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Painting of Ukrainian Dancers

The Art of Shumka – A Portrait Painting about Ukrainian Dancers

An Edmonton, Alberta collector of my paintings with Ukrainian Canadian roots sends me photos from time to time. Most recently she has been sending me joyful photos of her daughters’ Ukrainian dance group. The group is known as’ ‘Ukrainian Shumka Dancers’ and are the most widely known Ukrainian dance performers in Canada. This is where the story of my most recent painting, a portrait of Ukrainian dancers, begins.

Ukrainian Shumka dance is a traditional Ukrainian folk dance that has been passed down through generations of Ukrainians. The dance is performed by both men and women, and is characterized by its lively and energetic movements, intricate footwork, and colorful costumes. Shumka dance has a rich history that dates back hundreds of years. It was originally performed as a way to celebrate important events in Ukrainian culture, such as weddings, harvest festivals, and religious holidays. Over time, the dance evolved and became more stylized, with various regional variations emerging throughout Ukraine.

Today, shumka dance is still performed at cultural events, festivals, and competitions throughout Ukraine and around the world. It has become an important symbol of Ukrainian identity and heritage, and is cherished by Ukrainians both at home and abroad. One of the defining characteristics of shumka dance is its complex footwork. Dancers wear special shoes with wooden or leather soles that allow them to produce a variety of percussive sounds as they move across the dance floor. The footwork is often fast and intricate, and requires a great deal of skill and practice to master.

In addition to the footwork, shumka dance is also known for its expressive arm and hand movements. Dancers often use their arms and hands to convey emotions and tell stories through their movements, adding an extra layer of meaning and depth to the dance. Finally, the costumes worn by shumka dancers are another important aspect of the dance. Traditional costumes feature bright colors and intricate embroidery, and are often decorated with beads, sequins, and other embellishments. These costumes help to enhance the visual impact of the dance, and also serve as a reminder of Ukraine’s rich cultural heritage.

What I decide to paint in any given time is all about my intuition. Things that are vibrating and drawing my attention, touching something within me, I am a human lighting rod. What influences the work are things seen, heard, touched and tasted. Things that pull at my heart and cause my chest to pound. Perhaps the war in Ukraine and the constant news, but also the voices of my Ukrainian mother and grandmother whispering in my ear. The texts from an art collector who radiates sunshine into the world, who proudly shares photos taken at Shumka Dance performances in Edmonton. The YouTube videos of the dancers and the upbeat polka music. The colours of the costumes and smiling faces, they radiate the essence of Ukrainian culture ad hospitality. All of these things move me, and then I receive one photo that stops me in my tracks with the note, “they came from Ukraine three weeks ago, they just keep going in Ukraine.” The photo (shown below) was radiating beauty, innocence and joy, and the colours and patterns of their cultural costumes seemed to be creating abstract landscapes of Ukraine.

Ukrainian Shumka Dancers in Edmonton, Alberta Canada – photo courtesy Crytes family.

Painting of Ukrainian Dancers

I was particularly taken with the face of the boy in the front center of the group and what his face is communicating. I chose to make him the focal point of my final painting. I used fluorescent gouache for underpainting and finishing details, the paint sets the canvas aglow. Below is a photo of the resulting portrait painting.

Spirit of Ukraine, 36×36, acrylic on canvas, 2023 – Brandy Saturley

Ukraine Strong, 40×30, acrylic on canvas, 2022 – Brandy Saturley

In my paintings of recent I am exploring the relationships between my Ukrainian family, history and influences and my modern-day artist self.

At this time in my life my parents are aging fast, and things are changing daily. My mother who was my earliest mentor in art and life, is now requiring our care. I am feeling the need to take time and connect more deeply to my cultural roots, which includes Ukrainian. My Ukrainian grandmother and grandfather immigrated to Edmonton from the Ukraine and created a restaurant business in Edmonton in the 1940’s. As I begin inheriting pieces from my Ukrainian great-grandmother and grandmother, I am discovering my Ukrainian heritage, woven with arts, crafts, symbols, and stories. I am also affected by war in Ukraine and moved by the stories of the people and the immigrants to Canada. As my career and work as a Canadian Artist continues to ascend, the depth of my work grows with renewed excitement and explorations of my Ukrainian Canadian heritage. In my paintings of recent I am exploring the relationships between my Ukrainian family, history and influences and my modern-day artist self.

Paintings about Ukrainian heritage and culture – Canadian artist Brandy Saturley studio

You can watch the behind the scenes process of making the painting on YouTube here:

In conclusion, Ukrainian shumka dance is a vibrant and energetic folk dance that has played an important role in Ukrainian culture for hundreds of years. Its complex footwork, expressive arm movements, and colorful costumes have helped to make it a beloved symbol of Ukrainian identity and heritage, both at home and abroad. I am looking forward to continuing the exploration of my Ukrainian heritage in my paintings.

