Queen Elizabeth II Paintings

Queen Elizabeth II Paintings: honouring The Queen in Art

Throughout my life there has always been a portrait of The Queen hanging near me. With Cornish grandparents and Canadian roots, Queen Elizabeth II has been a constant in my life. Growing up in Victoria, British Columbia and being born at The Royal Jubliee hospital the crown’s presence can be felt everywhere. In 2019 my art career took me to London, England and I spent the summer making art and studying at the Royal College of Art. During this visit I had time to really explore the monarchy and it’s relationship with the commonwealth countries and Canada. It was a time to explore my family roots and express my feelings through my art using a very contemporary expression. Over the years I have addressed and celebrated the United Kingdom and the monarchy, in my paintings. Sometimes poking fun, but always sincerely celebrating the influence of the monarchy on Canadians.

From a painting of The Queen wearing a toque with the Rocky Mountains in the distance, to the Union Jack flag, these five paintings feature expressions of an artist under the influence of the Commonwealth. Featuring collage and painted using acrylics on various substrates, these artworks celebrate what it means to be a Canadian with British roots.

In September 2022, Queen Elizabeth II passed after reigning for 70 years. As a moment of great sadness blanketed the world, I retreated to my studio to paint away the sadness and celebrate a great life.

Here are a few images of paintings from over the years that celebrate Queen Elizabeth II and the monarchy. All seven paintings feature the Union Jack flag.

End of An Era, 2022, Brandy Saturley – painting of Union Jack and Canadian flags at half mast.

Royal Gaze, 2022, Brandy Saturley – painting of Queen Elizabeth II wearing Diamond Diadem crown

When The Queen Came to Canada, acrylic, pennies and pence on Union Jack flag, 2012, Brandy Saturley

Remember Us, acrylic on canvas, 2014, Brandy Saturley (Union Jack & Canadian flags)

In my Splendorous Kingdom, acrylic, collage on canvas, 2014, Brandy Saturley (BC flag)

Brexit, acrylic on raw canvas, 2019, Brandy Saturley (Union Jack flag)

Splendor Sine Occasu, acrylic pour painting on canvas, 2007, Brandy Saturley (British Columbia flag)

See more iconic Canadian paintings by Canadian artist Brandy Saturley.

September 12, 2022

Lake Louise Paintings

Art For Sale

Lake Louise Paintings: Inspired by a Magical Location in The Rockies

Lake Louise is many things to many people. Tens of thousands of people every year are drawn to this place for its natural beauty, purity and amazing uplifting energy. Paintings of Lake Louise, I have created a few, it is hard not to be inspired by the natural beauty of this place. Like Stonehenge, it is one of the major vortex points or power spots on earth. In the winter the clear glacial ice attracts skaters of all kinds to this energizing vista. It is a magical place, and the quintessential Canadian Christmas Card. When you walk onto the frozen lake and walk, snowshoe, ski or skate down to the base of the glacier, you are reminded just how small we are in the face of the Canadian landscape. There is a silence, the echo of nature, you can hear the snow fall from the trees and their branches bend under the weight of the wet snow. You hear the laughter of tourists and the sounds of the snow crunching under your feet. You hear the swish of the skates, skis and the wind as it blows through the valley. In the summer months the tropical teal glacial lake offers canoe, kayakers and swimmers a place to dip into cool water. It is a place to gather, to marvel at and to hike around. Like the Bermuda triangle, the vortex created here slowly draws you in and you may never want to leave. Dreamy in Canada.

Here are six paintings of Lake Louise;

Poppies For Louise, 2011 Brandy Saturley

Poppies for Louise, 2013 Brandy Saturley

Vortex, 2021 Brandy Saturley

lake louise HBC stripes pop art painting

Ride My Wake, 2014 Brandy Saturley

Stare Time at Lake Louise, 2019 Brandy Saturley

Lake Louise Swish, 2019 Brandy Saturley

Imagine Lake Louise, 2022 Brandy Saturley

See more magical paintings by Canadian Visual Artist, Brandy Saturley.

May 3, 2022

Top 20 Canadian Artists On Instagram

Canadian Art

Top 20 Canadian Visual Artists to Follow on Instagram

They may not have 215 millions of followers like Justin Bieber, but these top 20 Canadian visual artists on Instagram have made a significant and lasting impression on and off Instagram. We happen to think this top 20 Instagram list is one for the art lovers, and not just lovers of Canadian Art. From Canadian quirk to social commentary, from landscapes, to portraits and humour to printmaking. From staged installations that are photographed, to the best realistic painters. From Canadian Pop Art to vibrant contemporary Indigenous artists. You should be following these 20 artists now, if you are not already hip to what they are putting out there in the Instaworld.

