A West Coast Painting

Inspired by The Beach – A West Coast Painting

Just a few weeks ago, we packed up our lives and moved to a charming seaside city called Parksville. With that came the task of dismantling my Victoria studio and setting up anew. While moving is rarely easy, my experiences with artist residencies over the years have prepared me well for transitions like this. When you spend a month creating in an unfamiliar place, you quickly learn how to adapt – how to set up your tools, find your rhythm, and create as though you’ve always been there.

The beach in Parksville, BC

This time, my new environment has brought me closer to the sea, and it didn’t take long before that influence found its way onto the canvas. My first painting created here feels distinctly West Coast and rooted in the rhythms, textures, and moods of the shoreline.

The beach in Parksville, BC

Studio moves can be disruptive, but I’ve come to see disruption as a gift. Shifting environments keeps me alert, curious, and responsive. Routine can make an artist complacent, while change stirs creativity. It’s why travel and residencies have been such an essential part of my practice, from coast to coast to coast across Canada, and even further afield, like my month spent painting at the Royal College of Art in London, England. Each new place challenges my eye and my adaptability.

Brandy Saturley in studio residency at Pouch Cove Foundation, Newfoundland Canada

One of my favourite artists, Georgia O’Keeffe, was deeply influenced by her travels. She painted across more than forty-nine countries in her lifetime. I share her belief that travel not only shapes an artist’s work but also helps reveal one’s fullest potential as a human being.

Though the transition to Parksville took a few weeks, I continued painting while setting up the new studio. My daily walks along the beach have become a source of constant inspiration, where the air smells of salt and seaweed, where herons, crows, and gulls punctuate the quiet, and where driftwood sculptures rise like monuments to impermanence. The landscape of sand and tide shifts daily, and with it, so does my perception.

Great Blue Heron

This brings me to my first painting completed here, in this still-settling space. When I Go To SEE is a visual story of my daily walks to the shore. It captures that moment when the senses awaken when observation turns into immersion, and I become not just a viewer of nature, but a part of it.

Detail View, When I Go To See, acrylic painting on canvas by Brandy Saturley, 2025

When I Go To SEE marks the beginning of a new chapter in my West Coast story, painted by the sea, inspired by daily encounters with light, tide, and transformation. Rendered in my signature pop modernism style and with a vivid palette. This new work is now available to view and collect through my website. For those who have followed my visual journey across Canada, this painting represents a fresh horizon and a deepening connection to place, one that invites you to see, feel, and breathe the Pacific.

When I Got to SEE, acrylic on canvas painting, 30×60 inches, 2025, Brandy Saturley

October 6, 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

Arts Fundraiser in Edmonton

Art Opening, Art Show

ARTattack at The Miller Art Gallery: Arts Fundraiser in Edmonton

On September 19th, 2025 another edition of the ARTattack fundraiser opens at the Miller Art Gallery. This annual Arts fundraiser in Edmonton helps support the Peck Visual Art Program and the Miller Art Gallery inside the Roxy Theatre.

The Miller Art Gallery and the Peck Visual Arts program are proud partners of Theatre Network, located within the Roxy Theatre in Edmonton. Established in 2022 by Theatre Network, the Miller Art Gallery was created to diversity the programming and take advantage of the expanded space within the new Roxy under the curatorial direction of Jared Tabler.

The Miller Art Gallery is the proud home of the Peck Visual Arts program, which focuses on championing the best in Canadian contemporary art and elevating the work of Canadian artists. We are creating an artist’s home, with a sense of community, where people feel valued, are elevated and have a safe space to develop and grow. We invite audiences to engage and connect through visual art and transform their understanding of the world around them.

This year’s ARTattack fundraiser titled; Iconic Brands offers 20 Canadian Artists’ takes on the theme. This years artists are: Jai Tanninen, Curtis Trent, Josh Harnack, Sean Allan, Charlene Johnson, Nick Ross, Brandy Saturley, Marcie Rohr, DUNCE, Lydon Hurst, Sarah Jackson, Beto Vigo, Riki Kuropatwa, E.R. Gott, Patrick Marino, Michael McLean, Denise Lefebvre, Justina Smith, Maverick McGinn, and Dean Pickup. Each artist has created work based on their own interpretation of the theme in their unique and definitive style. The works will be auctioned off during ARTattack on September 19th with all of the proceeds supporting the Peck Visual Art Program at the Miller Art Gallery.