Canadian Artist Brandy Saturley with her painting about Ukrainian Shumka dancers, 2023

May 1, 2023

Aurora Stories Virtual Exhibition

Art Show

Virtual Art Exhibition – Aurora Stories by Brandy Saturley

Aurora Stories is now open, this virtual art exhibition is accessible worldwide and runs 24 hours daily until May 12, 2023. Featuring over 25 paintings from the artist’s oeuvre created over the past 17 years, that reference the Aurora Borealis.

Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, is a natural phenomenon that has captivated human beings for centuries. This stunning light show is caused by the interaction between the Earth’s magnetic field and solar winds, resulting in shimmering curtains of green, pink, purple, and blue light in the night sky. The Aurora Borealis holds immense cultural significance for many indigenous communities around the world, including the Sami people of Scandinavia, the Inuit of Canada, and the Yupik of Alaska. For these cultures, the Northern Lights are considered a spiritual and mystical experience, representing the presence of ancestors and spirits.

Ahead of Their Time – original acrylic on canvas painting about shape-shifting under the Aurora Borealis.

The aurora is rich with spiritual traditions, with most involving the spirits of the departed. The Canadian Inuit believe that souls of the dead dance in the aurora. Sometimes the spirits are carrying torches to guide those still in this world. The Inuit call the aurora ‘aksarnirq’.

Over the last 17 years of traveling Canada and making art influenced by these travels, I have found myself exploring stories of the mystical Aurora in my paintings many times. These are otherworldly, spiritual, and symbolic paintings executed with a ‘collage-like’ style of placing objects and figures in settings where they exist in the same landscape. These visual stories incorporate northern animals such polar bear and elk, and scenes of humans playing hockey under the dancing colours and light. In one painting your see a portrait that features a metamorphosis and shape-shifting between women, in others you see humans enjoying celebrations of this magical event. These paintings offer surreal stories that are magical and transcendent.

Aurora Stories – virtual art exhibition featuring paintings inspired by the Aurora Borealis

This is my first virtual exhibition for 2023, something I began experimenting with well before the pandemic and something that served my art practice well during the pandemic as it allows people all over the world the opportunity to enjoy an art exhibition, from wherever they live, all that is required is an Internet connection.

You are invited to view ‘Aurora Stories’ now.

Aurora Stories – install view of virtual art exhibition

See more paintings by Brandy Saturley.

Canadian Artist Brandy Saturley working on a painting about our relationship with polar bears, in her Vancouver Island studio.

BIO: Brandy Saturley is an acclaimed Canadian contemporary painter and multidisciplinary visual artist known for her striking and colorful depictions of Canadian landscapes, cultural icons, peoples, wildlife, and sports figures. An internationally exhibited Canadian Artist, Brandy Saturley’s paintings have garnered the Victoria, BC born painter notoriety as ‘the Voice of Canadian Pop Art’.

Dochka Rising: original painting by Contemporary Canadian Painter, Brandy Saturley

Learn more about this Canadian Artist here.

April 25, 2023

Painting with Lawren Harris

Art Career, Artist Process

Painting with Lawren Harris – putting myself in the forefront

Lawren Harris is considered one of Canada’s most prominent painters of the 20th century, known for his distinctive style that captures the essence of the Canadian landscape. I am a contemporary Canadian painter, and one of the many artists who have been inspired by Harris’s work. I have created a number of paintings, that pay homage to Harris’s artistic legacy and also make a statement about putting Canadian women artists in the forefront. These pieces are about representation, inclusion and achievement in the Canadian Art world. I am painting with Lawren Harris.

I want to talk about four paintings I have created that reference Harris’s ‘Baffin Island (1931), ‘North Shore, Lake Superior’ (1926), ‘Mountain Forms (1926) and ‘Sun and Earth’ (1945), respectively. In these works, Harris depicted the rugged and majestic Canadian landscape in a stylized, almost abstract way. Using bold colors and geometric shapes to create a sense of the landscape’s essence. My paintings similarly capture the essence of the Canadian landscape, but with their own unique style and perspective.

My use of bright, bold colors and geometric shapes is reminiscent of Harris’s style. I also add my own personal touch by including myself in the forefront of the painting, along with other elements and symbols that represent contemporary Canadian culture. I have spoken about the influence of Harris on my work, his paintings have inspired me to explore and depict the Canadian landscape in my own way. I have also spoken about the importance of paying homage to Harris and other Canadian artists who have paved the way for contemporary painters in Canada.

I have taken inspiration from Harris’s distinctive style and used it to create my own unique vision of the Canadian landscape and culture, while also paying homage to Harris’s legacy. Through my work, I am adding to the rich and diverse tapestry of Canadian art, continuing the tradition of artistic exploration and innovation that Harris helped to establish.

Here I will discuss these four paintings by Lawren Harris, and how they influenced my comment on the current culture and conversations in Canada.