Douglas Coupland: never left Art school.

Scott Steele: realism based in Toronto.

Joe Coffey: realism painter in oils

Kent Monkman: Cree artist, Miss Chief Nation!

Jen Mann: Ceci n’est pas ma vie.

Shary Boyle: conceptual fantasies

Brandy Saturley: Obsessed with the iconography of Canada & in turn creating my own.

Andrew Valko: Canadian Visual Artist

Diana Thorneycroft: installation photography

Francis A Willey: haunting and feminine portrait photography

Dee Barsy: Ozaawigiizisikwe ndizhinikaaz.

Rande Cook: Contemporary artist, modern artist, modern indigenous.

Carollyne Yardley: Artist. Researcher. Speculative. Squirrealism.

Jeff Wilson: Vancouver-based Scottish painter.

Kim Dorland: Toronto.

Sean William Randall: Surrealism, flying cars and outer space.

Bruno Canadien: Dene (Deh Gáh Got’iné) Visual Artist, based in Treaty 7. Contemporary Indigenous Pop Art.

Nicole Sleeth: Vancouver Island.

Chris Cran: Canadian Pop Art

Drifted Creations: Making unique driftwood sculptures and enjoying the beach life on Vancouver Island!

While many people use Instagram these days to discover new artists, it’s great to see the art on and offline. Nice thing is, Art ALWAYS looks better in person, so if it looks great here, you can only imagine how it will take your breath away once it is in your home. Happy following, these Canadian visual artists will make your year! More great Canadian Art here.

March 30, 2022

What is a Canadian Artist?

Canadian Art

What is a Canadian Artist?

Simply put, a Canadian Artist is an Artist who makes Art in Canada. A Canadian Artist is an Artist born or living in Canada that makes distinctive art influenced by their cultural, natural, and even social surroundings. Canadian Art created by a Canadian Visual Artist can include paintings, photography, sculpture, fine craft, and cultural arts. From Art rooted in Indigenous culture and the first peoples of Canada, to more Contemporary themes; Canadian Art is vibrant and filled with emotion, pride and even our distinctive brand of Canadian humour. Our Art can be serious, and quirky at times.

The Canadian Artist as Painter

From the Group of Seven to Alex Colville , and abstraction to realism, there are no limits when it comes to the visual Arts in Canada.

There is a great lineage of painters in Canada. Emily Carr painted masterful and dramatic landscapes from representational works to more dramatic abstractions of British Columbia forests. Her signature palettes of deep greens, are recognized worldwide.

The indigenous and vivid narratives of Norval Morisseau, are dreamy landscapes and portraits with spiritual themes. Portraits from Prudence Heward and the Beaver Hall Group of Painters are filled with drama and emotion.

The pop art style painters bring the bold and the Canadian dry and wry humour to the canvas; with the distinctive army blue and red palettes of Charles Pachter to the advertising infused paintings and prints of Chris Cran, to the pop art outlined representational works of Canadian painter Brandy Saturley, the Canadian Pop artists put our distinctive Canadian culture on view for all to enjoy.

And then there are the paintings of Kent Monkman. Subversive, bold, unapologetic, and unforgiving, the work of Kent Monkman has left an unmistakable mark on contemporary Canadian art.

As of 2022 there are approximately 158, 100 professional artists in Canada, with 21,000 recognized as visual artists. In a country with a population of 37 million, this makes Canadian painters a rare breed. Acquiring a painting by a professional Canadian artist is a rare opportunity and a valuable object of beauty. More distinctive Canadian Paintings here.

March 29, 2022

HBC Point Blanket Paintings

Canadian Art

Ten Paintings referencing the iconic HBC Point Blanket

Originally used in trade with First Nations in Canada, the Hudson’s Bay point blanket is one that all Canadians recognize. With it’s distinctive HBC stripes of green, red, yellow and indigo, the blanket has become an icon of Canadiana. Known as the ‘point blanket’ for the black lines woven into the selvage of the blanket along the edge, these lines came to signify the size of the blanket. Genuine point blankets have become a luxury item and a sought after collectible, fetching prices in the thousands of dollars. The main determinants of value include age, size, colour, pattern rarity and condition. As a Canadian artist who is known for painting themes, symbols and icons of Canada; the HBC point blanket has made it’s way into my paintings over the years, helping to express visual stories about my Canadian experience, on canvas. Here are ten paintings that reference the iconic Hudson Bay stripes and point blanket:

Point blankets were bought by Indigenous Canadians and settler communities alike to use as bedding, clothing, room dividers and fabric for other items. Prior to the European blanket trade, many Indigenous nations wore hand-woven blankets made of animal hides and furs. Blankets played an important role in many Canadian Indigenous communities as all-purpose clothes and household items, as well as status symbols.