When I was invited to donate a work to this important event I immediately began thinking of iconic Canadian brands. With a limited canvas size of 14×14 inches I was looking to create a bold message with the brand logo as the focal point. There are so many iconic Canadian brands to choose from like the Hudson’s Bay stripes and the purple and gold of Crown Royal Whisky, but for this event I chose Hawkins Cheezies with it’s bold red and white stripes and vividly orange Cheezies set against a complimentary teal background. The piece feels like childhood and fun memories of eating the favourite snack after school or late night in front of the TV. They could be spilled out during a card game or a late night chat session with a friend. As an adult I prefer my Cheezies with a nice glass of wine, making the perfect pairing for a lazy evening. Get your tickets and score some ‘Iconic Art’. See all the paintings here.

Say Cheezies! 14×14 acrylic on canvas, Brandy Saturley, 2025

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September 15, 2025

Let Your Backbone Rise

Canadian Pop Art

Exploring the Depths of Brandy Saturley’s Let Your Backbone Rise

Brandy Saturley’s Let Your Backbone Rise (2016) is a captivating self-portrait that blends surrealism with profound cultural and personal symbolism. Viewed from behind, the artist stands against a striking mountainous backdrop, arms raised as if adjusting a hat, set against a dreamlike landscape. This piece, rich with influences and meaning, invites viewers to delve into its layers, drawing from the mountain paintings of Lawren Harris and the symbolic backbone adorning her red coat.

Influence of Lawren Harris’s Mountain Paintings

The painting’s backdrop is a direct nod to Lawren Harris, a cornerstone of the Group of Seven, known for his abstracted depictions of Canada’s rugged landscapes. Harris’s works, like Baffin Island (1931), infuse nature with spiritual depth through clean lines and bold colors. Saturley incorporates a segment of this painting into her own, transforming Harris’s soft peaks and icy waters into a surreal setting that echoes the Canadian wilderness. This homage reflects her five-year retrospective focus on Canadian themes in Alberta exhibitions, where she “paints with Lawren Harris” through a pop-art lens. The geometric mountain forms and vibrant hues mirror Harris’s style, while hints of Rockwell Kent’s introspective landscapes add further depth, portraying human solitude against nature’s grandeur.

Baffin Island Mountains, Lawren Harris 1931

Symbolism of the Backbone on the Coat

The figure’s red coat, a central element, is steeped in meaning. It recalls the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s red serge uniform, symbolizing national stature and authority, while also nodding to The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band jacket, infusing a pop culture twist. The coat’s vivid red contrasts with the cool landscape, radiating vitality.

Most striking is the white backbone design running down the coat, exposed like vertebrae. This motif embodies resilience and the “backbone of a nation,” reflecting Canada’s enduring spirit. For Saturley, it also marks her personal ascent as a female artist during her 2016 career peak. Paired with white gloves and a formal French twist hairstyle, the figure exudes confidence, suggesting vulnerability turned into strength. Saturley describes this self-inclusion as “looking for herself in the world,” weaving personal growth into a broader Canadian narrative.

Let Your Backbone Rise, 2016, Brandy Saturley

Let Your Backbone Rise: A Bridge Between Past and Present

Let Your Backbone Rise exemplifies Saturley’s “Pop Canadianisms” style, merging historical influences with modern resilience. By honoring Harris’s legacy while adding contemporary symbols, she creates a bridge between past and present in Canadian art. This painting is more than a visual feast—it’s a celebration of identity, heritage, and the artist’s journey, inviting viewers to see themselves within its vast, symbolic landscape.

With Hearts on Our Sleeves, 2017, Brandy Saturley

August 20, 2025

Studio Moving Sale

Art For Sale

Marking a Milestone – Studio Moving Sale

Big changes are happening in my world—I’m moving into a new, larger studio. This new creative space will give me more room to experiment, tackle larger canvases, and keep exploring the Canadian stories that have been at the heart of my work for the past twenty years.

Since the early 2000s, my paintings have been shaped by journeys across this country—capturing everything from the powerful presence of the Rockies to the windswept shores of the Atlantic, from quiet prairie skies to the colours of our northern lights. Along the way, I’ve painted symbols and scenes that speak to our collective identity: plaid patterns and poppies, canoes and hockey sticks, wildlife and wild landscapes. Each canvas is a reflection of time spent listening to the rhythms of Canada.

