Sonrisa Andersen

Artist Bio:
Sonrisa has a passion for plein air landscape and figurative painting. Working primarily in oil, she can be seen around town painting local landscapes. She is currently in school for her Master’s in Fine Arts and is working towards her thesis on the visual representation of queer joy through individual self expression.

Artist Statement:

This piece is a colour study of east coast Vancouver island. Using a split complementary colour scheme, the variations in colour were created with a very limited palette, mixing opposites with white to develop a harmonious colour scheme. Oil paint on canvas paper.

Geraldine Atleo

Artist Bio:
Ger began painting in 1997. After her Bachelor of Arts with a major in Psychology at The University of British Columbia, she took 1st year art at Emily Carr. As a prerequisite to furthering her Education; she continued Graduate studies in Counselling Psychology at the University of British Columbia specializing in Child counselling. Art therapy was of interest to her, so she continued 1st year art studies at the University of British Columbia. Art suited her very well and helped to balance out her academic studies. After receiving her Masters in Counselling Psychology, she worked briefly as a child counsellor in Vancouver. Then as an instructor for counselling at Vancouver Island University. She took a Hiatus from painting and pursued jewelry making. Returning to painting in 2017 to nourish herself while dealing with a difficult life event.

Artist Statement
I am from the Nuu-chah-nulth and Tsimshian Nations. I step out of the traditional formline of Northwest coast art, and loosen the perfect controlled lines which represent the control and oppression that my ancestors suffered. The freedom of lines, in my art, represent that we are more than enough as indigenous people and don’t need to be perfect. Colour represents that Indigenous people don’t have to be defined by past trauma from residential schools and can overcome oppression and be the bright souls that we are meant to be. I enjoy painting intuitively. The formline in my art is drawn in an abstract manner. I explore mark making and experiment with new ways to apply paint. Often using multi media on the surface. I hope that the bright colours bring joy to the viewer.

Johanne Barefoot

Artist Bio:

My name is Johanne Barefoot.; My journey began March 23rd 1961, when I was born, but it really was when I discovered oil painting. I then took my first painting lesson under a student of the group of seven. Over the years, my artist name changed. I am now “J Barefoot”. My journey took me from the east to west. Port Alberni has been my home since 2021. I work with oil, acrylic, with brushes and knives, but I am still evolving. Creating has always been a passion, either with food, pencils, camera, canvasses, or glassware.

My Barefoot journey starts everyday with everything I see. The sea, skies, forests are my brain canvasses, Let’s see what I create today!

Cynthia Bonesky

Artist Bio:
Cynthia Bonesky lives at Sproat Lake, and her home there has greatly influenced her work. She began painting seriously after moving there in 1994. Initially working in watercolour, she has been painting in oil for more than ten years. Over the years, she has taken numerous workshops and is a member of The Wednesday Painters, a local group, as well as the Federation of Canadian Artists, where she holds associate membership. Cynthia sells her work from home and has exhibited in galleries in Port Alberni, Nanaimo, and Vancouver.

Artist Statement: I just really wanted to paint!

Mike Bowen

Artist Bio:
Mike is an emerging artist newly resident in Port Alberni.

Artist Statement: My piece will reflect the eagerness, frustration, beauty and opportunism of my recent life.

Muriel Bush

Artist Bio:
My art career started at a very young age as a self taught Artist. To expand my art knowledge I enrolled at UBC Fine arts program night class and from there I Enrolled full-time at Emily Carr College of art and design starting at second year and then graduated in 1985 with honours. After graduating, four other artists and I rented a studio in Yale town Vancouver where we were able to be close to galleries where we could exhibit our art. My art work has been purchased in Ireland, Australia, New York, and several places in Vancouver and across Canada. Since moving to Vancouver island, I have had The pleasure of exhibiting my work at two galleries, and currently at the Grove gallery and the Bayside resort and restaurant. My work is mostly landscapes with A touch of abstract. I work with oil paints, Acrylics, pen and ink and pencil. I would be honoured to have my work showing at the Grove Gallery.

