Canadian Landscape Series (2023 - 2024)

*Long Post Warning* This is a longer post about my Canadian Landscape series as a whole where I discuss where my inspiration came from, challenges and obstacles I faced, and what it means to me personally to complete this series. I am also going to write separate posts about each painting in this series to discuss what inspired me and the unique challenges I faced with each piece. 

The Canadian Landscape Series 

In 2023, I started a series of 13 Canadian landscape paintings - one for each province and territory in Canada. I originally intended to complete this series in 2023, but as I write this is June 2024, I still have four pieces from this series to complete. It has been a journey. ​

Me with my paintings (2023)

​Some relevant background information... I am a self-taught artist. Painting is not something to took very seriously until around 2021. I graduated from business school in 2020, and this helped me to see my art as more of a business rather than just a hobby. I realized I needed to start acting like a professional artist if I wanted to be treated like one, and this meant I needed to stop dabbling in different painting styles and commit to one "signature" style. ​

I was motivated to create a new style of painting that would be uniquely mine. The first series I created with this new mindset was a series of paintings inspired by the old TV test cards. This series explored the use of patterns and contrast. I found it deeply satisfying to create these paintings as they were so organized and vibrant and I could control the process from start to finish.

After completing my TV Test Card series, I was inspired to try making a landscape painting using a similar painting style. I envisioned a stylized landscape painting with "barcode" skies, geometric shapes and gradient fading effects. ​​ ​This was the birth of Barcode Landscapes. ​

TV Test Card Series (2022)

Knox Mountain was one of the first barcode landscape paintings I made (see below). ​After finishing my inaugural barcode landscape paintings, I was inspired to create a series of barcode landscape paintings that a wider audience could connect to.

Knox Mountain (2022)

​​In Spring 2023, I started my Canadian Landscape series. My goal was to capture the essence of each province and territory in a painting.

​Truth be told, I have never been to most of the provinces and territories in Canada, so capturing their essences was a bit of a gamble. I did a lot of research - reading articles and sifting through countless photographs to understand what each place was known for. I wanted to know what the local culture was like, if the province had any notable landmarks or scenic locations, where tourists frequent, provincial stereotypes, etc. ​

I wanted to create a series of paintings that every Canadian could connect to in some way. Fostering connection and inclusion was very important to me in this post-pandemic world. The pandemic brought out the worst in a lot of Canadians, forcing us to choose sides rather than focusing on what we have in common. I wanted this series to help heal that division in some small way. 

I have gravitated towards a bright palette featuring rainbows and fluorescent colors. The rainbows are a subtle nod to the LGBTQIA2S+ community. 

Niagara Falls, Ontario (2023), part of my Canadian Landscape series

​I am proud of this series so far for two main reasons. First, this series has allowed to explore what a "Barcode Landscape" painting is. I only created this new style of landscape painting two short years ago, so I still have so much to learn and explore. This series has allowed me to consider what a barcode landscape painting looks like in a wide variety of landscape settings. What does a waterfall look like? What does a forest look like? What does snow and water look like? 

Second, this series has challenged me to persevere. I have two teenage children, a fiance, and two cats... shit gets crazy up in my house sometimes! Family obligations have forced me to take a few extended absences from my studio. We also got evacuated last summer for the wildfires and I was forced to leave all my original paintings behind, unsure if I'd ever see them again. I'm someone who tends to lose interest in projects that take too long or that have too many interruptions, so it has been difficult for me to bounce back from these absences. Finishing this series will be an accomplishment for me indeed. ​

Me and my family at Knox Mountain

​I am still very new to landscape painting, and I still have a lot to learn. Some of the paintings in my Canadian Landscape series have come together easier than others. ​

Moraine Lake, Alberta (2023)

I tend to float between two extremes of over-thinking and under-thinking, and both can lead to disaster. When I overthink or paint too impulsively, I usually end up hating what I've done and redoing entire sections of the painting.

The Rocky Mountains in my Moraine Lake (Alberta) painting are a perfect example. I redid these mountains FOUR times before I was satisfied with them! This process left behind weird surface textures that drive me crazy because my barcode landscapes are all about straight lines and perfectionism *sigh*​

In the posts I am going to write about each individual painting in this series, I will share some work-in-progress photos so you can see the journey each painting went through to become what it eventually ended up being. I will put links to my posts about each painting below. 

Despite any challenges, I am committed to bringing this series to completion... and there is nothing like a good deadline to light a fire under my ass! I have a HUGE deadline approaching in September.
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In September 2024, will be debuting my completed Canadian Landscape series at the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre. This will be my very first solo exhibition at a public art gallery and I am so excited!

​Exhibiting your work in a public art gallery is a big milestone in any artist's career, so it feels pretty surreal that this is happening for me. ​

If you are within driving distance of Revelstoke, my opening is on Thursday, September 5. The paintings will be on display until October 4. 
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Although the originals will not be for sale for the foreseeable future (as I hope to exhibit the series as few more times before I consider selling them), I will have cards, prints and wall calendars available for purchase at the gallery, as well as at my upcoming winter markets, and on my website. So if you love this series, you can take a piece of it home with you. ​

Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia

Tombstone Park, Yukon

Twillingate, Newfoundland

​If you've made it this far, thank you for reading! Please drop me a comment below to let me know you've stopped by. Also remember to follow me on social media for more updates about this series.  ​

WANT TO READ MORE ABOUT THIS SERIES?
Here are my posts about each specific painting in this series:

NEWFOUNDLAND
NOVA SCOTIA
NEW BRUNSWICK
QUEBEC

BRITISH COLUMBIA
ALBERTA
SASKATCHEWAN
MANITOBA
​ONTARIO

YUKON
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
​PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
​NUNAVUT