Let Your Backbone Rise, 2016 – Brandy Saturley

This was the first painting where I used a painting by Lawren Harris as reference for the background of the painting. The background shows a segment of the painting, Baffin Island, painted by Harris in 1931. My career at this time was rising as I had just booked two public gallery solo exhibitions in the province of Alberta, the shows were retrospective shows of my paintings about Canadian culture and landscapes over a period of five years. I have painted myself into the painting wearing my red military style coat and wearing my the white gloves usually associated with handling artwork. My hair gathered into a formal french twist, facing the landscape boldly with arms raised. Running down the outside of the back of my coat a backbone is visible with vertebrae running outside the coat and over the spinal area of my back. I am definitely making a statement about the time in Canada, and my time as a rising woman on the Canadian art scene.

Baffin Island, 1931 – Lawren Harris

“I paint myself into these paintings because I suppose I am looking for myself in the world.”

With Hearts on Our Sleeves, 2017 – Brandy Saturley

The second painting I created with a Lawren Harris reference features a self portrait facing the viewer. The background of the piece features an abstract snippet from the Harris painting, ‘North Shore, Lake Superior’ from 1926. In this painting the ‘God’s rays’ of light through the clouds put the focus on the figure in the foreground. The year is 2017 and I made this painting while my public gallery retrospectives were moving from a gallery in Edmonton to a gallery in Calgary. In the self-portrait I am wearing a Hudson’s Bay toque and a plaid shirt (the symbol of the blue collar Canadian worker) The shirt features a heart sewn on the sleeve, with sleeves unrolled and folded backwards I am making a fist. Here I am channeling ‘Rosie the Riveter’ in my pose and gaze, though I am holding my fist tightly with head tilted down like a prize fighter.

North Shore Lake Superior, 1926 – Lawren Harris

“What Harris did in painting this mountain and it subsequently selling for millions is make it possible for someone to acquire and carry this landscape wherever they roam.”

A Landscape To Go, 2017 – Brandy Saturley

The third painting with Lawren Harris is a little different. Rather than placing myself in the foreground and Harris in the background, I have placed myself in the background and I have extracated the most famous Harris landscape in the foreground. ‘Mountain Forms’ painted in 1926 became the most expensive Canadian artwork ever to sell at auction in 2016 for a whopping $11.21 million. Mountain Forms, is a renowned painting of Alberta’s Mount Ishbel in the Sawback Range of the Rocky Mountains in Banff National Park. In the painting I am holding the painting in cupped hands as I examine it closely, again dressed in my military style red coat. The lake below the mountain runs off my hand. I am examining the landscape, holding it in my hands. When you are in the Rocky Mountains of Canada you are dwarfed by the gargantuan size of these mountains. What Harris did in painting this mountain and it subsequently selling for millions is make it possible for someone to acquire and carry this landscape wherever they roam. I was also thinking about how many hands this painting has moved from during it’s time on Earth. An examination of the Canadian art market, and injecting myself into the conversation.

Mountain Forms, 1926 – Lawren Harris

“As I begin inheriting pieces from my Ukrainian grandmother I am finding that I too have culture, woven with arts, crafts, symbols and stories.”

Dochka Rising, 2023 – Brandy Saturley

With this fourth and most recent painting the Lawren Harris painting and period I chose to reference is from his abstract period. ‘Sun and Earth’ painted in 1945 features simplified forms of sunrise and mountains. Again I have put myself in the foreground, only this time I am looking up casting my gaze upwards. My face is dressed in shadows casting stripes across my face and hair. On the lower portion of hair you see symbols and pattern from weaving my Ukrainian grandmother made, passed down to me by my mother. At this time in my life my parents are aging fast and things are changing daily. My mother who was my earliest mentor in art and life, is now requiring our care. I am feeling the need to take time and connect more deeply to my cultural roots, which includes Ukrainian, British and Canadian. Growing up in Sooke on Vancouver Island I spent time with Indigenous friends and family members. I always felt that those with Indigenous heritage were lucky, they seemed to have a real connection to their culture and cultural stories, that I did not feel to my cultural heritage. Growing up in Canada I felt like I had no culture, and now as an adult I realize I do, and this realization has come from watching and learning from our Indigenous cousins. As I begin inheriting pieces from my Ukrainian grandmother I am finding that I too have culture, woven with arts, crafts, symbols and stories. I am also affected by war in Ukraine and moved by the stories of the people and the immigrants to Canada. As my career and work as a Canadian Artist continues to ascend, the depth of my work grows with renewed excitement and explorations across Canada.

Sun and Earth, 1945 – Lawren Harris

“in a way I feel like I am having a conversation with Harris even though he passed before I was born.”

Lawren S. Harris Self-Portrait, 1932

Lawren Harris and Brandy Saturley are contemporaries painting in different times, in a way I feel like I am having a conversation with Harris even though he passed before I was born. Harris is known for his landscapes that showcase his love for the Canadian wilderness, while my paintings are more focused on the exploration of identity and culture. While we both use painting as a means of expression, our works are vastly different in terms of style, theme, and technique.