Artist Statement: My piece in the square-foot show will be a semi abstract floral with a whimsical Touch. My medium will be acrylic. I think in these days with everything that’s been not so great that something whimsical would be needed and appreciated.

Linda Campbell

Artist Bio:

Linda’s love of art began at a young age where she combined her love of animals (at that time mainly horses) and art through sketching and drawing. Although she would have loved the opportunity to have formal training in the arts, her career path and family obligations took life in a different direction. For the past 25 years, however, she has been working diligently to build her artistic skills and style by attending workshops, seminars and evening classes with renowned Canadian and International Artists. Linda is trained in a number of different painting media but currently prefers oil on canvas; the open window of drying time works well with the visual effects she works to accomplish. Linda was semi-retired at the age of 55. At this time she began to travel to Mexico with her husband who is also an artist from Vancouver Island, they spend the winter in a country they love while pursuing their passion of creating art full time. She is inspired by the serene landscapes and vibrant culture which she aims to encapsulate in her work. Linda has exhibited in solo and multiple group shows as well as displaying her works in local galleries and Cafe’s both in Mexico and Canada.

Phyllis Davenport

Artist Statement: I was sitting down to paint one day and was craving some Mexican food so I decided to paint some not knowing what else to paint that day. I have been admiring artists that can make acrylic painting of food look so real. So here is an attempt to capture that. Since I have a great interest in making delicious food and painting  I think this will be my new mission for a while.

Artist Bio:
I have lived in Port Alberni for the last ten years. I took up painting a few years ago. I hadn’t done anything in years since winning a prize for a yearbook section cover in Junior High School. it was time to take up the challenge again. I started by taking a detailed drawing course in Qualicum followed by a pastel course in Parksville.I was smitten by the flexibility and bright colours of pastels. Now I am into acrylic mediums which I like even more. This spring I took a mosaic course on Thetis Island. Now I am trying my skills at that as well. With each theme The Grove offers I find I learn even more about all types of art out there like mixed media and decoupage. it just makes it more fun. It is wonderful that The Grove lets us display our work in all these mediums

Adrianna Miranda Derbyshire

Artist Bio:
Adrianna has been passionate about art since she could hold a paintbrush—while still in a highchair. Though she briefly studied Fine Arts at the University of Ottawa, financial and mental health challenges led her down a self-taught path. Guided by curiosity, experimentation, and YouTube tutorials, she’s developed a fearless, uncategorized style that continues to evolve. After working as a personal trainer and a paint sales rep for Sherwin-Williams, Adrianna fully committed to her art practice in 2021. She now spends her days painting, doodling, exploring new mediums, and leading playful, beginner-friendly watercolour workshops. Her work spans many subjects, but recurring themes include volcanoes, surreal landscapes, and dreamlike scenes inspired by nature, life, and the imagination. Adrianna creates from her home studio and back deck, often with her cats nearby. She finds joy in the creative process and loves connecting with others through art. When she’s not painting, you might find her choreographing, lifting kettlebells, or running up a mountain. She also crafts tiny, hand-painted souvenirs—perfect for meaningful, one-of-a-kind gifts. If you’re looking for something special, don’t hesitate to reach out!

Artist Statement:
The device…designed to create endless sq. ft. 

Spinning through space, skipping across cracks in time and spiraling around wormholes. Let the device carry you away in colour.

Milo Dvorak

Artist Bio:
Milo has lived on the island his whole life and is deeply inspired by his surroundings and his experiences. His art journey began as soon as he could scribble on walls, only slowing down to pick up a new medium. Currently Milo is dedicating more time to his art, experimenting with bright colours, texture, and movement with themes of nature and fantasy blended together. Moving art also inspires Milo, puppetry and paper engineering are two very fascinating types of sculpture that he plans on dabbling into in the near future.

Cheryl Frehlich

Artist Bio: Cheryl Frelich was born and ried in Weyburn, Saskatchewan. Her father was a veterinarian and artist, while her mother nurtured her own artistic talents, inspiring Cheryl from an early age. With pencil and pad in hand, she was introduced to the beauty of nature. Over the years, she has explored various textures and mediums across different parts of Canada.

