Learn about the incredible Sea to Sky artists behind our floating art gallery:
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Alex PrestonAlex Preston is a Whistler-based Graphic Designer, hailing from Australia. Instagram: @alexpreston777 |
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Alli Van GruenAlli van Gruen is a contemporary Canadian artist who is intrigued by the notion of memory. Referencing old family slides, she takes her viewer back in time, to their own childhood and memories. The common ground of childhood creates a personal relationship between her artwork and the audience and evokes a feeling of intimacy and nostalgia. Using intricate brushwork and an expansive colour palette, Alli works to express her connections with her subject matter, to tell a story. Alli lives in Whistler, BC with her family and dog Bea. Her work can be found at Art Junction Gallery, Whistler and in many private collections in Canada and Europe. |
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Amanda SchellerAmanda Scheller is a Canadian artist living in the Sea-to-Sky area. Amanda primarily focuses on landscape water-colour painting and illustrations. Scheller loves to travel and has spent many winters in Southern California and Mexico in the past few years when not working as a film set artist. In her adventures South, her love for sport fishing and painting bright coloured saltwater fish grew. Amanda has more recently become better known for painting both fresh & saltwater fish with a realistic yet soft, simplistic approach. Her purpose in art is to capture and recreate landscapes, moments and now fish! that people can continue to admire & cherish. |
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Anna LynchA self-declared “British craft nerd”, Anna made Whistler her home in 2010 and has been creating artwork in the sea to sky corridor ever since.She primarily uses textile mediums such as weaving, felting, knitting, and beading when creating new works. She has always had an interest in replicating the texture and the tactile elements of the natural world in her work. She uses traditional techniques and modern design in her process to make each work unique. Instagram: @knittygrittytextiles |
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Annette EffeAnette loves taking art classes in new places when she travels. She enjoys connecting with other artists in different countries to get new inspiration and learn new techniques. Hiking expeditions and her garden inspire her paintings. Anette paints primarily with acrylic on canvas but also does some woodwork. She attended the Victoria College of Art and the Emily Carr University of Art and Design. |
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Ben PoechmanBenjamin Jacob Poechman was born and raised on an organic egg farm in the foothills of southern Ontario. With big mountain dreams and a passion for snowboarding he graduated high school and headed straight for Whistler, BC. After five years of working seasonally to fund the adventurous winter pursuits of an aspiring professional snowboarder, he began to search for a better balance. Ben first started painting watercolours for birthday gifts and random acts of kindness for friends and family. He later discovered acrylics, and canvas, as a whole new world opened up to him. Now, Ben’s focus has shifted from “what” he is creating to “why”. With this newfound approach, he continues to find new ways to bring about positive change through each new series of work. While he continues to explore new mediums, the root intentions for his work run deep. Instagram: @peakplane |
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Cary LopezCary was destined to be drawn to art, having been surrounded by a long line of artists in her family. Her grandmother ‘Mary Shillabeer’ who had an early influence on her, was a painter, book illustrator, and hand-carver of marionette puppets, which are now displayed in The Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Cary’s inspiration also stemmed from her mother as an artist and Interior Designer. Originally born in Canada, Cary moved to Hong Kong, where she met her artist husband Paulo, and they now live together in Whistler. Having completed 4 years of Graphic Design at the Salisbury College of Art in the UK she returned to Hong Kong. Whilst in Hong Kong, they started ‘Campbell Lopes Design’ where they were designing Graphic Design Packages for International Hyatt Hotel Group, which we later continued in Portugal as ‘Windmill Graphics’ from our quaint little Windmill home just outside Lisbon. Cary and family arrived in Whistler just in time for the Millennium Celebrations at the top of Whistler Mountain. After a few years of teaching art at schools and painting commissioned pet portraits, she created the company ‘Paintertainment’, which originally started from body painting a mountain biker for his race in Whistler. Paintertainment continued in the special event world, building more and more elaborate costuming, wigs, wings, fantasy makeup, the infamous hummingbird dress and an array of mystical creatures. Instagram: @paint.with.cary |
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Cat RoyCat’s favourite weapons of mass creativity are pen and ink, but she also works in acrylic, watercolour, and pyrography. “Restrictions force you to be creative. You can’t make mistakes with ink; you just have to work with whatever mark you make, and in the end, your piece has evolved into something you never imagined at the start.” Cat grew up in the Eastern Townships of rural Quebec and drew inspiration from the ubiquitous Catholic Church motifs, graphic novels, nature, music and magic. A road trip brought her to British Columbia, where the mystical energy of the Coast Mountains captivated her. What was meant to be a two-week adventure has now been ongoing since 2009. She holds two Bachelor’s Degrees in Environmental Studies and Education and spends her days outdoors, making art and teaching young earthlings in Whistler schools. |