Harris’ works are characterized by sharp, clean lines, bold colors, and a geometric approach to composition. His paintings are heavily influenced by his interest in theosophy, a spiritual movement that sought to find universal truth through intuition and mysticism. His work is often described as “spiritual,” with the landscapes he painted appearing otherworldly, with a sense of transcendence.

On the other hand, my paintings are more fluid and organic, with a focus on the human form and its relationship to culture and identity. My work is often marked by vivid colors and layered brushwork, giving my paintings a dynamic and almost tactile quality. I often explore themes of gender, ethnicity, and national identity, with a focus on the social and cultural dynamics that shape our understanding of ourselves and others.

While both artists are celebrated for their distinct styles and contributions to Canadian art, their work represents very different approaches to the medium of painting. Harris’ landscapes are an exploration of the natural world, while my paintings are a celebration of colour, human culture and diversity. However, despite their differences, I believe both of us share a deep love of our country and its people, and our work continues to inspire and engage audiences around the world.

March 31, 2023

Modern Autodidact I AM

Advice for Artists, Art Career

Becoming a professional Artist – A Modern Autodidact I AM

Canadian Artist Brandy Saturley in studio 2022.

There have been a few stories made about how I became the professional Artist I am today. A modern autodidact I am, self-taught in most areas of Art and the business of representing myself as an independent Canadian artist. My learning has always been hands on, through doing a bit of the thing I wanted to learn about, something that would help me evolve as an Artist and realize a professional level career in the Arts. Along the way I have signed on for short programs in educational Art institutions, but I have no BFA or MFA or PhD, and it has not stopped me from succeeding as an Artist on all levels. From public and commercial galleries to selling my work online through my website. Creating public art, licensing my artwork and custom art commissions. From presenting artist talks, art fairs, and writing articles and interviewing other artists, to developing my own website and network of associates and suppliers. Producing art publications and process videos, to making art on location in self-directed and awarded residencies. I am a professional Canadian artist creating in ALL realms of the Art business in Canada and beyond.

Brandy Saturley and mother in Sooke News Mirror 1972

When did you become an Artist?

The question I get most often from young artists and future collectors is, when did I become an Artist? To really answer this question I have to go back to childhood and growing up with an artist mother, who was influenced by her artist mother. Who we are early on has much to do with who and what we grow up around, and my mom was always making things with me, mostly drawing painting, and crafting. I knew what I liked most at an early age and that was creating my own world from a solitary space. I enjoyed magazines, music, films, the outdoors and making art in the midst of all these influences. I learned from glossy advertising in Vogue magazine, and listened to the Beatles, Billie Holiday, Herb Alpert and the hard rock of AC/DC. I read the European Newspaper and wrote to pen pals in London, England. I grew up in a very small town on a large island, on the western-most tip of Canada. I had a hunger for information about the places, people and cities of the world.

In my senior years of high school I connected intensely with two influential educators, one was my History teacher and one my Art teacher. They both encouraged and influenced my path of the coming years. I knew I wanted to pursue an art career somehow, but found it hard committing to a formal education, largely because I did not have the means. Instead I took shorter courses in Visual Arts and filmmaking giving me a few years of educational appetizers in these areas. Art History, 2D, 3D, pottery, graphic design and filmmaking (from camera to scriptwriting) Three years of education offering a sampling and just enough experience in these areas. During film school I attended a talk by the Oscar winning Director of Photography for Close Encounters of The Third Kind, Vilmos Szigmond. I was captivated by his talk and found myself finishing the program and working in the Victoria and Vancouver film industry for a short couple years.

I left film as a career behind, though to this day I consume cinema just as voraciously as I did when I was younger. I made the decision that painting and photography were the things for me. I continued making Art part-time, as I worked full-time jobs in businesses that would teach me skills that could be useful down the line. During this time I moved from job to job as I learned new skills, each time working my way up until I had nowhere to go (in my mind) but move on to a new job. I worked in real estate sales, interior design retail (tile and natural stone) publishing (advertising coordinator + proofreader) and then I found myself wanting to learn more about computers, during the dot-com boom.

A Modern Autodidact I AM

As I was working these full-time *jobs* I was making Art in the evenings and on weekends. Art was keeping me interested in life. I met someone who was working for an Internet Service Provider

Paintings by Brandy Saturley at Victoria Premium Automobiles

and he would talk about all the exciting things going on with the Internet and websites. It was 1999 and I did not own a computer. Most people I know had one and worked on one, and I decided it was time for me to find out more about this Internet thing. I opened the phone book to the yellow pages, where all the businesses advertise. I flipped to the Internet service provider section and we had four at the time in Victoria, BC. I found the one with the biggest advertisement, which was a double page spread, and I called the number and asked for the manager. Of course the manager was not available, but I left a message and waited a couple days. I then called again, and left another message. I waited a few more days and called again, this time I got through to the manager directly and we had a quick chat and he told me to stop by with my resume. Keep in mind I had NO computer experience and wanted to sell dial-up Internet to people. A couple interviews later I found myself with a job in the Internet business and I had to learn very quickly. I was hired to work sales and customer service in person and over the phone.