Now living on Vancouver Island, Cheryl embraces the time to fully enjoy the surrounding beauty. She has begun to “stop and smell the roses,” as the saying goes, finding joy in painting with watercolour. In recent years, she has also started working with a sculptural medium called paverpol.

Faye Hoffman

Artist Bio:
Faye Hoffman is an Alberni Valley artist with 40+ years of experience practicing fine art, focusing on the natural world. She is a specialist in the communication of visual and other sensory experiences through painting and pottery with a basis in photographic reference and painting en plein air (direct from nature, on location). Faye is an active, exhibiting artist. Visit www.fayehoffman.ca to view more of her work.

Artist Statement:

This piece is an altered rim or split rim bowl, glazed in antransparent deep green, modern crackle glaze on the inside and a rustic, Japanese-inspired Shino glaze on the outside. The rim was created by placing a thin wooden tool along the thick rim of the bowl as the pottery wheel spins slowly, leaving the impression of two separate rims. The rim was then pressed with the same tool at regular intervals for a clean decorative impression. The outside of the bowl is altered using a chattering technique where a flexible metal tool is bounced against the spinning leather-hard bowl to carve a textured, rhythmic surface. Thin areas of the Shino glaze can appear brown or red, known as “breaks” and can also develop pinholes or a “crawling” effect, which is traditionally considered a desirable characteristic in this glaze. Finally, a clean blue underglaze is used on the bottom of the bowl to create a contrast with the complex Shino glaze and the natural red of the clay. This is a simple yet highly altered piece brings together modern and traditional techniques and balances imperfect, natural elements with silky smooth textures and colours.

Brian Lavery

Artist Bio:
We have lived in Port Alberni since 1992. We love it here. Our daughter and son attended John Howitt Elementary and Alberni District Secondary. I have owned about a dozen film cameras. Now I am down to one but I have not used it since 2018. Digital is much more convenient. I have made lots of standard black and white and colour photographs. I have also used a couple of older processes, gum bichromate and cyanotype. You can see many of my photographs at www.brianlavery.ca.

Artist Statement:

This is a cyanotype. The same process is used to make blueprints. Objects or a negative are placed on paper coated with a light sensitive chemical. Then they are exposed to sunlight or an ultraviolet lamp. Areas blocked from the light are white. Areas not blocked from the light are a beautiful Prussian blue.

Lorne A. MacNab

Artist Bio: Captain Lorne Macnab ( Ret. Marine). Lorne was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He spent a joyous youth exploring the shorelines of the Bay of Fundy in the Annapolis Valley. His love of the water led him to a 40 year career in the marine industry, where he gained his fascination for light, shadow, and reflection. In June 1967, a visit to the cottage of the renowned artist, Maude Lewis, left a memorable impression. Her gentle smile and her heartfelt question “Do you paint?” left him the belief that any vision reproduced held magic. He remembers her with each piece he attempts. Lorne is self taught and works primarily in watercolour, line and wash. He lives in Port Alberni with his wife, Geri. Lorne is an avid member of the live music community where he strives to live with the motto, “less stress, more art and more music.”

Bug Marshall

Artist Bio:
26 year old, Ahousaht First Nations artist who mainly works in acrylics and pencil, has been a heavily creative person since childhood.

Jillian Mayne

Artist Bio: A retired Graphic Designer, Jillian Mayne escaped the grid to freely explore a variety of media, primarily acrylic, and mixed media techniques. Jillian is addicted to Life Drawing, a practice she has maintained for over 50 years. She experiments with the use of transparent colours, layering them in unusual combinations to show value. Jillian loves an elegant line. While we all share the same simple combination of eyes. nose, mouth, it is how this translates into an infinite variety of stories the faces tell, that Jillian finds fascinating. Jillian’s creative growth is rooted in exploration and experimentation.

