancouver appealing to people who prefer their cultural events with coffee in the morning.

Art Licensing – Music In The Morning Vancouver, BC

APRIL – across Canada
My exhibitions in 2017 offered a chance to talk about the People of Canada portrait project. A crowdsourcing, collaborative portrait project between myself and Canadians. Many more photos received, and more portraits painted. This project began in 2014 and I will be painting more portraits in 2018 with a planned 2018/19 exhibition. Accepting photos until year-end! www.peopleofcanada.ca

Portrait painting from People of Canada Portrait Project 2017

MAY – Victoria/Calgary

Preparing for the second solo exhibition of ‘Canadianisms’ in 2017 – creating and printing a second exhibition catalogue, selecting artwork to ship, preparing the crates for shipping.

Canadianisms exhibition catalogues 2017

JUNE – Victoria/Edmonton

As I was preparing for my second solo exhibit in 2017, a few opportunities came my way to talk about art, the current climate of the Arts in Canada, collaboration, and the future of Art in Canada. SHAW TV came to the studio and interviewed me about The People of Canada Portrait Project – The Canadian Art Junkie featured my work as part of their 150 artists for Canada150 – I joined the CARFAC AGM hosted by Visual Arts Alberta/CARFAC at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta.

Brandy Saturley – talking People of Canada with SHAW TV

JUNE/JULY – Calgary/Okotoks

Art on tour, second showing in 2017 for ‘Canadianisms: A Half Decade Inspired by Canada’ @ the OAG in Okotoks, Alberta, just outside the metropolis of Calgary. Thank you to Okotoks Culture & Heritage, and to all who came out to the opening, and to see the show over it’s three month run at the gallery which offered visitors worldwide the opportunity to experience a Canadian artists’ perspective on her own country.

JULY – Calgary/Okotoks/Yellowknife

Interview with the Okotoks Western Wheel about the show and my journey of the past half decade.

Brandy Saturley talks with the Okotoks Western Wheel

A painting featured in the exhibition, ‘The Getaway’ also appears on the cover of Reader’s Digest More Our Canada magazine for the July 2017/Canada150 issue – with an article I penned about my time exploring the landscapes and art of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
This experience inspired many a painting when I returned home to my studio on Vancouver Island. These people have heart and grit and talent beyond whatever expectations I had going in. I love you, Yellowknife—see you for the freeze!

On the cover of More Our Canada – The Getaway, Brandy Saturley

AUGUST – Seattle Art Fair/ Seattle, Washington USA

August found me on another art trip, destinations; Seattle Art Fair, Mt. Baker, Seattle Art Museum & Paul G. Allen Institute for Brain Sciences, which presented Allen’s private art collection at Pivot Art & Culture. It was a remarkable and eye-opening art trip. I love Seattle. The Art, Tech, Food, Kitsch…it all feels like home to me.

Seattle Art Museum – Andy Warhol Inkblot painting – Brandy Saturley

SEPTEMBER – Victoria/Calgary/Montreal

In September, I finished two commissioned paintings and penned an article for ArtInCanada.com, the first of a four-part series with Alberta Artists for Canada150, beginning with Chris Cran. I take on very few commissions, however I was delighted to take on these two commissions after hearing the clients ideas – one being 4 ft high by 7.5 feet and the other, a very special piece using a reference photo from an iceberg loving photographer, Doreen Dalley, who has been shooting these lovely moving landscapes for over 30 years. It was a delight and a privilege to interview celebrated

OCTOBER – Victoria/Winnipeg

October was all about in studio as I began working a new body of work, began upgrading my studio to include two new wall easels and got ready to launch a new website. After hosting with another provider for years I moved my website to a Canadian company in Winnipeg, Art Moi and am thrilled with the new and improved website, my online portfolio for a worldwide art collecting audience.