My manager at the ISP was creating his own website and learning to write html to create his website. I asked if he could teach me, and he obliged. I began learning how to write html to create my own webpage, instead of eating lunch. In 2020, I created my first website and I posted some of my artwork on that page. This was before Facebook and even MySpace (which I became an early adopter of as an artist) I think if we were to look at our lives in ‘Internet’ years, it would be more than dog years. I finally got a home computer a year after starting my Internet job. I worked with the ISP for two years, the longest non-Art job I held. I learned so much here; from dial-up to fibre connections and html to domains.

Strathcona County Gallery @501

Fast-forward to Full-Time Artist

The modern autodidact in me found a way to write a business plan for being a fulltime artist, the artist in me found a way to sell my art to a patron who became an investor in my passion and dream. In 2007, I left my day job to pursue my Art with full intensity, energy and from this autodidact approach. Really the self-taught life is the Artist life, it is the true way of the Artist. The thing that makes the title Artist a profession and not a hobby is, I run it like a business and my artwork supports my life. Artist is my full-time career. What also makes me a ‘professional Artist’ is the way in which I pay attention to all the details of the artmaking process; from making the work, to finishing the canvasses that will hang in galleries, museums, and private collections. What I learned in all my jobs over the years provided me with a degree in being a professional self-representing Artist. From managing my website, to writing this blog, I taught myself to do it all. I have also relied on the expertise of others, to help get me where I am. Through sharing skills and supporting one another, I have been very fortunate to make money while I was learning the skills I needed for this career. Now when I look back on the business plan, in many ways it was laughable, as with this career it is ever changing like the ocean tides. Being a professional artist is like being a professional surfer. Sometimes you get the good one (wave) and other times the water is flat. In this profession you have to be ready enough to know how to spot those waves and ride them to the shore. You have to be open, honest and focused on your ride. Over the years I have moved to task lists, goal lists and idea lists to keep me moving between waves.

But you can’t rely on Internet alone

Okotoks Art Gallery

The other part of my autodidact adventures was getting out there in front of people and the Art itself. I have used the Internet to reach out to those people and places I wanted to go to expand my career and learning in the Arts. I wanted to learn more about what the commercial galleries, museums and artist-run centers of Canada were doing and I travel across Canada every chance I get. In the early days of my career it was to see art and meet people working in the Arts. I flew out to Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Toronto to connect with mentor artists (Andrew Valko, Charles Pachter, Gordon Milne, Robert Genn, Chris Cran) who had built great careers in the Arts. I did studio visits, interviewed artists for blog and magazine articles I would write. My first solo show was presented by Visual Arts Alberta (now CARFAC Alberta) at the end of 2013, this is when #ICONICCANUCK was born. As my paintings about Canadian culture, icons and landscapes developed I began to travel the country more often. Then in 2016 when I was preparing for my 2017 solo shows, I traveled across the country and up into the Northern Territories to make art and capture these places through photography and video, returning home to write about my experiences and make paintings. In 2017 I was invited to present solo shows of my ‘Pop Canadianisms’ at Strathcona County Gallery @501 in Edmonton and The Okotoks Art Gallery in Calgary.

In 2019, I found myself on a new type of adventure as I continued my contemporary art education at the Royal College of Art in London, England – at the time the #1 post-graduate arts institution in the world. A place that David Hockney spent some of his education in Art.

I pushed myself to collaborate with the public through my ‘People of Canada Portrait Project’ and through a painting collaboration with an artist in Calgary, Alberta. I created the first artist in residence at Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, painting on site at the museum.

Brandy Saturley at Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity

In 2021 I joined the artist roster at Adele Campbell Fine Art, a fine art gallery in Whistler, Canada. My first foray into having a gallery represent my work. In 2022, I was invited to do a residency in the Leighton Studios at The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity through the Paul D. Fleck Fellowships in the Arts Endowment. I joined my second commercial gallery, this time in Banff, Canada with Willock & Sax.

This year I have been invited to the Pouch Cove Foundation residency in Newfoundland and will be spending a month this fall creating on the very eastern tip of Canada.

I have sold and exhibited my work across Canada, in the USA and London, England.

These are just of few of the highlights from a now 17 year career as a full-time professional artist.

In conclusion, being a modern autodidact has offered me the adventure of a lifetime and a life lived in Art, that is Art itself. Being a professional artist in this day and age, means being prepared for those waves when they come in. I wouldn’t change a thing, here’s to the continuing journey. See all my artwork on my website.

Sincerely Yours,

Brandy Saturley a.k.a #ICONICCANUCK

#ICONICCANUCK at #HAPPYWALL in Edmonton, Alberta

March 13, 2023

Ahead of Their Time

Artist Process, New Paintings

By Centuries: Artist’s Ahead of Their Time

There are numerous articles and books that talk about Artist’s ahead of their time. Perhaps the most famous painter described as being ahead of their time is Van Gogh. Over the centuries there have been many, who were painting about the culture of the time and their thoughts. So while they were painting what they were living, they were in many ways addressing internal thoughts about the future.