Artist Statement: Primarily A Woman, is an experimental Acrylic painting. Recently been playing around with different coloured grounds, here red Acrylic paint. Always find myself drawn to or drawing faces and it occurred to me it would be an interesting challenge to paint a face on the red ground, using only the primary colours. Interesting times for women these days given some of the political conversation. But as a mother and grand-mother, I know the essential strengths we carry. They are in a sense, primal, so using the primary colours felt appropriate.

Rose Morrison

Artist Bio:
I was raised in Port Alberni BC, surrounded by vibrant landscapes and colors that continually inspire my artistic expression. Although I have explored various mediums, including acrylic, pen, and watercolor, my true passion lies in the challenging and unpredictable realm of alcohol ink art. This medium parallels my personal journey with Usher syndrome, a progressive condition affecting my vision and hearing (I now have less than 10° of vision left and no acuity in my left eye) My artistic foundation stems from a family of creatives, supplemented by some formal art education and experimental workshops. Notably, my work has been showcased in several US and Canadian art exhibitions, garnering awards and recognition. As a recognized artist, my pieces adorn walls across Europe, UK, Australia, and North America, aiming to bring dynamic energy into private spaces.

Artist Statement:  

Our island’s rugged coastline, featuring trees that have withstood numerous storms, exemplifies the remarkable resilience and strength of its roots, which continue to stand after many years of exposure to harsh environmental elements. I draw inspiration from my mental imagery and memories of our island’s beauty. By utilizing alcohol ink as the medium, I aim to capture the vibrancy and unpredictability of our West Coast landscape, controlling the effects through brush, q-tips, and paper towel to achieve a picturesque representation.

Kalin McDowell

Artist Bio:
My work takes what we discard—plastic waste, packaging, non-biodegradables —and turns it into meaningful, beautiful, and functional pieces. But more than that, it’s a statement: we don’t have to live buried under waste. We can integrate it, repurpose it, and use it as a catalyst for change. But this isn’t just about my art—it’s about anyone being able to do this – it is about accessibility. The materials I use aren’t exclusive or expensive; they’re the same things found in any home, dollar store, or landfill. In a world where people feel powerless in the face of environmental and political crises, this is something tangible they can do right now. A way to take action, reclaim control, and turn personal waste into something valuable.

Artist Statement:
This piece is both a love letter and a warning. Created from local Port Alberni flora photography and merged with hand-layered painting and transfer techniques, the image emerges from a textured canvas built from plaster of Paris and non-smelly household waste. Every layer is intentional—waste transformed into foundation, beauty drawn from damage. I’m exploring what we save when we try, and what’s lost when we don’t. Nature doesn’t get a vote in her own survival. She’s resilient, but she’s not invincible. This square foot becomes a conversation: about our footprint, about neglect, about hope. The floral subject represents what’s still alive and worth protecting. The medium—recycled, rejected scraps—represents what we throw away too easily, including our sense of responsibility. But waste doesn’t have to stay waste. This piece reimagines it as foundation for something lasting and alive. Within one square foot, I aim to capture both the fragility and the potential of the world around us.

Anne McIvor

Artist Bio: Ann is a freelance artist based in Port Alberni, known for her natural talent in drawing since childhood. She is mostly self-taught and has a particular love for portraiture, capturing the essence of her subjects in both human and animal portraits. She has also worked as a graphic designer, creating digital art and illustration including a few children’s books as part of her portfolio.

Heather Osborne

Artist Bio:
I am a textile artist primarily working with historical techniques in a contemporary way. I love using found materials to create intuitive work using techniques such as weaving, quilting, hand dyeing, and embroidery. I have been experimenting with textile arts for over 25 years, studied hand embroidery through the Royal School of Needlework in London, UK, and have made a career working with costumes in the TV and film industry.

Artist Statement:

Using only found materials in my immediate environment I plan to create a piece that speaks to my current mood and circumstance, incorporating slow textile techniques such as weaving and hand stitching. The outcome will be determined by the process. As a recent import to Port Alberni, my piece will likely speak about the challenge of change and the idea of home.

