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The Creative Process

Where Ideas Come From and The Creative Process

Have you ever wondered where a painting begins for an Artist? Ideas come from all over the place, and filter through our aural and visual channels as well as through taste and touch. For me, the idea comes long before my brush ever hits the canvas and the creative process that leads to a finished painting, from inception of an idea to fruition, can be immediate, but more often ruminates and grows for a long time before taking flight.

The Creative Process

Saturley at work on the beaches in Chance Cove, Newfoundland – photo: Penny Rogers

This first painting of 2024 has me coming off an October experience making paintings in Newfoundland. While I was in Newfoundland I captured thousands of photos and videos of my days in and outside of the studio, this is where ideas begin for me, in capturing the details of the experiences I am having through the medium of photography.

The Creative Process

My paintings are often a compilation of ideas, objects and moments, all collaged into one visual story, which I then render on the canvas and in this case a lovely wood panel. The beauty of painting on wood panel is the grain and texture and softness of the surface. Rather than the weave of a canvas and microscopic bumps it creates, wood panel is smooth and flat and without texture, unless you paint on un-primed raw panel and let the wood become saturated with an underpainting of neon gouache, which is what I have been experimenting with lately. It’s chalky, even pastel-like, but with the ease of paint on brush. I love the softness and the grain.

The Creative process

Ferry to Bell Island, Newfoundland, Canada – photo: Brandy Saturley

Ferry rides, a common thread in my life as a Vancouver Islander and a newfound ‘Come From Away’ to Newfoundland, serve as a timeless muse. ‘Island Time’ is a homage to the ebb and flow of these journeys, where every ferry ride unfolds a new chapter waiting to be captured. The photos that shaped this piece encapsulate the essence of ‘Island Time,’ a term resonating with the rhythm of nature, where the mainland’s hurried pace surrenders to the tranquil embrace of a more unhurried existence.

Geological wonders of Newfoundland, Canada – photo: Brandy Saturley

The Creative Process – I’m on Island Time

The photos above, influenced this new piece titled, ‘Island Time’ a term that we use here often as the mainland moves at a much faster pace, and we like to enjoy the flow of nature.

Brandy Saturley working in her studio on Vancouver Island, January 2024

This painting on wood panel captures a moment of serene introspection as a woman stands by a window on a ferry, gazing out into the vast expanse of the ocean. The soft hues of the sunset cast a warm glow on her face, creating a contemplative atmosphere. In a surreal twist, a mesmerizing rock hovers gracefully above her head, defying gravity. The juxtaposition of the ordinary scene with the fantastical element evokes a sense of timelessness and mystery. This painting invites viewers to immerse themselves in the tranquility of the sea journey and embrace the surreal beauty of the moment, where the ordinary meets the extraordinary.

The Creative Process

Island Time – original acrylic and oil painting on wood panel, 2024 – Brandy Saturley

Learn more about this original painting here.

Peace Love Canada
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Painting Peace, Love, and Canada

The inspiration for this painting, Peace, Love, Canada, was sparked by the rise of #ICONICCANUCK on social media. Back in 2013, I launched my Instagram page just before embarking on my inaugural solo exhibition at Edmonton’s Gallery A, which was then part of Visual Arts Alberta. The hashtag #ICONICCANUCK ignited a frenzy of engagement with my Canadian-themed artworks. Amid the whirlwind of activity, I found little time to engage in lengthy written responses to comments. Instead, I opted to communicate through imagery, a mode of expression that resonates deeply with my artistic sensibilities.

Peace Love Canada

Chair of Contemplation, September 2023, Brandy Saturley

“Take everything as it comes; the wave passes, deal with the next one. ~ Tom Thomson

In response, I would respond using three distinct emojis: the iconic peace symbol fingers, a vibrant red heart, and the unmistakable Canadian flag. These visual responses allowed me to convey my sentiments succinctly and artistically. The idea of transforming these emojis into a tangible painting had been brewing in my mind for quite some time. Now, as I prepare to embark on a journey to a painting residency in Newfoundland, I find myself reflecting on the extensive travels I’ve undertaken across this magnificent country over the past decade, as well as drawing inspiration from the legendary landscape painter Tom Thomson.

Painted in acrylics and gouache on canvas, this distinctively ‘Canadian pop art style’ painting was created using hard edged strokes, layering of cobalt, ultramarine and Payne’s grey with hints of cobalt violet, blue-green and hints of a peach toned linen. The piece was painted to appear as if the linen canvas below is showing through and the edges unfinished, when in fact it is just the way the paint has been applied.

Drawing upon the essence of Tom Thomson’s masterpiece, ‘Summer Day,’ I present to you ‘Peace, Love, Canada.’