This move would not be possible without the people who believed in my work and chose to make it part of their lives. To thank my collectors—and to welcome new ones—I’m offering 20% off all original paintings priced over $5,000 for a limited time. This is both a celebration and an invitation: a moment to add another story to your collection or to begin one. This is a rare opportunity to collect significant works at special pricing, as I make room for the next evolution of my practice.

Studio Moving Sale

For longtime collectors, this is an opportunity to add another chapter to your collection. For new collectors, it’s a chance to begin your journey with a piece of art rooted in Canadian culture, history, and landscape—at a moment when my work continues to gain recognition and evolve.

The sale runs until September 15th. After that, I’ll be unpacking in the new studio and preparing for what’s next: a fresh chapter of Canadian-inspired paintings, larger in scale and scope.

Celebrate this milestone with me and bring home a piece of the journey.

See available Brandy Saturley works here.

August 12, 2025

Rise of Regional Artists

Advice for Art Collectors

The Rise of Regional Artists: Collecting Canadian Art Outside the Big Three Cities Matters

When we talk about Canadian art, the conversation too often circles back to the same three cities; Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. These cultural hubs have long held the spotlight, with their galleries, art fairs, and institutional backing. But across this vast and varied country, a quieter shift is underway. Collectors and curators are beginning to look beyond the urban centres, seeking out fresh voices and authentic stories rooted in place. Regional Artists are on the rise.

As a Canadian artist whose practice has taken me from coast to coast to coast, I’ve spent years painting the spirit of this country, not from a single vantage point, but from deep within its regions. Whether in the Arctic stillness of Yellowknife, the salt air of Newfoundland, or the wide-open skies of the Prairies, I’ve immersed myself in local culture, letting the land and its people guide my brush. The result is a body of work that is undeniably Canadian, yet unbound by stereotype or geography.

My paintings are part pop modernism, part documentary and often feature the iconography of everyday Canadian life: plaid shirts, canoes, wildlife, poppies, denim jackets, and patriotic hues. But beneath the surface, they carry the stories of real places, from remote fishing villages to mountain passes to small-town arenas. This is the Canada I’ve come to know, not just through travel, but through conversation, observation, and creation.

What I’ve noticed lately is that collectors and curators are hungry for this kind of work. They’re no longer looking just for names stamped by the urban art machine. They want connection, story, and authenticity. They want art that reflects Canada in its full diversity and not just culturally, but geographically.

Art Apprecaition: Rise of Regional Artists

We’re witnessing a rise in appreciation for regional perspectives. Curators are expanding collections to include artists from smaller towns, Indigenous communities, and northern regions. Collectors are realizing that acquiring work by artists living and working in these areas offers something rare: a direct link to places and experiences that are often underrepresented in mainstream narratives.

For those looking to build meaningful, future-facing collections of Canadian art, now is the time to look outward – to the maritimes, to the Yukon, to the heart of the prairies, and to the west coast islands. The art being made in these places is powerful, thoughtful, and deeply rooted in lived experience.

My own studio practice, based on Vancouver Island, continues to grow from the momentum of residencies and exhibitions in places like Newfoundland, Alberta, and soon, the Maritimes. Every piece I create is informed by these journeys, and by the desire to paint not just the physical landscape of Canada, but the emotional and cultural one, too.

To collect Canadian art today is to participate in shaping its future. By embracing regional voices, you’re not just acquiring work; you’re investing in a fuller, richer picture of what it means to be Canadian.

See more paintings by Brandy Saturley here.

August 5, 2025

Canadian Identity in Contemporary Art

Canadian Art, Canadian Paintings

Plaid, Pop Culture, and Patriotism: The Iconography of Canadian Identity in Contemporary Art

What does it mean to be Canadian, not just in spirit, but in symbol? For generations, artists in this country have been exploring Canadian identity in contemporary Art: the rugged landscape, the solitary canoe, the maple leaf. But as our nation evolves, so too does our iconography. In my own work as a Canadian painter, I’ve long been interested in the visual cues that shape our collective identity, a patchwork of plaid shirts, denim jackets, goalie masks, polar bears, poppies, canoes, and tragically hip lyrics.