As I continue to explore themes about contemporary Canadian culture and my journey as a Canadian Artist, I find myself intuitively addressing questions that are currently on my mind, through my art. Right now I find myself on a path of painting figurative works about Canada, set against vivid backdrops of shadow, light and saturated colour. With my first few paintings this year, I find myself romanced by outdoor skating on frozen ponds and lakes. I am listening to a soundtrack filled with poetic lyrics that project images of joy and appreciation for life. These sounds are colourful, haunting and even romantic. From Joni Mitchell looking for a river to skate away on, to the Tragically Hip who are ahead by a century, the soundtrack flowing in the studio is important to the flow of my paintbrush.

My hope in posting this article is to share a little behind the scenes experience into how I work in the studio and how this new painting came to live. I carry a large cotton duck canvas of five feet high by four feet wide down to my studio and I begin to sketch out the idea I’ve been developing. A painting about two women, becoming one. One Inuit woman wrapped in a Hudson’s Bay Eight Point Scarlett blanket, and one Caucasian woman wearing a red parka with furry white trim. The backdrop will be Northern Lights (aurora borealis) and the night sky filled with stars, some shooting and some larger than life. One woman with the ear of a wolf and one the antler of a stag deer. Together these two women will appear to be shapeshifting and becoming one under the Aurora night sky. It is a magical, spiritual and futuristic story about friendship and common ground. This painting tells stories of how life should be for all Canadians, and this painting speaks of sisterhood and equality.

While I begin with an initial rough sketch on canvas, I move on quickly to laying down an underpainting through colour blocking in neon hues.

My palette becomes a furious abstract painting and evidence of an artist busy painting.

Once I have laid down all the underlying colours I move on to painting out the background, blending on the canvas as I go and this leads me to a question, do I want more texture in this painting? and the answer is, yes.

After the first few days I take the canvas and lay it flat on my studio floor, I begin applying dots of paint through pouring paint in a loose pattern to the background sky of the piece, then the piece has to dry overnight and harden before I can begin the second day of painting. I do this numerous times, and create dots of varying sizes, each by hand, painting over each layer as I work.

I move the painting to my crank easel so that I can work more finely on details in the lower portion of the canvas, thankfully I have numerous easels and lots of space in my studio so that I can work on this canvas from multiple vantage points and orientations.

Detailing the hair and face in this painting, because my style of working is very much influenced by realism but also pop art. An idealized portrait, and some might refer to it as magic realism. I refer to my style as ‘Canadian Pop Realism’.

Once the details are done and I feel like the journey of this painting has come to an end, I sit back and take long looks at the piece, contemplating it’s story and overall balance. There has to be ‘a flow’ in the composition, the eye must move around and then land somewhere in the centre of those faces, they are the focal point of this piece.

Once I am finished the front of the painting, the edges get their treatment of texture and colour to compliment the piece.

Ahead by Centuries, acrylic and gouache on canvas, 60″h x 48″ w, 2023, Brandy Saturley

A painting that perhaps in it’s time, may be ahead of it’s time. See more visual stories on canvas by Brandy Saturley here.

February 7, 2023

2022 in Review

Art Career

Artist Flourishing: 2022 in Review

As the end of 2022 approaches and many are writing their year in review lists, I too am looking back at a prolific, venturesome and prosperous year making art in Canada. In any good year I find myself making between 25 and 30 new paintings, this year with all that was on my schedule I would have been happy with 15 new paintings, and as I look back at the year I realize I made 34 new paintings ) 37 if you count the studies that never ended up becoming final works. The year included travel and art making in Maui, Hawaii and Banff, Alberta. Two contrasting climates offering fertile beauty and impressions that will feed hundreds of paintings to come. At the end of each year I prepare for the next with a solid outline of what I plan to accomplish as well as big audacious hopes and dreams. This annual review and plan for the coming year offers balance as I focus on production of new work, art shows, and art sales. It can be challenging to balance artist brain with financial brain, but it is essential in moving to each next level with my art career. Being a successful Canadian artist carries responsibility as success is earned and the rent is due every every single day. Here are some highlights from a year I will call ‘Flourishing’. Cheers to 2023!

January – began with new paintings that were off-the-cuff as I challenged myself to make art in the moment and without the usual photo reference. These paintings offered very abstract backgrounds using shape and intense colour to communicate the landscapes that the central characters would inhabit.