Ten paintings that reference the HBC point blanket and stripes. We see those stripes everywhere we look in Canada and around the world. I have one of these blankets on the couch in my studio. It serves as a reminder of our history, and the importance these blankets played. Like the landscape, there is something loved and familiar here, you cannot deny the visual importance that four little stripes hold on the Canadian consciousness.

See more iconic Canadian paintings.

August 5, 2021

Available Paintings Montreal Canadiens

Art For Sale

Painting Stories Influenced by Hockey History – Montreal Canadiens Paintings

What excites you? is it a great novel, a heartfelt documentary, an energetic work of art, or maybe an exciting game of hockey? I am excited about all of these things, and they have all found their way into my work as a painter. The Montreal Canadiens have a storied history, an artist could focus their entire oeuvre on these historical moments of hockey. Over the years I have painted over a dozen works influenced by the history of the Habs. Currently there are six paintings available, telling stories of the Montreal Canadiens, hockey and Canada. Six available paintings about the Montreal Canadiens and their effect on Canadian culture.

1. Habitant – 60×40 inches – acrylic painting on canvas – Brandy Saturley

2. Lovers in a Dangerous Time – 36×36 inches – acrylic painting on canvas – Brandy Saturley

3. Canadiens Gothic – 48×36 inches – acrylic painting on canvas – Brandy Saturley

4. Saint Kanata – 48×36 inches – acrylic painting on canvas – Brandy Saturley

5. The Goalie’s Mask Painting – 48×36 inches – acrylic painting on canvas – Brandy Saturley

6. Plante Rises – 36×60 inches – acrylic painting on canvas – Brandy Saturley

A decade ago I read a book called, ‘The Game’ by Ken Dryden, the rest is history. Six available paintings, celebrating the influence of the Montreal Canadiens in Canadian Art. From the blue, white and red to the punch line, and the goal tenders perspective to the fans. From Jacques Plante to the Target Mask, celebrating the Habs in Art.

See more paintings by Brandy Saturley.

Canadian Pop Art style paintings, visual stories on canvas.

June 7, 2021

NEW Contemporary Landscape Art

Art For Sale

New Contemporary Landscape Art – Capturing the Spirit

As I type this I am listing to Joni Mitchell sing Canadahhhhahhahhhh, intermixed with birdsong coming through the patio door window of my office. I have just finished a new painting, about the spirit of the landscape, something I have been thinking about here in my studio on Vancouver Island where we are surrounded by nature and ocean on all sides. New contemporary landscape art, that captures the spirit of the landscape.

For years now my narrative brand of painting under the persona of #ICONICCANUCK has explored the people, symbols, icons and landscapes of Canada. Over the years I have overheard my work referred to as ‘visual storytelling’ and narrative art. Some have told me the work begs for a story from the viewer. Whatever the case I try not to think about it too much, my intention really comes from my need to communicate, visually, as words have never been my strong suit. Painting, like writing, gives me time to process what it is that I am seeing and my thoughts on these things. I am becoming more and more connected to the work, and less connected to the words, in a verbal sense, writing comes fluidly for me and flows like paint.

I am a human tuning fork, buried into the earth, vibrating outward onto the canvas and the virtual page on this blog and I have a new painting about the spirit of the landscape.

This new painting features an Elk that I met on a trip through Jasper National Park, a hummingbird that sips outside my studio and a Blue Jay. Set against a colourful modern background of sky, mountains, and trees, this is; “Only the Blue Jay Knows”. This original acrylic and gouache painting on canvas measures three feet high by four feet wide, with colours of Yves Klein blue, neon pop art outlines, and gilded gold details. With this painting nature ‘reigns’ and the vivid hues make the painting vibrate with life, like music on canvas.

A few photos and video clip of this new contemporary painting and behind the scenes in the studio;

This painting is available to own, see the full painting with additional photos here.