These symbols, sometimes quiet and sometimes loud, tell the story of who we are. They’re shorthand for values we hold close such as resilience, humility, humour, pride – and they form a visual vocabulary that continues to grow and shift.

With Hearts on Our Sleeves, 40×30, acrylic on canvas, 2017 – Brandy Saturley

The Power of Plaid

Plaid, for me, is more than a fashion choice or a lumberjack trope. It’s a cultural fabric very literally and metaphorically that is woven into the Canadian psyche. It speaks to our working-class roots, our connection to nature, our frontier spirit. I’ve painted plaid in countless forms: draped shirts, textile-inspired backdrops, even as abstracted colour grids. It’s instantly recognizable and deeply nostalgic, yet flexible enough to carry new meanings in a contemporary context.

Come On Just Let’s Go, 48×30, acrylic on canvas, 2024 – Brandy Saturley

Canadian Identity in Contemporary Art: Pop Culture as Collective Memory

Canadian pop culture often flies under the radar, quieter than our southern neighbours, but no less rich. From the storytelling of the Barenaked Ladies and The Tragically Hip, to the childhood nostalgia of Hinterland Who’s Who and Heritage Minutes, these cultural touchstones unite us across provinces and generations.

I’ve been incorporating pop culture into my work as a way to explore this uniquely Canadian quirkiness for decades, a kind of smart humility and quiet defiance. Referencing music, film, and sports lets me connect with a wide audience and spark recognition. It’s not about fandom; it’s about shared memory.

Son of Canada, 40×30, acrylic on canvas, 2020 – Brandy Saturley

Patriotism, Reimagined

In the 21st century, Canadian patriotism is a more complex concept. It’s not blind nationalism, but rather a critical, evolving love of place and people. My use of national symbols such as the poppy, the maple leaf, the RCMP, the hockey net, are both homage and inquiry. These motifs raise questions: Who are we really? What do we want to be known for? How do we honour tradition while also pushing forward?

One of my more recent pieces, featuring a close-up of a denim jacket with a Remembrance Day poppy, is a quiet meditation on the “uniform of the everyman” and a symbol of collective identity and hope. In another, two red and black plaid shirts hang together like a domestic still life, echoing intimacy, memory, and cultural weight.

Say a Little Prayer, 18×24, acrylic on canvas, 2024 – Brandy Saturley

Contemporary Iconography in Flux

Canadian iconography isn’t static, and that’s what keeps it compelling. It’s fluid, shaped by immigration, Indigenous voices, regional stories, and the challenges of the modern world, from climate change to reconciliation. In my work, I try to honour that fluidity to hold space for both history and invention.

As I continue to travel across Canada from Victoria to Newfoundland, I find new symbols emerging. Sometimes they’re subtle: a specific tone of northern light, the shape of a maple leaf, or the architecture of small-town rural. Other times, they’re bold, like the juxtaposition of a vintage Tim Hortons cup with a wild mountain horizon.

The Red Mittens series, 2014, Brandy Saturley

Final Thoughts: Painting the Story of Us

At its heart, my work is about storytelling. I’m painting a visual memoir of Canada, one that invites viewers to bring their own memories, experiences, and meanings. Plaid, pop culture, and patriotism are just the starting points. The deeper story lies in how we connect through these shared images and how we continue to define what it means to be Canadian.

Brandy Saturley in studio at the Pouch Cove Foundation, Newfoundland CANADA

July 25, 2025

Public Art in Toronto

Art Licensing

Brandy Saturley Art Licensing – Lighting Up Toronto with Public Art Installations

Living in the digital age has opened exciting new avenues for sharing my art with the world. One of the most powerful ways to extend the life and reach of an original painting is through art licensing, transforming a singular piece of art into an image that can live across different mediums and formats, reaching broader audiences in diverse environments.

Art licensing allows artists to retain ownership of their original work while granting permission to companies, brands, or organizations to reproduce it for commercial use, whether that be on digital screens, in advertising, or as part of curated design experiences. It’s a way to breathe new life into a painting, to reimagine it in a public context, and to keep it working for both artist and client, again and again.

Raised in The Sky by Brandy Saturley

Most recently, I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with Highness Global Inc., a bespoke business consultancy based in Toronto, to showcase my work in a stunning public art installation at 2 Bloor West – a landmark address in the heart of the city’s Mink Mile.