Modern Canadian Elk: painting of an Elk on a Northern Lights inspired background

February – continuing on my path of exploring Canadian culture I found myself entranced with Nanaimo Bars on Valentines Day

On Top of Nanaimo Bars: a figure skater perched a top a tower of delicious desserts made in Canada

March – a few more paintings including two showstoppers featuring red canoes

Brandy Saturley in her Victoria BC studio with two canoe paintings, March 2022

March also included a trip to Vancouver to deliver art and see Yoko Ono: Growing Freedom at Vancouver Art Gallery

Growing Freedom: the instructions of Yoko Ono, the Art of John and Yoko

April – new self-portrait for my ‘Pop Canadianisms’ series – solidarity with our Ukrainian friends

Portrait Painting of a Ukrainian Canadian Artist

May – mindful of our Alberta cousins and Indigenous relations

Painting of Blackfoot tribal chief next to red canoe at Lake Louise, Alberta

June – all about Maui, Hawaii – a beauteous place to fill my eyes, nose, ears and brain

Canadian Artist Brandy Saturley at HUI NO’EAU VISUAL ARTS CENTER

Painting inspired by Maui Hawaii residency.

July – Sooke Fine Arts show, Sooke BC Canada

Ukraine Strong, acrylic painting on canvas, 2022 – Brandy Saturley

August – Society of Canadian Artists 54th Annual Exhibition in Toronto, Canada

Society of Canadian Artists 54th International Open Exhibition Features Portrait by Brandy Saturley

September – photography and preparations for the annual art magazine/catalogue

Canadian Artist Brandy Saturley in studio with some of the paintings created in 2022

October – with the passing of Queen Elizabeth II – two paintings honoring Britain and the monarch

Painting of Queen Elizabeth II by Brandy Saturley, 2022

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

Annual art catalogue is completed and printed.

Modern Canadian Pop Mythos – 2022 art catalogue Brandy Saturley

November – bound for Banff, Alberta two week painting residency at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity

In Banff, Alberta at Lake Minnewanka

Thom Studio at Banff Centre – Brandy Saturley Canadian Artist

Brandy Saturley in Thom Studio at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, November 2022

Brandy Saturley with final paintings created at Banff Centre residency 2022

December – Art of Winter at Adele Campbell Fine Art

Brandy Saturley northern portrait – part of Art of Winter group show at Adele Campbell Fine Art

December – the Art of Brandy Saturley now represented by Willock & Sax in Banff, Alberta

The Art of Brandy Saturley – now on view at Willock and Sax Gallery in Banff, Alberta

December – Brandy Saturley awarded residency in Pouch Cove, Newfoundland at Pouch Cove Foundation artist work/live studios

Pouch Cove Foundation artist residency in Newfoundland, Canada.

See more paintings created by Brandy Saturley in 2022.

December 27, 2022

Top 10 Best Paintings 2022

Art For Sale

Top 10 Best Paintings 2022 – Art in Canada

Every year we review the top 10 paintings of the year, highlighting the best artworks created by Brandy Saturley. This year was a year filled with figurative paintings reflecting Canadian culture, landscapes, outdoor pastimes and icons. There were many portraits painted in 2022, northern skies, wildlife and paintings with canoes. With realistic foregrounds and focal points, set against vividly vibrating abstract backgrounds of form and colour. These modern pop art style paintings, sometimes feature kitschy elements of Canadian culture. With hard edged compositions and representational elements, these paintings tell visual stories of the subjects contained within. Please enjoy these top 10 best paintings created in 2022.

Imagine Canoe: A spiritual landscape at Lake Louise. A Blackfoot tribal chief in regalia and headdress stands at the head vantage point of Lake Louise, towards the glacier. A canoe of red with name inscribed ‘Imagine’. A stack of rocks that resembles a person in the foreground, another red canoe in the distance. Two eagles fly high in the sky above the vortex point of the glacier. The lake is depicted in summer, with tropical turquoise colours and uncovered mountains and trees. Imagine Lake Louise, imagine Peace.

Imagine Canoe, original acrylic painting on canvas, 48×60, 2022 – Brandy Saturley

Golden Hour in The Heart of Canoeland: Two scarlet red canoes meet at sunset, on a lake in Canada. In the distance two snow peaked mountain ranges, and a swoosh of clouds. The tree line bordering the lake sparkles with shades of emerald and lime green. Reflections on a perfect moment shared in nature. Perhaps a skinny dip? where are those canoe lovers.

Canoeland, original acrylic on canvas, 36×60, 2022 – Brandy Saturley

Wanderlust: A family carry a canoe named ‘Wanderlust’ a grand portage across dried creek beds to a lake. On top of the canoe a polar bear and a snow goose accept the offer of carriage to a cooler locale. As with many of my polar bear pieces they are joyful visual stories but also carry deeper more serious meaning.

Wanderlust, original acrylic on canvas, 36×60, 2022 – Brandy Saturley

Dreaming Under Northern Lights: Crisp northern air, standing under the aurora borealis. A girl in a fur trimmed parka gazes up at the northern sky and watches the dance of light. Dreaming under the night sky and the magical dance of the Northern lights.