Peace Love Canada

Peace, Love, Canada – original acrylic painting on canvas, 2023, Brandy Saturley

Music’s Role In Art

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The Artist’s Process: Music’s Role in my Art Making

For over two decades now, music has been my constant companion in both painting and writing. As an artist, music has been the unswerving force that propels me through the creative process. Music’s Role in my Art is significant and without it, the work would evolve in a much different way.

Music's Role in Art

Chair of Contemplation, Brandy Saturley, 2023

Soundtrack for Painting

Even at this very moment, as I delve deep into the recesses of my psyche to put words on paper, I’ve chosen to accompany my thoughts with the mesmerizing sounds of Radiohead’s album, “King of Limbs.” The music opens my mind…

I can’t remember ever talking about what music means to my work in the studio, and I have been listening to a fresh podcast hosted by Rick Rubin called Tetragrammaton. Actually I had been scrolling Instagram one day and Quest Love shared a clip of Rick Rubin talking about being an artist, which I am sure was shared thousands of times. In it he talks about being an Artist, and as an iconic music producer, he has spent enough time with Artists to know how we think. He reminds the listeners, “The goal of art is not perfection, but rather to share who we are and how we see the world. Artists allow us to see what we are unable to see, but somehow already know. The artists perception reminds us of who we are and who we can be.”

Music's Role in Art

I am a narrative painter, I make paintings like a filmmaker makes films, I rarely make stand-alone paintings, which is likely why I choose to make very few commissioned works. I prefer to create bodies of work, like an album or a feature length film.  Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I grew up addicted to films. My best Friday nights were spent watching movies on the tv downstairs in the basement, where the floor was concrete and the room was dark. My best Saturdays were spent locked in my room with big bright picture windows and walls covered in magazine clippings. I would listen to music and draw and think and absorb ideas, which fed my work. My best Sundays were hiking in the hills and old growth forests of Vancouver Island next to rivers, lakes and beaches. Even out in nature there was a soundtrack to set the mood.

Music's Role in Art

Chair of Contemplation, summer 2023, Brandy Saturley

Over the years the music of The Beatles has been a constant, and something I can always count on, like a mother, the music of The Beatles means wonderous comfort and journeys without leaving the studio. My tastes are vast and eclectic, and what I listen to all depends on the idea of the painting I am constructing in my head. Music allows me to move from my head to paper, to computer, to printer to sketching out on the canvas. The music I choose to paint with all depends on the mood and tone of the journey I wish to take, and then convey on canvas.

The Current Playlist – Music’s Role in Art

Lately, as I paint these stories of the Polar Bear King looking for a new home and exploring Canada, I have found myself listening to a dynamic playlist from folk, to rock to rap. From Radiohead to Billie Eilish and Jay-Z to the Tragically Hip, it is a wild escape down in my studio. Most of the summer I delved deep into the library of Joni Mitchel and found my way to N.E.R.D, which also keeps me moving when I take my daily break on the treadmill, which only brings more ideas. I have also been diving deep on Moby and Beck and a little Black Keys for good measure. And then there is the jazzy lo-fi Indie Rock of Mac DeMarco, from Edmonton, Alberta and always Neil Young. So much creative depth filing the air around me and my canvas.

Ahead of Their Time

Working late night in the studio, Brandy Saturley, 2023

I once pitched a gallery in Palm Springs on showing my work while running my playlist in the gallery, of course they couldn’t do this, as we would have to buy the rights to the music to play alongside the work in the exhibition. A bit beyond my means at that time.

I wouldn’t characterize myself as a procrastinator, nor have I encountered what some call artist’s block. However, I have grappled with imposter syndrome at a profound level, a story that might find its place in a memoir someday. If I suffer from anything, it’s an insatiable joy in creating and the way I procrastinate about taking time away from my art is by working on more art. It’s an obsession of the most  gratifying kind. I find it hard to fathom how people navigate life without these creative outlets. At times, I struggle to comprehend why some prioritize other pursuits over what truly ignites their souls, and I am forever intrigued by the intricate web of human thought.

Music's Role in Art

Looking at paintings by Brandy Saturley, Dyson Gallery, Battersea, UK

Music is my constant companion on this artistic journey, an ever-evolving symphony that guides my brush and pen, giving voice to my inner world and allowing it to unfurl on canvas and paper. It’s more than just background noise; it’s the heartbeat of my creative process, the melody of my soul.

Inside the Artist’s Studio

Canadian artists studio Brandy Saturley

Behind the Scenes – Inside the Artist’s Studio

It has been said that inside the artist’s studio “is central to an artist’s myth and the way that we come to understand a work of art and its meaning in society”, though rarely do many have a chance to visit these creative havens where the artist works. They are places typically reserved for artists to create, serious art collectors to view the work privately, and curators to visit and consider works for future art exhibitions.