In the artists’ studio – Brandy Saturley 2017

NOVEMBER – Victoria/Vancouver/California

In November, I was back in Vancouver checking out the members opening at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Portraits of Artists, a show from the collection of the Royal Gallery in London, Queen Elizabeth II private portrait collection. From the 1700’s onward an immense show of some of the most detailed and highly skilled classical mezzotints, etchings and paintings, an ode to the old fashioned ‘selfie’. I also had the opportunity to see the beautiful, custom, Fazioli Piano at The Fairmont Pacific Rim at the #fightforbeauty exhibit.

Fight For Beauty – custom Fazioli piano Fairmont Pacific Rim

Art Licensing: From time to time I license my work to great organizations, who make exceptional products. I was approached by a US company called ThinOptics – a company who makes a great product that fits in a case on the back of your mobile phone, offering portable reading glasses. You can now find three of my most popular paintings from ‘Canadianisms’, including the hockey themed painting sold to the Colart Collection in Montreal, on the cases of these great specs-to-go. Now I can see myself taking a selfie and see the details of my paintings much clearer!

Art Licensing – ThinOptics Canada collection – On Guard by Brandy Saturley

DECEMBER – Hawaii/Alberta/Victoria

In December, I took off to Maui, Hawaii for a couple weeks. I was eager to read a book about American painter Georgia O’ Keeffe and her time in Maui and subsequent 20+ paintings that came from her trip, which were later exhibited at American Place Gallery, owned by Alfred Stieglitz.

Current Inspiration – Georgia O’ Keeffe’s Hawaii

The trip offered the chance to explore by foot, helicopter and car. I had some time to write, sketch, take photos and capture digital video. Returning home, I was in the thick of Christmas mail-outs and on the receiving end of many new things for my studio. Gratitude!
Art Licensing: From time to time I license my work to great organizations, who make exceptional products. I was approached by an Alberta art publisher, Island Art Publishers, with interest in re-producing my ‘Rocky Mountains’ series of paintings created back in 2011. You will find these beautiful reproductions through Island Art in early 2018.

Island Art Publishers – I See Mountains series by Brandy Saturley

That’s it! Some of the highlights from my year. It was incendiary! Thank you to everyone for the incredible support during 2017. Wishing you all a remarkable 2018, filled with great adventures, and beautiful moments. Cheers to 2018, and all the new work to come!

Canadian Painter, Brandy Saturley on her hand painted art crates, 2017.

January 11, 2018

Georgia O’ Keeffe’s Hawaii

Artist Process, Inspiration

A good book and a little bubbly to pass the time on this Maui bound flight.

Georgia O’ Keeffe’s Hawaii – Making Art in Magical Maui

About six years ago after my first trip to explore the landscapes and flora of Maui, I discovered a book written by Maria Ausherman from interviews with Patricia Jennings, about world famous painter, and one of my favorites, Georgia O’Keeffe. The book, Georgia O’Keeffe’s Hawaii , focuses on three month’s in 1939 when O’Keeffe visited Hawaii including Maui, as guest of the Dole Pineapple company as they had commissioned her to paint an image for their advertising campaign. The book had been sitting on my desk and I had yet to crack it open, and with a December trip planned to the island paradise, I decided to pack the book up and read it on the plane on my seven hour flight to the island. It was the best way to begin this second journey and set me up for re-tracing O’Keeffe’s footsteps in Hana and the I’ao Valley areas of the island.

Helicona in Hana, Hawaii – photo by Brandy Saturley December 2017

The book is told from the perspective of a 12 year old girl by the name of Patricia Jennings who had served as O’Keeffe’s personal guide while in Maui in 1939. “Less than three years after O’Keeffe’s visit, Pearl Harbour was attacked. The world suddenly changed and Jennings memories of her time guiding O’Keeffe on Maui sustained her through this difficult period in US History. As long as we keep our stories, friendships, and our art, we will not lose the joy of being alive.” (excerpt from the book, April 2011 NYC)

The story is an entertaining and vivid recollection from the perspective of a child and a famous artist, known for her sometimes difficult nature. Jennings spent 10 days with O’Keeffe and from this experience bloomed, much like O’Keeffe’s flower paintings. Jennings credits her time with the artist as schooling in becoming a more confident girl and woman.