This location features a spectacular 38-foot by 43-foot digital screen in the building’s lobby, offering a glowing, cinematic platform for art. It’s an incredible experience to see my work presented at this scale – illuminated, immersive, and accessible to all who pass through the space.

To date, I’ve licensed three artworks to appear on this massive digital canvas, each contributing to the visual identity of this vibrant urban location. Here are the works that have lit up the screen:

I’ll Carry That Weight by Brandy Saturley

These public art moments not only expand the visibility of my work but also invite new conversations and connections between viewers and the Canadian stories I paint.

If you’re interested in bringing art into your space through licensing whether for digital installations, marketing campaigns, or product collaborations. Brandy Saturley Art Licensing offers flexible solutions tailored to your vision.

Let’s work together to make art more accessible, impactful, and unforgettable.

With Wind and Without by Brandy Saturley

This is just one example of how the Art of Brandy Saturley can liven up your space and draw attention to your business and brand. More about Art Licensing here.

July 18, 2025

Art Opening Coles Art Market

Art Opening, Art Show

NEIGHBOURLY – A National Juried Canadian Art Exhibition at Coles Art Market

Opening Night Celebration in Huntsville, Ontario July 18, 2025

“Neighbourly” is a national juried art exhibition that brings together Canadian artists exploring the ideas of community, connection, and sense of place. Opening night offers a unique opportunity to be among the first to experience the show, meet the artists, and engage in thoughtful conversation with neighbours both familiar and new.

Neighbourly at Coles Art Market opening July 18, 2025

Featuring over 40 original works ranging from painting and sculpture to drawing, the exhibition highlights a diverse range of artistic interpretations of what it means to be “neighbourly” in Canada today.

Hosted by Coles Art Market in beautiful Huntsville, Ontario, the gallery is known for showcasing and selling original fine art by some of the country’s most accomplished artists. Whether you’re seeking a striking centrepiece for your home, business, or cottage – or need expert guidance in finding the perfect work—Coles offers an exceptional variety of Canadian artworks, including painting, sculpture, drawing, and handcrafted jewelry.

I’m honoured to have one of my paintings included in this thoughtful and timely exhibition. Titled “Lovers in a Dangerous Time,” my piece explores the complex and evolving relationship between Canada and the United States. Set at dusk against a backdrop of ocean meeting snow-peaked mountains, the Canadian and American flags appear gently touching and quiet, almost hesitant. The painting reflects on the delicate balance of our cross-border ties as we navigate changing political landscapes, tariffs, and a redefined neighbourly connection.

Lovers in a Dangerous Time, Acrylic on wood panel, 18 x 24 x 1.5 in – Brandy Saturley

If you’re in the Huntsville area, I encourage you to join us for the opening or visit the show during its run—this exhibition offers a compelling and heartfelt look at what it means to be connected.

Opens July 18th and runs until August 17th.

See more paintings by Brandy Saturley.

July 18, 2025

Landscape Paintings in Banff

Canadian Paintings

10 Landscape Paintings Available in Banff at Willock & Sax Gallery

While I’m most recognized for my narrative Canadian paintings, works that tell visual stories through symbolism, iconography, and Canadian culture – there are times when the landscape itself takes centre stage. In these moments, the story lies within the land, and the landscape becomes the subject, the emotion, and the message.

The Canadian landscapes that most captivate me are the Rocky Mountains of Alberta. These towering giants provide striking compositions through their bold lines, dramatic forms, and seasonal transformation. Whether draped in winter snow or framed by the rich greens of summer foliage, these mountains invite endless study and artistic interpretation.

To paint them is to witness constant change. The light shifts from the warm glow of morning to the cool hues of evening, reshaping contours and altering mood. Mount Rundle, for instance, can appear entirely different depending on the time of day or season. In this way, the land tells its own story through form, colour, and shadow.

From the distinctive silhouette of Mount Rundle to the iconic forms of Temple, Cascade, and the pristine waters of Lake Louise, the Banff/Lake Louise region offers an abundance of inspiration. These places are more than subjects; they are muses that shape my artistic approach.

Currently, 10 of my Rocky Mountain landscape paintings are available through Willock & Sax Gallery in Banff. Each piece is a celebration of place and presence, and a reflection of time spent immersed in one of Canada’s most awe-inspiring environments.

Explore these works in person at Willock & Sax Gallery or contact the gallery for purchase inquiries.