Julia Oscarson

Artist Bio:
Julia Tahnee Oscarson is an an artist whose work blends abstraction with elements of realism, drawing on themes of nature, movement, and personal introspection. Raised in Port Alberni, she studied Fine Arts at the Victoria College of Art and has been influenced by her time living in Europe and Southeast Asia. Her paintings explore organic rhythms inviting emotional connection and reflection. She currently lives and works on Vancouver Island.

Artist Statement: 

This proposed work explores the intersection of abstraction and identity through fluid forms and expressive texture. At its core is a single facial element—an eye—emerging from an abstract composition. The eye symbolizes perception, emotion, and inner awareness, acting as a focal point amid the chaos and movement of the surrounding forms. By integrating the recognizable with the undefined, I aim to evoke a sense of introspection and emotional resonance, inviting the viewer to reflect on what lies beneath the surface both in the painting and within themselves.

Erika Rauguth

Artist Bio:
An Alberni resident for over 30 years, I have raised my four children in a cute little house with a wild garden, and now that they are grown and flown, spend my time painting and spoiling my cats.

Artist Statement:
It does not matter the size of the cat, the box always fits.

Sheri Reed

Artist Bio:
Sheri (b. 1963) has been working with paints, fibres and fabric for three decades. Pottery is a new passion that is opening new visual story-telling opportunities. Her work is infused with the natural world, often focusing on the native creatures of Canada. Sheri had been planning for decades to leave the city to live in nature. Her dreams have come true in the Alberni Valley, where she draws inspiration from the landscape and animals around her. In fact, no matter what she sets out to create she usually tucks a creature or two (or ten) into each piece.

Artist Statement:

I have lived and travelled away but have returned to retire on beautiful Vancouver Island. The here and now is all that my soul craves: peace, beauty and community. This painting is a view of our barn as seen from a neighbour’s farmstand. I love that my neighbour puts her energy and creativity into providing produce for the community at a very reasonable price. I also appreciate how many ways there are to celebrate the beauty and productivity of our farm and those around it.

Judy Schmidt

Artist Bio: Judy is a West Coast artist living in Uclulet. When it comes to doing her artwork Judy enjoys doing things with lots of detail, she can see different things in driftwood. Just one piece of wood can set the whole theme for a birdhouse or village; they are original one of a kind pieces. A piece of beach glass becomes a flower or tree. Judy likes to come up with different uses for everyday mediums, like a clothing line out of stain glass. Making whimsical things out of driftwood means walking a lot of beaches looking for treasures shaped by nature. Judy’s mobiles in aluminum and brass are objects that swirl and move simulating action that brings them to life. In school Judy majored in Art, but her style is self taught.

Artist Statement: My friend Mary Christmas, who is 85 years old, her mother collected and owned sand from all around the U.S and Hawaii. Mary gave me 98 jars of coloured sand to do sand paintings, No colours were added to the sand. These pieces are made on wooden boards, using white glue, and the sand as is.

Tom Schmidt

Artist Bio: Tom works in most mediums but prefer stone, most notable marble since 1970. Starting in the early 60s shaping surfboards and working in clay, he soon realized he would be shaping things all his life. He will consider commissions. Born and raised in Southern California and growing up on the beach, Tom used what was around him for inspiration, waves and surfing. Being a lifelong suffer it was only natural. After envisioning a work either by a dream or a feeling, the stone selection takes place. As a result pieces are on going. If his work evokes an emotion, whether a smile or a frown, warmth or shiver, Tom determines it be a success. “I create these works because I have an inner need. It’s not a factory and all pieces are one of a kind.” Tom is entirely self taught and has developed his own techniques.

Angela Skaley

Artist Bio:
Angela Skaley is a mixed media artist originally from rural Alberta, outside of Edmonton. She received her bachelors degree in Fine Arts from Emily Carr University in 2012 and has since settled in Port Alberni. She has worked for over 5 years in design, marketing and communications. She currently works for the Arts Council and is the vice chair of the Chamber of Commerce, where she gets to focus on her two passions, local art and entrepreneurship. Her work was shown recently at the “All that moves us” exhibit at the AV Museum, “Emergence” at the Comox Airport and “Media Matters” at the Courtenay Chamber of Commerce.