Feeling the spirit of the landscape and the nature that surrounds.

Sincerely Yours,

Brandy Saturley a.k.a #iconiccanuck

May 31, 2021

Canadian Artists Painting Mountains

Canadian Art, Collaboration

Two Canadian artists painting mountains on the Continental Divide.

How do two Canadian artists painting mountains, in different provinces, come together to collaborate on paintings that separate their practices?

Snow Dome, acrylic on canvas, Brandy Saturley and Gisa Mayer

In early 2017, my “Canadianisms” began their solo exhibition tour across Alberta, and as part of promoting the tour and getting to know the arts community of Alberta, I attended the CARFAC AGM in Edmonton at CARFAC Alberta. Previously, Visual Arts Alberta, it was where my first solo show of paintings inspired by Canadian culture and hockey were exhibited under the title, #ICONICCANUCK in 2014. At this AGM I met a painter by the name of Gisa Mayer, a landscape painter from Calgary, by way of the Bavarian Alps, where the painter spent her early years.

Over that year, Mayer and I began to develop a connection and friendship, inspired by our shared love of the outdoors, hiking and the iconic mountains of the Rocky Mountain range. By the end of 2017 we had decided that we would begin a collaborative project, inspired by our shared loves. Inspired by famous collaborations of art history past, such as Warhol and Basquiat, Johns and Rauschenberg, and Rivera & Kahlo – this was going to be interesting as in our case we live 1059KM apart, a 13 hour drive and a ferry boat.

We began with the idea of painting mountain peaks on the continental divide, the border between BC and Alberta. Painting on rolled canvas, for ease of shipping back an fourth between provinces. Mayer, in her sweeping textured strokes and soft palette would begin with sky and foreground, then shipping the canvas to me in BC where I would take on mountains and trees. Sometimes I would begin the canvas and start with sky and mountain, each time was a new experience and each time a new challenge. With my saturated and bold palettes and pop realism aesthetic, our styles couldn’t be more different but seemed to be perfect compliments to one another.

Robson, acrylic on canvas, 2017, Brandy Saturley & Gisa Mayer

We began painting at the end of 2017 and have completed 6 canvasses to date, with a plan to begin exhibiting the work in 2020. Two female artists, one from Alberta and one BC, painting mountain forms on the great continental divide, the mountains on the Alberta/BC border. Each painting is shipped back and fourth across the border, until complete. Each painting rendered in brushstrokes from each artist. Each painting a collaborative effort and celebration of two styles, creating a new language, expressing a combined love of the Rockies. Beyond the borders of the paintings, and beyond the borders that divide two provinces that have been locked into a political battle over a pipeline. Moving us beyond the borders of our differences, and bringing us together, over art.

In honour of Group of Seven luminary, Lawren Harris, we selected a name under which to paint, now known as the Mountain Forms Collective.

UPDATE: March 2020 a virtual 3D exhibition was presented online with Kunstmatrix Berlin – Together/Divided featuring mountain paintings created by both artists as well as individual works from each artists; oeuvre. An online preview in the time of COVID-19.

Museum/Gallery? Curator inquiries?

Two Canadian Artists Painting Mountains – more about Mountain Forms Collective

The Canadian landscape has been a source of inspiration for countless artists over the years, with its majestic mountains, serene lakes, and sweeping prairies offering endless possibilities for creative expression. Two Canadian artists who have captured the beauty of the country’s mountains in their paintings are Brandy Saturley and Gisa Mayer.

Saturley is a contemporary Canadian artist known for her bold and colorful paintings, often depicting iconic Canadian landscapes and cultural motifs. Her series of mountain paintings, which she created while visiting Banff, Alberta, are a testament to her love of the natural beauty of the region. Saturley’s paintings feature vibrant colors and bold brushstrokes, giving her mountain landscapes a dynamic and energetic feel. Her use of light and shadow creates a sense of depth and perspective, drawing the viewer into the scene and making them feel as though they are standing in the midst of the mountains.

Mount Temple, 36×48 acrylic on canvas, 2011, Brandy Saturley

Gisa Mayer is another Canadian artist who has captured the majesty of the country’s mountains in her paintings. Mayer’s work is characterized by its rich colors and textures, with her mountain landscapes featuring sweeping brushstrokes and layers of thick paint. She uses a variety of techniques to create a sense of movement and energy in her paintings, giving them a dynamic and almost sculptural quality. Mayer’s mountain paintings are often large in scale, adding to their grandeur and sense of awe-inspiring majesty.

