About

Hey there, I’m Theresa

I paint the Western Canadian landscape & things that grow and thrive off the land to bring you a feeling of being there.

I believe nature is one of our great healers. Its effects on our mind and body promote calm, clarity, balance and aliveness.

British Columbia is a never-ending source of inspiration.

I live in the Okanagan Valley where incredible views are the norm. I’ve been captivated with the landscape since moving here in the 90’s.

Hilly mountains, earthy pines and playful wildflowers consistently energize my paintings.

Many of the photos I paint are taken while wandering nearby trails. I like to bring them back to the studio and infuse with bold colors to reflect the feeling of a place.

My greatest joy in making art comes from transporting you to experience the landscape in a new and exciting way.

My work can be found in private collections across Canada and the US.

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From then to now…

As a child I spent countless hours at the kitchen table drawing, colouring and paint-by-numbering until the table was needed for dinner ;)

Being creative was where I felt most relaxed and at home.

At twelve years old, there came a rare opportunity to take a painting course with a local artist. I was ecstatic when my parents said yes and drove me every Sunday for six weeks to her log home studio on an acreage outside our prairie town.

This is where I began to discover the magic of paint… its creamy consistency, delighting in new colors as they were mixed.

The possibilities seemed endless and that was truly exciting.

The spark continued as I painted and drew throughout my teens. At around the age of twenty, after a year studying everything but at college, I decided it was time to apply to art school.

It gave me butterflies to even think about – it was something I’d always wanted and it meant so much.

When the rejection letters began to arrive, I held back tears as I read each word and absorbed the news. It was heart-breaking to say the least.

My spirit was crushed but not my will to make art.

As things moved forward, I worked and went back to college. After long days I’d try to fit in late-night art sessions in my bedroom tucked away from roommates and prying eyes.

I was a closet artist at the time, but eventually that would change…

By my mid-twenties I began selling paintings – it was eye-opening as I watched people approach my booth with joy and awe.

This brought a whole new realization into why I create art – creating that type of experience for people made my heart sing.

Still, my art-making practice remained part-time as the pressure of society pushed me to get a “secure” job. I completed my training in digital design and worked as a graphic designer for close to 15 years.

During this time, my artist calling never faded.

In fact it weighed heavily in the background, especially as my workload increased and there was little time to make art.

In a bold move, I quit my day job to focus completely on art.

It’s now been over 30 years since that pivotal painting class and I’m incredibly grateful to call myself a full time artist. My childhood dream has finally been realized after a long and windy road.

I practice in my home studio only three blocks from the nearest hiking trail, in the heart of the Okanagan in Kelowna, British Columbia.

Every day the beauty of this region brings so much inspiration – something I’m happy to share with you through each new piece that emerges from the easel.

~ Theresa