Coming off the plane in Kahalui and breathing in the plumeria laced air, I was ready to let the sentiments and recollections in the book, lead me to the places that inspired more than twenty paintings, including the final piece for Dole.

Beginning with the flowers, I was on the lookout for the Heliconia, which appears on the cover of the book. The flower is flamingo-like in it’s colours and shapes. There are many varieties of this flower, all beautiful, unusual and substantial. I found this particular flower in Hana, on Maui. Hana is located at the eastern end of the island of Maui and is one of the most isolated communities in the state. It is reached mainly via the Hana Highway, a long and winding, 52-mile-long (84 km) highway along Maui’s north shore. The charm of Hana is the fact that little has changed over the last 20 years. Untouched by the major developments of the other side of the island, the Hana community has managed to perpetuate the small town atmosphere, Hawaiian culture and most of all, its natural scenic beauty. Unspoiled, serene and mystical; Hana is truly Maui’s last authentic Hawaiian place. Polynesians arrived in Hawaii in 500-800 AD and built the Pi’i-lani Heiau temple – the largest in the state of Hawaii.

Lava Bridge in Hana, Hawaii

I then ventured to the rugged lava created coastline exploring one of the area’s red sand beaches, which offers a view of a lava bridge, famously painted by O’Keeffe. It is a significant structure that offers a keyhole view from from a distance. O’Keeffe also painted many of the valleys and waterfalls in the area, most found along the Hana Highway through short hikes from the roadside.

Waterfalls in Hana, from Maui Air helicopter vantage point – Brandy Saturley, 2017

Thanks to Maui Air I was able to get up and achieve an overhead perspective of the many valleys and waterfalls in the area, inducing the one’s that inspired O’Keeffe. From 50ft to 400ft and more, these waterfalls and turquoise pools against emerald green lushness, sets your soul at ease. Breathing in the eucalyptus and the tropical flowers sends you into a foggy headed trance, you find yourself in a place you never want to leave.

I’ao Valley and Needle | Brandy Saturley, 2017

After soaking up the beautiful coast and rainforest of Hana I was excited to explore the I’ao Valley. An emerald and lime green valley in Wailuku and including the West Mountains and volcano. Perhaps the most lush and most green place on Earth. The mountains change throughout the day as their wrinkles or valleys light up as the low hanging clouds pass by revealing their beauty, but only a little at a time.

For Georgia O’Keeffe and Lawren Harris | study for a painting Brandy Saturley, 2017

This trip offered numerous opportunities to soak in the lush colours & shapes and the intoxicating sounds and smells. From eucalyptus to plumeria blossoms, from salty air, to sand – Maui puts you in a trance that you do not wish to leave. I spent a few days at a condo in Kihei sketching on my lush garden patio, listening to birds and watching plumeria blossoms dropping daily to my feet. Breathing in Maui and breathing out my expression of this cinematic place on my sketch pad and canvas. As with any adventure, I am looking forward to seeing what this trip produces in my art. The sketch shown here, which is a study for a future painting, is titled; for Georgia & Lawren – two of my favorite painters and both icons of symbolic landscape painting. Aloha from paradise and thank you Georgia O’Keeffe, Patricia Jennings and Maria Ausherman for the inspiration. What if Georgia O’Keeffe and Lawren Harris met and made art together? A question to answer in my next post.

IAO, 48×36, acrylic on canvas, 2022, Brandy Saturley

December 13, 2017

10 000 Art Shipping Crates

Advice for Artists, Art Associates

Celebrating 10 000 Art Shipping Crates – Congratulations to VEVEX!

It’s not everyday that your receive an invitation to celebrate the creation of 10,000 art shipping crates. This month my art crate maker and supplier of the past decade is turning out their 10,000th crate, a major milestone for a company built from the ingenuity of one man, Rod Russell.