Dreaming Under Northern Lights, original acrylic on canvas, 36×36, 2022 – Brandy Saturley

Modern Canadian Elk: A mystical elk. A dreamy modern pop art take on a Canadian nature paint. Can you feel the spirit of the elk? Abstract forms an colour, along with a Northern lights sky create a dreamy scene.

Modern Canadian Elk, original acrylic on canvas, 36×36, 2022 – Brandy Saturley

On Top of Nanaimo Bars: all covered in winter. A figure skater wearing a toque and red sweater, blowing a bubble is perched on top of a stack of Nanaimo bars, with Candy colours below. She holds a string of ice that flows into a vase or vessel, from which daffodil flowers burst. An icy lake and bridge behind with sky of violet blue peering through the trees. Painted around the time of the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games. A dreamy confectionary Canadian landscape.

On Top of Nanaimo Bars, original acrylic on canvas, 40×30, 2022 – Brandy Saturley

Surfing Rainbows: A west coast beach under dramatic skies of golden hour, post rain shower and rainbow. Surfers and beachcombers explore the beach, looking for the next wave or beach treasure. Symbolic of a west coast Vancouver Island day on the beaches of Tofino.

Surfing Rainbows, original acrylic on canvas, 30×48, 2022 – Brandy Saturley

A Handful of Polar Bear: This little handful of fluffy white polar bear, sleeping silently, is surrounded by modern flora and fauna. He is perched in a dreamy slumber, on a bed of ice and has a tiny heart in his paw. Has almost an art deco feel – pop art deco.

Handful of Polar Bear, original acrylic on canvas, 48×36, 2022 – Brandy Saturley

Ukraine Strong: Portrait of the artist in Ukrainian headdress, honouring her heritage and in support of Ukraine. She wears a blue collar flannel of red and black check, the quintessential Canadian business shirt. A Canadian Ukrainian with a pysanka egg of Ukraine flag yellow and blue resting between bicep and forearm. Against a background of wheat fields and blue sky.

Ukraine Strong, original acrylic on canvas, 40×30, 2022 – Brandy Saturley

Royal Gaze: “It has been women who have breathed gentleness and care into the harsh progress of mankind.”
Painted during the month of Queen Elizabeth II passing and funeral. I wanted to honour The Queen in a portrait that captured her gaze, her warmth and her strength. This painting of The Queen features an undulating Union Jack flag in the background, her majesty is wearing the Diamond Diadem crown.

Royal Gaze, original acrylic on canvas, 48×36, 2022 – Brandy Saturley

There you have it, our top 10 picks for best paintings of 2022 by Canadian Artist, Brandy Saturley. See more artworks by this Canadian painter here. You can also purchase the annual art catalogue featuring these works and more.

November 2, 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

Journey of Art

Artist Process

The Journey of Art: creating an oversized contemporary Canadian landscape painting

How long does it take an artist to create an oversized contemporary painting of the Canadian landscape? It is not an easy question to answer, especially when a painting unfolds during a transitional period in the world. This painting of the iconic Princess Louisa Inlet began after an artist journey to London, England. The painting was created in the last few months of 2019 on loose un-finished cotton canvas duck. The piece appeared in a short documentary film and then went into storage until 2020. Then COVID took over the world and the artist turned her focus back to her work at hand, painting her visual stories of Canada. As the world came to level out again, an opportunity to stretch and finish the canvas for sale. Really GREAT ART, takes time, and a pandemic delivered this gift of time. Chronicling the journey of art, a behind the scenes recap.

Initial painting of the Landscape on un-stretched cotton duck canvas.

Stretching the canvas at Presentation Framing in Sidney, BC

Now that the painting is stretched to it’s final size, it asks for more details, it is not quite finished yet. A red canoe, a new sky, and some added details throughout.

Viewing the painting in the golden light outside, partially due to BC Forest fires and a hazy sky.

Another look in the light after a UV protective varnish is applied.

Temporary hang on wall to sign, examine, and prepare for final documentation of the painting through photography.

Final photo of the piece and installation example. This piece needs a large feature wall in a home or in a corporate office or hotel lobby.

This is the journey of Art and it takes time to create a lasting visual story on canvas. This piece is both contemporary but also has a modern art feel in it’s execution. Experimenting with brush strokes and the actual staining of this canvas in order to produce soft background effects. While the piece is a bit of a departure from my more figurative works, I still managed to retain my ‘pop art style’ and palette. This piece certainly reflects my affinity for Canadian landscapes and the iconic red canoe, which acts as the focal point of the piece. It is a gem that deserves a great big feature wall.

See more detailed photos of this painting.

August 19, 2021

Best Paintings 2020

Canadian Pop Art, The Year in Art

Best Paintings of 2020 – My Top Nine in Art

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

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

9. Sunday Sailboats

8. Long and Winding Road

7. Stitched in Canada

6. Contemplating Romance

5. Please Stand By

4. Golden Souls of Salt & Wheat

3. The Barn

2. West Coast Solitudes

1. Spirit of Remembrance

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

Sincerely Yours,

Brandy Saturley

December 28, 2020