Artist Statement: Angela’s work is heavily inspired by our beautiful west coast and our stewardship of the land. She uses a mixture of oils, acrylics, clay and fibre/paper to create cartographic-like imagery. She often plays with new styles and mediums.

Randy Smith

Artist Bio:
Randy “Doid” Smith is a mixed media artist whose style has evolved through years of experimenting with different materials. Much of his work features reclaimed and recycled items, blending textures and forms into unique creations. While he’s recently been exploring the digital art world, Doid still loves getting his hands dirty with traditional mixed media. Each original Doid piece often starts with a handmade canvas, built in his own workshop. After 25 years in Whistler, he moved to Port Alberni three years ago and is fully embracing the small-town vibe and island life. Born and raised in Shawnigan Lake, BC, being back on Vancouver Island just feels right. Keep an eye out—Doid’s work is popping up all over town.

Guy Langlois

Artist Statement:
Guy Langlois is an Artist living in Port Alberni on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. He specializes in painting detailed landscapes depicting the beauty of Canada’s west coast. As an environmentalist he believes in the power of art to communicate the need to protect our environment.

Daniel Spallone

Artist Bio:
I have maintained an artistic practice since graduating from Concordia university in 2016 with a bachelor in Drawing and Painting. After completing a year of art education at Langara I decided a new outlook in contemporary Canadian life would be an interesting and valuable venture. I spent seven years in Montreal before coming back to Vancouver and eventually the Alberni Valley. Since returning, both of the latter cities have reinforced my interest in the west coast of Canada and many of the themes that play out here are present or influence my paintings. I pull inspiration from daily life experiences, relationships and different narratives that play out in my life or in my imagination. I have been an avid drawer since I was young and my artistic practice carried on with mural art in my youth and fine art in my twenties until now. I have started a young family and that’s provided a new sense of inspiration in a whole spectrum of ways.

Artist Statement: I seek to explore the mysteries of form, colour, space and mark making through everyday objects and scenes. The process of working informs and reveals something about my subject and themes that I attempt to work out in the painting. The process is based on intuition and feeling adding and redacting. This leads me to the next thing that I want to contend with which might be composition, colour, texture, some conflict or humor or just mixing a colour to keep some rhythm in my process. In doing so the painting becomes a living thing that I respond and reflect on.That relationship reveals my thoughts and experiences while working on it. I want the work to combine different elements so that it can be an ambiguous language that draws people in with different reference points. I want to emphasize how everyday things change when we engage with them at different times, moods, settings and people.

Helma Swinkels

Artist Bio:
I was born in The Netherlands and spent my working career in Germany before following the love of my life to Port Alberni on Vancouver Island. As an immigrant I began my life in Canada by volunteering with several charitable organizations, most notably with our local hospice, Ty Watson House. To support funding for quality of life in the Alberni Valley I operated two social enterprises, Pot Luck Ceramics and later BiBi J’s. After retiring from volunteering in 2022, I knew it was time to pick up the paintbrush. Creativity has always been a big part of me, and now it was time to let it flow through art. I spent two years taking art workshops and courses on Vancouver Island to find my own style. I was fortunate to grow up in the woods, and nature has been my companion for most of my life. Nature relaxes me, it amazes me, touches me deeply, and inspires me to express those feelings on canvas. I love painting land- and seascapes in an atmospheric and abstract way, layering colours to create a feeling, rather than an exact image. Abstract texture painting, as in the Sq.Ft. exhibit, is another favourite of mine. BiBi J is my artist name. BiBi is what my grandchildren call me, and when I became a Canadian, my now new Canadian middle name was just the J. Canada and painting became part of me, and I am grateful for this beautiful gift in my life.

Artist Statement:
“Treasure Entrance” 10”x10” acrylic on gallery canvas. Summer imprints of nature’s treasures into texture paste are the start of this painting. The colours, layer upon layer, mixed together into an ancient background for a blue entrance, hidden behind branches of gold, promising a century old treasure to be discovered.