About ten years ago when my business as a full-time visual artist was growing, I began to require a sturdy and reliable way to ship paintings across Canada and into the United States. After some sleuthing I discovered, VEVEX Crates in Vancouver BC. I remember calling around talking to different crate makers and there was something about speaking to Rod.

Rod Russell is a certified journeyman carpenter and managed a general contracting firm in the Northwest Territories. Rod was assistant GM of the first Arctic Winter Games in Yellowknife, and founded Yellowknife’s Folk on the Rocks music festival. In Vancouver, Rod consulted as a software developer, worked as VP Solution Development for eXcape Business Transactions, Inc and led a team developing Canada’s first wireless handheld debit card processors.

Rod is kind, hands-on, and experienced; he was full of information and the price was right so I rolled the dice and gave VEVEX a shot. Over the past decade VEVEX has provided me with a quick turnaround for art crates, making my clients that much more happy with their art purchases. The piece of mind I get, and can pass on to the client, is invaluable. I have seen boot prints on my art crates, had wheels torn off, seen water damage to the exterior wood and had edges cracked and slivered; but through all of this, the artwork has arrived safely to it’s destination and never damaged. Even with the best of art shippers I have seen damage occur, but knowing the artwork is safely contained inside an insulated, lined, cushioned, and waterproof plastic sleeved envelope, puts my mind at ease.

The crates have become so much a part of my work, that I began painting the exteriors and most recently exhibited the crates within my retrospective exhibitions in 2017. The hand painted crates were a hit at my art exhibitions Canadianisms; A Half Decade Inspired by Canada, in both Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta. People have come to love the crates and understand how important they are to the complete artist process, as the work does not end with the finishing of a painting, the work lives on and with it the crates that carry the paintings to their final destinations. Art lovers often ask if they can buy the crates and I always tell them, if you buy a painting you may end up with a one of a kind painted art crate. If you have the room to store or display the crate, it could become a valuable addition to your art collection.

Over the years I have seen VEVEX crates pop up in differnet venues both on display and in storage rooms. The VEVEX 10,000 crate history includes patrons from all over Canada including; The Vancouver Art Gallery , The Spirit Wrestler Gallery , Artcraft Display Graphics Inc. ,Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, The Museum of Anthropology , Erin McSavaney, Harrison Galleries , Monte Clark Gallery , Propellor Design , Sticks + Stones Furniture , and many, many more!

CONGRATULATIONS! Rod and VEVEX, I am proud to say that I am one of your many patrons and part of your 10,000 crate history! Here’s to the next 10,000 crates.

A few photos of my crates from over the years, created by VEVEX and painted by Brandy Saturley.

Canadian Artist Brandy Saturley on her hand-painted art crates – crates built by VEVEX

Hand painted art crates by Brandy Saturley for 2013 #ICONICCANUCK exhibitons – crate maker VEVEX

Front window display – Gallery @501 January 2017 – Brandy Saturley

‘Canadianisms’ exhibit at Okotoks Art Gallery July 2017 – Brandy Saturley

Crates bound for Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame 2011 – Brandy Saturley

Shipping artwork to Palm Springs – Brandy Saturley

Shipping artwork to Montreal, Canada – Brandy Saturley

Shipping art to Vancouver, Canada – Brandy Saturley

November 23, 2017

Canadian Artists Exhibits Alberta

Art Opening

Impressive list of Canadian Artists Exhibits in Alberta

What does it mean to be Canadian? To celebrate Canada’s sesquicentennial year (150th anniversary of confederation), the Gallery@501 in Alberta, Canada presented an impressive list of Canadian Artists Exhibits in Alberta that explore what it means to be Canadian featuring artworks by: Diana Thorneycroft, Joe Fafard, Dr. Roberta Bondar and Brandy Saturley.