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Chili ThomSadly artist Chili Thom passed away on November 30, 2016. He believed “our experience in nature depends on how you choose to position yourself within it. My art transports the viewer to remote natural landscapes and acts not only as a form of escapism but also as a tool to deepen their appreciation for the natural world in which we are all inextricably connected. My process is about discovering and creating layers of patterns that combine together to create a colourful vibrating 3D landscape, similar to the contour lines on a map. This technique allows the eye to blend all of the components in a progression of colour and form that make sense only when viewed as a whole. I attempt to convey a feeling of complex simplicity on my canvases, which speak of the importance of cooperation between all the individual components, analogous to how all individuals on the planet must work together with nature in order to achieve a harmonious result.” Instagram: @chilithomstudio |
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Dave PetkoBorn in 1969 in Sarnia, Ontario, artist Dave Petko began making art as soon as he could hold a crayon. He went to George Brown College, Lambton College and St. Clair College and holds diplomas in both graphic design and screen printing. Moving to the west coast of Canada in 1994, Dave screen printed stickers as a day job at New Age Graphics in Vancouver, while his evenings were spent painting and drawing. Moving to Whistler in 1995 Dave screen printed stickers at Toad Hall Studios, and again his evenings were spent painting and drawing. In 1999, Black Ohm Tattoos original owner Sonja Prevost asked Dave to be her apprentice, where he worked alongside Robin Dutcher and Justin Ormiston. Dave has done tattoo guest spots at Pinz in Revelstoke and Salmon Arm, British Columbia; Black Swan Tattoos in Gibsons, British Columbia; Primal Instinct in Kelowna, British Columbia. Dave now owns and is still tattooing at Black Ohm Tattoos, creating custom tattoos for clients both local and from afar. Instagram: @davepetko |
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David McColmDavid is a landscape & night sky photographer based in BC. He has spent the past 12 years experiencing & photographing Whistler’s stunning and ever-changing landscapes. David likes nothing more than to head off into the Whistler alpine to spend a night capturing the last light of the day and then the night sky in both photos as well as time lapses. Instagram: @davidlmccolm |
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Emma DoyleEmma is an artist, ceramicist and teacher based in Whistler. Her artwork is full of intricate details, some with subtle textures that give a sense of depth to her works. Often using mixed media such as fine-liner, watercolour and pencils, she is inspired by the natural world and often man-kinds influence on it. Instagram: @edoyleart |
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Filip HrkelFilip is originally from Slovakia, and he came to Whistler in 2014. He works as a freelancer, video maker, and web designer. His landscape photographs are mostly wide panoramas, but he is also Instagram: @filiphrkel |
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Gabriel OstapchukGabriel is an artist with deep love, respect and reverence for mother earth. Born and raised in the concrete confinement of Ottawa, Ontario, Gabriel saw the endless grey walls as a repression of natural colour. As soon as he could, he migrated west to the coast of Turtle Island to live and create in the pacific northwest rainforest. In the mountain ranges, Gabriel found a new sense of peace and happiness that helped to alleviate his depression and anxiety. The abundant healthy land and the beautiful local communities showed him a way of life that is harmonious with the earth. This initiated the ongoing deep healing of his spirit. Today, his gratitude and appreciation for the land and the beautiful mystery of life inspire his creative works and paintings. Instagram: @synchronicity69 |
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Gabriela LechGabriela is a self-taught visual artist living in Squamish, British Columbia. She is deeply inspired by the natural world and aims to capture this in her work. Spending winter in lockdown in Ontario catalyzed a period of growth as an artist where she turned to painting as an outlet to cope with difficult times. The bright colours and optimism of her paintings served as an antidote to the bleakness and uncertainty of the state of the world during a global pandemic. They are a reminder to remain grateful. Instagram: @grsslvsrn |
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Graham WattGraham Watts is a landscape artist specializing in wildlife and local cityscapes of Vancouver, Whistler and the Sea-To-Sky Corridor. His original pieces are hand-painted in oil on canvas and feature a hint of realism with the artist’s interpretation.Graham Watts has called Vancouver his home for nearly 25 years. “I love living on the West Coast – My inspiration is developed by the variety of people, different environments, colours, and sounds, all triggering ideas for my paintings.” The endless beauty of our natural environment provides countless possibilities for inspiration beyond the city. “Being in the outdoors provides me with the opportunity to connect with myself and eliminate the distraction and noise of the city, helping in my creative process.” Graham’s work is sold throughout BC, across Canada and the USA Instagram: @ggrahamwatts.fineart |