Looking Out, acrylic on canvas, 2023, Gisa Mayer

Both Saturley and Mayer’s mountain paintings are a celebration of Canada’s natural beauty and a testament to the power of art to capture and convey the essence of a place. Through their use of color, brushstrokes, and composition, these artists have created a sense of awe and wonder in their mountain landscapes, inviting viewers to experience the grandeur and majesty of Canada’s mountains in a new and profound way.

In conclusion, Brandy Saturley and Gisa Mayer are two Canadian artists who have captured the beauty and grandeur of the country’s mountains in their paintings. Through their use of color, brushstrokes, and composition, they have created works of art that convey the essence of these majestic landscapes, inviting viewers to experience the awe-inspiring power of Canada’s mountains in a new and profound way.

Mt. Temple, acrylic on canvas, Brandy Saturley and Gisa Mayer

Brandy Saturley is an award-winning painter, photographer, and writer born and living on Vancouver Island. Her widely exhibited “Canadianisms” series, with it’s ‘pop realism’ aesthetic, have garnered the Canadian artist notoriety as the Voice of Canadian Pop Art. Exhibitions in unique corporate venues include; Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, TELUS Convention Centre at Glenbow Museum, Canadian Tire, Canadian Olympic Committee headquarters and on LED billboards in Times Square, NYC. Saturley has contributed articles to ArtInCanada.com, ArtistsInCanada.com, Reader’s Digest Our Canada. Her work was shortlisted for the Olympic Trophy in Sport & Art in 2014. Solo public gallery exhibitions include Gallery @501 Strathcona County and Okotoks Art Gallery. Brandy is an active arts advocate serving as public art juror (City of Saanich), professional development speaker and member of CARFAC Alberta.

Gisa Mayer is a painter born in the Bavarian Alps, known for her fluid brushstrokes creating sweeping mountainscapes. Her post graduate experience includes training in Painting, Art History and a degree in Romance Languages. Her work experience includes the Carolino Augusteum Museum in Salzburg and the Neue Pinakothek in Munich. After working and teaching for many years in Salzburg, she made Calgary her permanent home in 1997, after falling in love with the Rockies. Mayer is represented by Bugera Matheson in Edmonton and Ruberto Ostberg in Calgary. Gisa is an active arts advocate in the Alberta arts community and has served on the board of CARFAC Alberta and is a member of the Leighton Arts Centre. Collected by private and public clients internationally.

January 6, 2021

What is Canadian Pop Art?

Canadian Pop Art

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

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

With Hearts On Our Sleeves – painting by Brandy Saturley 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sincerely Yours

Brandy Saturley (a.k.a #ICONICCANUCK)

November 20, 2020

Quebec loves Brandy Saturley

Corporate Art Collections

Collected in Mont-Royal: Quebec Loves Paintings by Brandy Saturley

For a Canadian Artist, finding an audience among the numerous traditional landscape painters in Canada, is daunting. Quebec collectors love paintings by Brandy Saturley, where the artist has gained an audience, with many works in public and private collections in Mont-Royal and Montreal.

As a painter, to eschew the tradition of landscape painting in Canadian Art and create a new direction by confronting the enormity of the landscape, is a bold undertaking. This new direction means cultivating a new audience, through the creation of a new perspective on landscape painting in Canada. British Columbia based artist, Brandy Saturley, has been cultivating a new audience under the moniker, #iconiccanuck, a title which the artist created for an exhibition in 2013, which has now become a persona and brand of sorts for the work the artist has been producing for over a decade.

Referred to as ‘Pop Canadianisms’, the artist has sold work to provinces across Canada, and often without ever speaking in person or by phone, with her clients. As a full-time self representing artist, Saturley proudly talks about her journey to #iconiccanuck in a documentary film created in 2019.

Saturley is known for painting themes of hockey, along with her love for the Montreal Canadiens hockey club. Perhaps this is why she has gained a loyal following and many collectors in the Mount-Royal area of Quebec. Paintings collected by art collectors in Quebec include; iceberg landscapes, figurative landscapes, hockey landscapes and narrative paintings that celebrate Canadian popular culture, The Montreal Canadiens hockey club and the love of the ODR. (hockey played on the outdoor rink among friends)

Here are five paintings that have been collected by art collectors in Mount-Royal;

Enjoy these paintings? Discover more paintings to love and collect, from Brandy Saturley

September 24, 2020

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