‘Canadianisms’ by Brandy Saturley opening at Gallery @501

I am honoured to be included with this group of iconic Canadian artists, as my retrospective exhibition, ‘Canadianisms: A Half Decade Inspired by Canada – by Brandy Saturley’ kicked off this celebratory exhibition year at Strathcona County Gallery @501. Beginning with ‘Canadianisms’ in January, the 2800SqFt museum level, public gallery played host to some of the most well known Canadian Artists expressing a variety of views about Canada, through their artwork.

O Canada (I’m Sorry) by Diana Thorneycroft

Following ‘Canadianisms’ in February was the work of Winnipeg visual artist, Diana Thorneycroft. O Canada (I’m Sorry) featured selections of two bodies of work: Group of Seven Awkward Moments and A People’s History. The works found in the series Group of Seven Awkward Moments investigates the relationship between the Canadian landscape and national identity. A People’s History explores examples of Canadian society that exemplify the word “awkward”. In the words of Thorneycroft, “Canadian history is full of awkward moments and that is more of a reality than this heroic landscape that the Group of Seven portrayed.” The summer solo exhibition featured another Winnipeg artist and celebrated Canadian sculptor, Joe Fafard. Internationally renowned, Joe Fafard is one of Canada’s most recognized and prolific artists. Retailles offered an insight into Fafard’s exploration of the laser-cut process featuring laser-cut and welded metal sculptures along with embossed and woodcut prints.

Joe Fafard: Retailles

With more than 20,000 visitors annually the gallery has quickly developed a formidable presence, equal to the Art Gallery of Alberta, thanks to the vision of chief curator and director, Brenda Barry Byrne and her team of seasoned arts professionals.

On November 10, 2017, the final show of the season opens and I wish I had time to hop on a jet plane and cruise into gallery for the opening of Dr. Roberta Bondar’s solo exhibiton, ‘Light in the Land – the Nature of Canada. “The photographic portraits of land and seas in this exhibition are artistic interpretations of the unique and important landscape that is Canada. Appropriate in Canada’s sesquicentennial year, these images present extraordinary landscapes across the country, encouraging a love and respect for the natural environment in its complexity. The collection is a consistent view of one artist, Dr. Roberta Bondar, Canada’s first woman in space, exploring the varied landscape in the singular light that is Canada.

Enhancing the sesquicentennial celebrations, Gallery@501 in partnership with the Strathcona Wilderness Centre will be exhibiting the winning photographs from the 2013-2016 Summer Camp Bondar Challenge. Winning entries from the national Camp Bondar Challenge include three winners from the Strathcona Wilderness Centre Summer Camp.”

From ‘awkward moments’ as visualized by Diana Thorneycroft, to the Retailles of Joe Fafard, from the spectacular photographs of Canada and the nature that surrounds by Dr. Roberta Bondar, to the tongue-in-cheek narratives of my ‘Canadianisms’, this year has been a year to take pause and reflect on who we are, and where we want to go as a country. Happy Birthday Canada! See you with a new perspective in 2018.

November 10, 2017

Forbes Magazine Brandy Saturley

PRESS

Forbes Magazine features Brandy Saturley – Canadian Artists NYC

From small beginnings to a feature in Forbes Magazine, The Art of Brandy Saturley: Ten years ago I was fortunate enough to bid adieu to my day job and concentrate fully on nothing but my career as a contemporary Canadian artist. Thankful for this opportunity and mindful of the responsibility it carried, I was up for the challenge and ready to take on the art world. In the past ten years I have connected with many arts professionals around the world, thanks to the ability the Internet affords me to move from a local platform to a world wide market. Through these connections, I have found support and interest in my artwork. Whether it be curators, art gallery owners, publishers, art bloggers, art collectors or fellow artists. I am thankful to those who have been interested in my work and willing to support and share my paintings through their various networks, on and off-line.