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Juan TeruelJuan is an illustrator from Spain living in Whistler. Four years ago he decided to leave his country with a backpack, watercolours, and brushes and began to travel the world, making his passion his profession. Instagram: @la_retratoteka |
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Kali Talmon-LongdenKali Talmon-Longden is a multidisciplinary artist based in Canada. She loves working with different mediums as they inspire each other and give her many new ideas. Her top picks are dance, fine art, filmmaking and photography. Her work helps her express herself, connect with what is important to her, and just create stuff she finds cool. Some of her days are spent finding geo-caches with her bf and snorkelling for mysteries. |
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Karen LoveKaren first learned to draw from A.Y. Jackson, one of a group of seven painters, while growing up in Kleinburg, Ontario. She studied at Art Sake Institute in Toronto, a studio/school run by ten of Canadian foremost contemporary painters of the 80’s. She then continued her studies in Glass and Metal design at Sheridan College’s School of Craft and Design and ongoing Fine Art studies at Emily Carr U and CapU. Karen creates paintings on large surfaces of canvas or panel, covered with a combination of acrylic and oil paints. “My work is about the richness and patterns of nature at every scale and form – at every natural dimension we see, but don’t necessarily notice every day. I’ve spent a lot of time wandering our valley, always discovering new beauty in the fields, forest, rivers and gardens. Nature’s colours and geometric shapes are fascinating to observe through the different seasons.” Her entire working life has been spent in the visual arts – as a painter, illustrator, art director, graphic designer, photographer, set decorator, furniture maker, muralist and silversmith. Instagram: @karenloveart |
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Kylie MillarKylie is an encaustic artist based in Pemberton, B.C. Her preferred artistic medium is a mixture of pyrography and encaustic. Burning a design into the wooden base and adding encaustic, a wax-based paint, on top combine to create her own unique style of art. Through working with encaustic paint, Millar can create a wide range of imagery but is drawn most to moonscapes and abstraction. She loves to play with texture and layers within all her paintings. Millar is also an art instructor. She invites all levels of artists to explore their creative side in wood-burning, mixed media, and of course, encaustic workshops. Her passion for teaching art and yoga will always invite openness, experimentation, and creativity into any class she holds. Instagram: @kylietmillar |
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Margot Van Der StaayMargot van der Staay was born in the Netherlands and was lucky to grow up in a house that backed onto miles of forests and nature. Much of her childhood was spent playing outside, building things and climbing trees. She drew everything she saw onto anything she could find and wrote little notebooks full of stories. Margot’s parents took her on a multiday hike through the mountains in Italy when she was just 5 years old. When they drove back, her face squished against the window as the landscape became flatter and flatter. She told them that one day she would live in the mountains. As Margot grew older, the more the backyard forest seemed to grow smaller and smaller. As a result, she started travelling, living in different countries, drawing and writing and searching for the perfect home. That’s how she ended up in Canada 5 years ago. The mountains make Margot |
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Meg O’HaraMeg O’Hara is a contemporary Canadian landscape painter. Born in Toronto, ON, she now lives and works in Whistler, BC. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Theory from the University of British Columbia. In 2021, Meg was awarded the esteemed BC Business Top 30 Under 30 award. She has been called the “foremost artist in the ski industry,” and she’s been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine for her ability to deliver original artwork through an exceptional experience to her collectors. Her work is collected by private and corporate clients across Canada, the United States and Europe. Instagram: @megoharacreative |
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Michaela IvancovaMichaela Ivancova is a passionate artist that finds inspiration in nature and personal experiences. She focuses on depicting events from her personal life and her states of mind. Her past experiences and opportunities had guided her in this direction allowing her art to tell her story. Michaela has Master’s degree in Art Education from University Of Presov in Slovakia. As part of her studies, she also attended Shenzhen University in China and Rzeszow University in Poland to get broader views of art scenes in the world. Coming to Vancouver, and later to Whistler in 2017 opened many possibilities for her artistic visions. Mountains and animals became her new inspirations which she depicts in various media. Experimenting with resin and wood opened a new world for her creative spirit. However, she is still returning to her favourite medium of acrylic painting and tries to find her perfect style that correspondents with her feelings and envisions. Instagram: @michaelaivancovaart |