I recall watching a film, shot in 1949, showing Picasso working in his studio, always ahead of his time, this was the first time many of us had the chance to experience the Artist’s process of creation. In 1965, the next coming of Picasso, as channeled through the famous NYC art star, Andy Warhol, gave the public a peak inside his life and studio unlike any before, recording the most mundane parts of his life, becoming art himself.

Thanks to the Internet, and social media platforms like Instagram & Facebook, many artists have taken to posting photos and video showing behind the scenes snippets from their studios. Not unlike the ‘making of’ and behind the scenes footage from film sets, the fans are fascinated with learning how things are made, it’s a peek behind the velvet curtain, and I don’t think it is going to vanish anytime soon. These sneak peeks inside an artist’s process offer more information about how much work goes into making art. It is sometimes challenging to impart on viewers how much goes on in a professional artist’s studio. The studio contains tools, collected items, memories, materials, and things to set the tone such as music, photographs, books and even films. The studio contains all the materials collected on journeys, mental and physical. All experiences are filtered down to ideas here, and it’s true what they say, that once an Artist falls in love with you that you can never die. The experiences, words, gestures, relationships an Artist has, bleed their way into their art. Here are a few ‘behind the scenes’ photos and a snippet of video – welcome to my office, my haven, welcome to my world.

inside the artist's studio

Behind the scenes: inside the studio of Canadian artist Brandy Saturley

inside the artist's studio

behind the scenes the art studio of Brandy Saturley

inside the artist's studio

Follow along on Instagram @iconiccanuck

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl6cZQrgWfo/

The Work of Art

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The Work of Art – Making A Painting

There is a famous quote that speaks to the work that goes into a work of art, it references the artist process, and vaguely refers to the creative process. The quote made famous by James Whistler is; “An artist is not paid for his labor, but for his vision.” The Work of Art begins far before the artist puts brush to canvas.

What did Whistler mean by, “paid for his, or her, vision”, was he speaking of paying an artist for their ability to see things others cannot? Perhaps, it is definitely about perspective and how artists make us see things in a different light, but I believe Whistler was also speaking of the time it takes to develop the vision for a new creation, the plan or blueprint to future work. As a painter, the painting is the result of the vision, developed through days, weeks, months and even years. An idea I have for an artwork today, may wait for a year before I have enough knowledge to understand how I will execute the painting. Artists are gatherers of visual, aural and emotional stimuli. We collect experiences, from a hiking trip in the Rocky Mountains, to a symphony. From the way a coffee spills on the ground, to the colours of a sunset. From the words of a writer to the moving pictures and soundtrack of a film. All this stimuli being collected literally and figuratively. A photo I take today may end up providing information for a painting I will create a year from now.

We take all this stimuli and boil it down to a message, a simplified thought or perspective on the world – then the physical work begins. It may be through writing, or sketching or editing images together in Photoshop, whatever the process for filtering the stimuli and finding the focus – a clear focal point, the central message. After solidifying the idea, I sketch the focal point of the future painting onto canvas and then I begin to paint. Over the course of the painting I develop the background and additional elements that will help support the story of the central image, I work from intuition with a a focus on color, form and composition. My goal is to create overall balance to the piece. With my paintings, which are generally 3×4 feet, I spend approximately 70 hours from initial sketch to finished painting. Then comes painting the edges of the piece, application of a finishing varnish and coated hanging wire fastened to the back. If I were to add in the time it took to develop my idea to the point of fruition, I am not sure where I would begin, thus an artist is paid for their vision, as it is impossible to track how many hours it takes to create a work of art.

Below is a peek into my process – the reference photos taken on two different art trips – the ‘selfie’ taken while in Winnipeg at the famously haunted Fort Garry Hotel, an old railway hotel in Canada designated a National Historic Site. The ‘stacked rocks’ photo at sunset was taken on a retreat to a cabin on the west coast at the Point No Point Resort. This past year I was also in Yellowknife, NWT famous for it’s aurora borealis. So many stimuli, collected over the course of a year, that ended up coming together in a painting, a year later.

Rock Stacking on a west coast beach

At The Fort Garry Hotel, Winnipeg MB

Painting Process: initial sketch on canvas

 

Work of Art

Painting Process: step 2 colour blocking

Work of Art

Painting Process: step 3 layering colours, creating depth and dimension

 

Developing an Artist Signature

Developing an Artist Signature: I See Colour and Canada

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

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

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

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

Day 2: laying down the underpainting

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

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

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

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

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

Developing an Artist Signature

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

The Artist’s Process

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

 Originally published May 15, 2017

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

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

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

The Artist's Process

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

Behind the Painting: An #ICONICCANUCK

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

Behind The Painting: With Our Hearts On Our Sleeves

The Artist's Process

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

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

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