My contemporary paintings of Canada; the nature, landscapes, people, popular culture and sports icons, have found their way into art lovers hearts across the country and even worldwide. These paintings of Canada have been featured in Our Canada Magazine, CBC Arts, AllHabs Magazine, Curry’s Canada, Visual Overture, Art Avenue Magazine, and Galleries West Magazine, to name a few. This past week I was fortunate enough to add that New York staple for business and financial news, Forbes.com. Through contributor Jason T. Borbet, I found my work among many of my favorite artists in the Art Business pages of the popular New York staple of the Wall Street set. The feature story; Price Ranges And Studio Images Of 20 Contemporary Artists, the third installment of this popular feature on the Forbes website. I was happy to see one other Canadian artist in the group, the Toronto based artist, K.I.A. whose work involves slicing 2 and 3D shapes into linear component parts, with subsequent reinterpretations of the source material. One of my favorite pieces shows a totem pole like figure, titled ‘injunjetenjun’ which he describes as a “jet engine totem pole, or a Haida space shuttle. A blueprint of a jet engine, done in the manner of west-coast aboriginal art (Haida.)”

Update: November 7, 2017

Since this article in Forbes was published Ms. Saturley’s work has increased in value. For more information about current pricing for the artwork of Brandy Saturley please visit the ‘Collect’ page on this website.

Brandy Saturley in studio – Forbes Magazine 2015

November 7, 2017

Canadianisms Paintings Edmonton Canada

Art Opening

Going Solo for Canada: ‘Canadianisms’ Paintings on view in Edmonton, Canada

From January 10, 2017

‘Canadianisms’ Paintings on view in Edmonton, Canada: On Friday, January 6th my solo art show five years in the making met the eyes of Canadian art lovers in Sherwood Park Alberta, just outside of Edmonton. CANADIANISMS: A Half Decade Inspired by Canada is a collection of 37 of the most memorable and unique pieces from the past five years of my journey across the Canadian landscape, and into our national subconscious. Here are some photos from the opening night. The show runs until February 26, 2017 at Strathcona County Art Gallery @501 – curated by Brenda Barry Byrne and presented by Strathcona County and Festival Place Cultural Arts Foundation.

CANADIANISMS: A Half Decade Inspired by Canada – front window Strathcona County Art Gallery @501 – showing hand painted art crates by Brandy Saturley

Strathcona County Art Gallery @501 – exhibition view, opening night “Canadianisms” by Brandy Saturley

November 7, 2017

ART AND THE CITY: Vancouver

Art and The City

ART AND THE CITY Vancouver: Autumn Art Shows & Openings

Kroma Acrylics colours Granville Island, Vancouver BC

I’m back on the road and in beautiful Vancouver, BC! The trees are dressed in full regalia of vivid Autumn colors and it was a balmy 14 degrees and sunny today. On Granville Island I popped into Kroma acrylics, where they have been grinding their own pigments and creating supersaturated acrylic resins for over 40 years. My walk today took me to English Bay where the ocean meets Stanley Park and the vibe is active. I finally got to experience A-maze-ing Laughter a Sculpture by Yue Minjun, 2009 – part of the Vancouver Biennale public art walk. These multiple bronze men cast laughter and engage viewers of all ages. Public art I think we all can agree upon. Tomorrow I have two openings to keep me busy, until tomorrow! This is ART AND THE CITY: Vancouver.

Beautiful Fazioli Piano commissioned for the Fairmont Pacific Rim, Vancouver Canada – #fightforbeauty

Day two in Vancouver began with an impromptu interview on the street with a local film crew shooting a pilot for a web series, you know you’re in Hollywood North when this happens on your way to work. Today’s exhibit destinations started at the Fairmont Pacific Rim with the #fightforbeauty exhibit featuring a mixture of high fashion, architecture, visual art and design. With iconic dresses from Alexander McQueen, Yves St. Laurent and Versace, and a commissioned Fazioli grand piano from Italy, this exhibition is as educational as it is beautiful. If you are a fashion, design or architectural fan, this exhibit will delight you. My afternoon was spent in English Bay photographing architecture and beach art in the form of numerous stacks of rocks or Inukshuk along the shore. Right now I am supposed to be at the Fall members opening at the Vancouver Art gallery, but my adventurous photo taking landed me nursing a severely sprained and swollen ankle. So I will finish this with and evening toast of wine and frozen bag of peas on ankle. Here’s to feeling better for tomorrow’s events!