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Nat TukeNat Tuke is an artist and graphic designer living in Squamish, BC. Her art is heavily inspired by those ‘This is it’ moments – that perfect wave, the fleeting alpine glow, a setting sun glittering on a glassy ocean. Her flowy, vibrant paintings celebrate the beauty and purity of the natural world as a great gift that has been given to us, one which we must protect and cherish. Sunlight and warmth are common in her work, tying back to her roots growing up in Melbourne, Australia. Moving to the Sea to Sky region in 2017, Nat’s fascination with the rugged and dramatic landscape of the west coast has translated into countless artworks. When she isn’t painting or designing, she is out climbing, skiing and backpacking throughout BC, soaking up as much inspiration as possible. |
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Nicole KoshureNicole’s artwork is primarily based on finding art in nature. Many of her pieces are inspired from photographs and memories obtained during her time spent in the mountains, the forests and on the sea in coastal BC. Nicole grew up on the North Shore of Vancouver BC, where she was fortunate enough to be exposed to creating art portfolios through her art classes in high school and benefited from a passionate art teacher who exposed her students to a variety of mediums and styles. While continuing to practice her art, her passion for the outdoors and the environment led her focus to shift as she completed an undergraduate degree in Environmental Sciences and later a Masters in Resource and Environmental Management. However, art always remained as a way to reset and create. It was after completing her undergraduate degree that Nicole relocated to Whistler BC, a place she has been coming to since she first learned to ski at the age of 2. During the winter months she currently works as a ski patroller on Blackcomb Mountain – spending as much time as she can exploring the coastal mountains on skis. Nicole has completed several personal commissions for family and friends. Her pieces have also been used in design work to create logos and prints. Most recently her artwork has been featured during the World Ski and Snowboard Festival State of The Art gallery, Art for the Trees & Art on the Lake in Whistler BC, as well as in various retail locations. |
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Nina MooreNina Moore paints at the cottage kitchen table with a drink she is forever accidently dipping her brush into, and eventually paints a little on every item of clothing she owns. She paints with acrylics, and the paint doesn’t come out…she’s promised herself to start wearing an apron one of these days! She creates art to invite people to feel the magic of nature and to feel uplifted. In 2021, she survived Stage 4 lymphoma, and Nina has never been more grateful for the power of friendship, family and the Whistler community for all their support. |
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Paulo LopezPaulo studied graphic design in Australia before returning to Hong Kong to work as a graphic designer. After two years working at a company, he went out on his own as an illustrator/designer. He then partnered with Cary Campbell Lopes to create Campbell Lopes Design, which is now known as Paintertainment. |
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Robyn ShawRobyn is a Squamish-based artist, working primarily in acrylics. Robyn’s work focuses on capturing the beauty and magic of the landscape, with creation of depth and lighting being of importance in her work. Robyn currently has work on display at Kululu Café in Squamish, was a live painter at Whistler’s ‘Art on the Lake’ in 2021, has exhibited some pieces locally at the Maury Young Arts Centre, taught an art programme at the Luminous Elephant Studio in Kitsilano, and has also exhibited work in Sydney, Australia. |
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Ruth BarrowRuth is a graphic designer, artist and artisan living in Whistler, BC, since 2007. From an early age, Ruth has had an interest and passion for art and design; she is inspired by the beauty in her local surroundings and spends her free time drawing and painting, experimenting with different mediums. Instagram: @ruthbarrowart |
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Sarah McDonaldOntario-born but fell in love with the West Coast, Sarah McDonald gets her inspiration from the endless possibilities the outdoors brings. Having lived in Whistler for six years and now making Squamish home, she brings to life the memories and moments from mountain living with heavy textures and acrylic mediums. Instagram: @sarahmcdonaldartwork |
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Sherry KlassenSherry Klassen lives in Whistler with her husband and dog, and she loves it. She feels fortunate to get outside every day. She is inspired by all things west coast; the mountains, forests, and water in all their forms fill her soul. The surrounding nature allows her to recreate in so many wonderful ways. Sherry paints primarily with acrylic on canvas, sometimes adding mixed media. She is particularly drawn to birds and animals. She strives to capture the soul of the animal and will often paint in a bit of humour to add some joy to the world. She is living a life of reinvention and currently working on a painting certificate at Emily Carr University. Sherry has discovered a love of painting and a desire to express her inner creativity. She sells her work through Arts Whistler, Roam Gallery, and her own website artbysherry.ca. Instagram: @sheklas |