Behind the shadows emerges an old wall, a withered door and thick wooden window shutters closed decades ago. The house reveals itself sparsely. Many lives have been lived here until nature took over.

Sue Thomas

Artist Bio: Sue Thomas, born in York Township, Ontario, moved to Ottawa at seven, where she discovered a love for drawing. Bored with coloring books, she took private lessons and, at 14, attended summer art school in Leaskdale. She studied Art and Art History in high school. In 2004, in North Vancouver, she began oil painting, drawn to its blending and color. This reignited her passion. She joined the North Shore Artists Guild and Life Drawing groups, began exhibiting, and selling her work.

In 2015, Sue moved to Alberni Valley, inspired by its beauty. She joined local art groups and continued evolving her style using brushes, palette knives, and her hands. She often works on multiple canvases to stay creatively fluid.

Her work blends Realism, Impressionism, and Fauvism, focusing on light, shadow, and unconventional color. Subjects range from portraits to abstracts, reflecting nature’s imperfect beauty and sometimes challenging the viewer.

Sue has exhibited at Draw Gallery, Rollin Art Centre, Solstice Festival, Solda’s Restaurant, Alberni Golf Course, Alberni Chrysler, and Coastal Flow Gallery. She also creates functional and sculptural pottery.

Carl Wall

Artist Bio: Carl is an accomplished wood worker, creating fantastic wooden creations perfect for kids, and those young at heart.

Valerie Wheater

Artist Bio:
I was born in Comox, on beautiful Vancouver Island in British Columbia. The daughter of an RCAF Air Traffic Controller and a stay-at-home mother who was always there for my siblings and me. We moved a lot in my childhood, and I lived nine years of my young life overseas, mostly in West Germany. As a child and young adult, I always enjoyed being creative and was raised to greatly appreciate hand crafted artwork. I started working after graduating from high school and eventually found myself with a local utility company that evolved into a 36-year career. In my late-forties I met an artist who encouraged me to sign up for her art lessons in water colour. Although doubtful at first I quickly fell in love with it and I continued to take those lessons for 11 years. I eventually developed enough confidence to spread my wings and try other mediums with different instructors. Retirement provided me more time to paint and volunteer in the art community. My preferred medium is now acrylic on canvas or wood. I mostly paint in a realistic style, sometimes adding a touch of whimsy, as I try to evoke a story for the viewer. I am inspired by my passions for nature, gardens and travel, painting en plein air and from my photographs. In 2025 I moved from Maple Ridge to Parksville and find myself thoroughly enjoying being a permanent resident on Vancouver Island again.

Artist Statement:

I recently visited the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre in Errington. I was moved by the many birds of prey they have saved from what would be uncertain death due to disabilities, often caused by humans. The little barn owl was missing one eye so would not be able to hunt successfully in the wild. Here at the center he is well cared for and like all the other creatures, he is an educational for young and old to see these beautiful creatures up close. Barn owls are a favorite of mine for their coloring and heart shaped faces.

Keith Wilson

Artist Bio: Keith is a graduate of Capilano University’s animation program and a 15 year veteran of the Vancouver animation industry.

Rosemary Wilson

Artist Bio: Rosemary moved to Port Alberni four years ago and this is only the third exhibition she has ever entered in her life.

Elizabeth Yuen

Artist Bio: Elizabeth Yuen was first introduced to painting through Chinese Painting in Hong Kong. After moving to Canada, she gradually explored watercolour, acrylic, and oil painting, with watercolour becoming her favourite medium. Recently, she has also developed an interest in sketching, finding it both fascinating and time-consuming.

Elizabeth enjoys the creative process and the vibrant colours that emerge in the final result. Her love for colour and texture also led her to quilting and silk fusion. She especially appreciates quilting for its practicality, often finding the finished product more useful than traditional paintings.

Artist Statement: Brady’s Beach-a recent trip to Bamfield. Done in watercolour.