The new Emily Carr University of Art & Design – Vancouver Canada

Today I took my sprained ankle and wounded deer limp across town on the Skytrain, day 3 was all about the opening of the new Emily Carr University of Art & Design – opening a brand new, state-of-the-art campus and headquarters in Mount Pleasant. The new home for the university welcomed guests this weekend, and it was an interactive opening. Highlights included the learning commons, the sculpture studios and the featured exhibition. 88 Artists from 88 Years an alumni exhibition to celebrate Emily Carr University’s move to their new campus at Great Northern Way. The exhibition includes works by graduates spanning the years 1929 to 2017. Favorites included; Ken Sakurai, Atilla Richard Lukacs, Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun, and Laura Piasta. The new campus and its amenities include all sexes washrooms and so much more. It’s nice to see the school looking like a serious University, on the level with any other major arts institution in Canada. Well done ECUAD! Afterwards I hit the Equinox and Monte Clark galleries across the lane and also popped into the colorful space at Winsor gallery. An art filled day, time to ice the ankle, catch up with you tomorrow.

From the Royal Portrait Collection, Queen Elizabeth II – at the Vancouver Art Gallery 2017

With my sprained ankle is on the fast track, I can wiggle my toes without yelping today! On my final day in Vancouver my destination was the Vancouver Art Gallery for the Fall exhibitions. Portraits of Artists, a show from the collection of the Royal Gallery in London, Queen Elizabeth II private portrait collection. From the 1700’s onward an immense show of some of the most detailed and highly skilled classical mezzotints, etchings and paintings, an ode to the old fashioned ‘selfie’. I also enjoyed the Contemporary painting show and the Gordon Smith show, ‘Paint it Black’ – a show of work from his ‘black period’ all the canvasses with a black and brooding ground with hints of color and form. The work made me think of Monet water Lillies only the dark side. I finished the day with an Emily Carr retrospective on the top floor of the gallery, with several of her oil paintings on paper, I love the loose and pastel tones in these studies, the lighter side of Carr. A day well spent, anxious to return home and get back to painting. It’s been a good five days of stimulating the senses and enjoying the art and Fall colours in the city, back to my quiet seaside studio on the island. ~ Artfully Yours, Brandy Saturley

November 3, 2017

SALT Magazine Feature

PRESS

IN PRINT: Canadian artists SALT Magazine Feature

Originally published November 25, 2016

Paintings by Brandy Saturley featured in SALT Magazine Nov. 2016

It has been quite the journey this year, exploring Canada. From the most rural to the grandest; I am cultivating a visual language that is distinctly Canadian. Most recently I visited Toronto for the Art Toronto International Contemporary Art Fair, with stops in Montreal and Ottawa. Working as a full-time professional visual artist, on remote Vancouver Island, comes with it’s challenges as I have worked to establish myself nationally and internationally. My travels of this past year help to keep me connected to the national discussion about Canadian art, and through this I have extended my reach across the country. This brings me to a print magazine my work was included in recently. Salt Magazine Fall/Winter 2016 issue – A publication produced on Vancouver Island by Page One Publishing Inc., that promotes fine living and travel on Vancouver Island. Distributed in Alberta, Vancouver, and to subscribers across Canada. The feature, ‘Island Inspired’ written by editor Carolyn Camilleri, features three Vancouver Island artists, including my ‘Canadianisms’, whose work has gained exposure beyond the island market. Full article here. Keep on exploring and creating; vive le Canada! and bravo Vancouver Island artists! ~ Brandy Saturley

Vancouver Island Artists featured in SALT Magazine

November 3, 2017