Featured Artists

×

Expand

Bev Robertson, "Together We Stand," 2021

oil painting, 24" X 36" X 2"

Featured Artists:

Bev Robertson was born and raised on Vancouver Island with a natural talent for art. Her talent has taken her on a life long journey finding various artistic outlets along the way. Her journey began working as a Hairstylist, then for many years owning a craft and painting store (specializing in teaching Folk-art) and in recent years Bev’s artistic talents have taken another direction working as a Kitchen Designer. While always continuing to paint, Bev never quite found enough time to follow her passion…painting. Painting full time for then now, finding herself more fulfilled and motivated than ever. Bev finds inspirations in capturing the light as it hits the flowers in the gardens around her and the movement and light of the ever changing ocean, lakes, and skies of the beautiful Island where she lives and wherever she travels. Currently, Bev enjoys realism and representative painting, in both Acrylic and Oils, on canvas. Bev has a new energy to her work and is discovering and learning new techniques in her continuing journey to follow her.

Monica Morrill

Monica Morrill was born on Southern Vancouver Island where she grew up exploring the beaches, forests and mountains of the west coast. She moved off the island to complete a university degree and spent the next several years living in various regions across Canada, an experience which has greatly influenced her work. A self-taught artist, Monica uses many layers of acrylic paints on canvas to depict colourful images of the Canadian landscape with a focus on water and fantastic skies.  She aspires to capture a sense of peace and tranquility and to emphasize the supernatural aspects of the world around us that are sometimes overlooked. Monica currently lives on Vancouver Island with her family and works out of her home studio. 

Rose Cowles

My story and career beginnings were formed on the east side of the country after graduating from a 3-year program in Illustration and Design from Sheridan College in 1990. Toronto was my home base and I worked as a junior designer for Penguin Books Canada. Shortly after, I jumped in a car and headed West as a freelancer, full of dreams and laughter, a credit card, a couple of friends and never looked back.I am now settled in Victoria BC where my heart resides. I’ve mostly done freelance work while raising two wonderful girls and a myriad of animals from the comforts of my own creative space, whether it be a kitchen table, spare room or a fancy downtown studio. I’ve always had one foot in the door with regards to creating, but now after 25 years, with more time and energy on my hands, I find myself plunging heart first into the art scene as a re-emerging artist.Rose Cowles is a Governor General Award nominated artist. Earned a three year diploma in Illustration from Sheridan College in 1990 and have won many awards for both her book illustration and graphic design. Her picture books have been printed both nationally and internationally. 

Grant Warrington

As a gleaner and weaver of seaweed I spend many hours on the outer coast of Vancouver Island beachcombing, gathering, drying and soaking the material that has washed ashore. And once in a while I find a treasured piece washed up in downtown Victoria or on Piers Island. And what a wonderful material it is to work with! Bull kelp and brown laminaria are the two main species that I use. Plentiful in cool waters, these undervalued plants are a gift from the ocean. While alive and fresh the plants anchor to the seabed with their “holdfasts” attaching to rocks and other tidal floor features. Divers see their stunning beauty as “forests” moving with the rhythms of the currents and tides. I never disturb the growing plants. But at the end of the plant’s life, often brought on by its own excessive growth, it lifts itself off the seabed or detaches in storms and washes ashore. Left on a sandy beach or in tidal pools the crispy vegetable-like matter begins to decompose. But if tumbled by waves, dried by summer sun and wind, and pummelled against rocks, some of the plants will convert to a denser, durable material that I gather for weaving. The more sun-bleached it is the more I prize it for contrasted colour but that material is rare. Self-taught over several years’ of trial and error, I was inspired by the natural tangling and folding of seaweed as it washes ashore.  Most of the pieces are strong and durable, as long as they stay dry. The inflated bull kelp pieces are more fragile and should be treated like paper. The brown laminaria baskets are heavier and more solid due to the density of that plant. The works are untreated. Soft fruit will bruise against the dense surface of a dried seaweed basket. Seaweed can be “washed” with a very quick immersion in warm water and left to dry in a warm wind. And if you ever get tired of the piece please just toss it back into the sea, or add it to your compost, where it will eventually decompose and provide valuable minerals and nutrients to the soil!