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Simon BedfordAfter a lifetime as a professional photographer in London, Simon Bedford was ready to take a rest. But moving to the Sea to Sky, and Pemberton in particular, 15 years ago inspired Bedford to pick up a camera again. |
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SJ YoungSJ is a creative who grew up in the Okanagan and moved with her family to Colorado when she was 15. Hiking and skiing the Colorado Rockies led her to explore mountain environments living and working in Lake Louise Ski Resort & Manza Onsen Ski Resort, Japan; eventually settling in Whistler. She received a BFA from Emily Carr Institute of Art & Design, a key force that helped her work to become more focused on material exploration and concepts like ‘transformation’. SJ currently explores with paper collage, photography and digital applications, manipulating her photographs to tell a story. Both techniques aim to achieve dreamlike landscapes that the viewer’s eye can move through and feel a sense of nostalgia or wonder. Instagram: @sjyoungart |
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Stacey BodnarukStacey Bodnaruk, an artist and photographer, has combined a passion for the Pacific with her art, creative design, photography, and background in interior design. Her goal is to create artwork that inspires, evokes emotion, and starts a conversation. Her fine art photography pieces expertly blend multiple layers of original photos, which are harmoniously intertwined to create a dream-like story. Stacey draws inspiration from mountains and oceans. The power and beauty from these natural forces influence both her personal and professional life. She captures photography from mountain vistas, Canadian wildlife, surf breaks, old-growth forests and wild places around the world. Artwork from her current collections are curated from travels around British Columbia, Hawaii, Mexico, Costa Rica, and her hometown of Whistler. Her approach, which she terms ‘artography’, layers and fuses three to 10 photos that are blended to create vibrant, one-of-a-kind artwork that could never be achieved from one photo alone. She often combines aerial and ground photography to create captivating and unique perspectives. The artwork is printed on aluminum gloss, which produces a vibrant and unmatched depth of colour with beautiful reflections of light, resulting in the medium being part of the art itself. Instagram: @artography27 |
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Stan MatwychukAn artist and a jack of industry trades, Stan Matwychuk of Homebase Studios is a well-rounded, hands-on, creative and community collaborator. With almost 22 years invested into the Howe Sound Corridor, Stan finds lifestyle and artwork intertwined into a seamless experience. Stan transplanted into the Whistler arts scene in 2001, then relocated to Squamish in 2010 and hit the ground running. He worked with corporate mega-brands like CTV and VANOC, as well as finding time to teach art classes to the youth in the corridor through studio classes and high school programs. He has run and operated the Artist-run centre Homebase Studios at the end of Second Ave. Here artists and the community reciprocate the need for each other and incubate creativity. In Whistler, Stan spearheaded the first legally commissioned mural in Whistler with local artist legend Chili Thom and aspiring youth artist Devin White on the Terry Rodgers Bridge. Stan has always brought community and collaboration to the heart of his projects and believes that creativity will allow for new ideas and momentum. Instagram: @homebasestudios |
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Taka SudoBorn and raised in Tokyo, now residing in BC Canada. Taking influences from those totally different environment to create the unique style of artworks. Scattered abstract elements composed of neon color, neutral colour, newsprint and photo collage etc assemble into organic shapes, to find out strong true energy among real and unreal. Those scattered various elements in abstraction are the representation of our environment, existence, daily life, current affairs, information, and each person’s passion, energy etc. Through the adventure between reality and abstraction, you may be able to find your own dynamo to start a bright day with beautiful people. Instagram: @takasudoart |
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Vanessa StarkWith whimsical movement and vibrant tones, Vanessa Stark’s work reflects her lifestyle and environment. When away from the paintbrush, the Whistler/Pemberton artist can be found in the mountains. Snowboarding and mountain biking bring inspiration and balance to her life. Nes’ art portrays a love of nature, animals and freedom of thought. In her words: “My creative process includes drawing from the natural world. My passion for snowboarding has shaped my life. Visual and spiritual epiphanies often occur when I find myself immersed in the powerful realm of nature. These inspiring moments are also ignited in moments of high intensity while connecting to the natural environment through a board or bike. My creative inspiration is alive when I become miniature amongst a cathedral of majestic mountain peaks or through the feeling of surfing snow through the magic of mossy, old growth trees. My painting style has formed organically from living between mountains and experiencing this life-spiration. It is a distinct style that can be seen emerging from other mountain and surf communities. At this time, this is an un-named genre. I refer to it as “Mountain-Style.” Instagram: @vanessastarkart |