A Movie Night with My Dad at VIFF: The Art of Adventure

There’s something really special about going to a film festival screening—especially at the VIFF Centre in downtown Vancouver. My dad and I recently went to see The Art of Adventure, and even before the film began, the experience itself felt inspiring. The theater was intimate and cozy, filled with people who genuinely love film, storytelling, art, and culture. It felt personal in the best way.

The 90-minute documentary follows the lifelong friendship of celebrated Canadian wildlife artist Robert Bateman and biologist Bristol Foster, beginning with an extraordinary trip they took together in their twenties. In 1957–58, they traveled more than 14,000 kilometres across Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and Australia in a rugged Land Rover nicknamed “The Grizzly Torque”.

What struck me most about the film wasn’t just the adventure itself—though the vintage footage and stories were incredible—it was the humanity behind it all.

Like many Canadians, I already knew Robert Bateman as a highly respected wildlife painter. But truthfully, I didn’t know much about him personally. Seeing the archival footage of him as a young man traveling the world with his best friend made him suddenly feel deeply relatable and human. Their friendship was tender, funny, adventurous, and grounded in a genuine love of nature and curiosity about the world.

There was one moment in the documentary that especially stayed with me. During interviews, Bateman’s children mentioned that his work is not included in the National Gallery of Canada collection. Honestly, I found that shocking. Considering not only the artistic legacy he’s created, but also the enormous impact he and Bristol Foster have had on environmental awareness and conservation in Canada, it feels like a profound oversight.

The film beautifully highlighted how much both men contributed to protecting ecological areas, educating the public, and inspiring reverence for the natural world. Those themes deeply resonate with me personally. As someone who feels continually nourished and inspired by nature—and who creates artwork rooted in connection, grounding, and well-being—I found myself unexpectedly moved throughout the film.

What shifted for me afterward was a much deeper respect for Robert Bateman, not just as an artist, but as a human being. And honestly, sharing the experience with my dad made the evening even more meaningful.

If you love art, nature, travel, environmental storytelling, or films that leave you feeling more connected to life itself, I'd absolutely recommend checking out The Art of Adventure. You can watch the official trailer on YouTube or read this thoughtful review in the Vancouver Sun for a deeper dive into their story.

Where We Meet: A Collaboration by Deb Chaney & Ocean Mussack

One of the things I love most about being an artist is that I get to continue to grow, learn and evolve. One of the best ways I've found to do that is by spending time with other artists whose work I genuinely admire and intentionally allowing their work to influence my own.

That's what led to Where We Meet.

Ocean Mussack and I have been collecting each other's work for years. I have several of her sculptures in my home, and she has a number of my paintings. We've talked about collaborating for a long time, and this exhibition will be our first collaboration.

What excites me most about working with Ocean is the process of allowing the colours, textures, marks, and shapes of her sculptures to influence my creative process. Having her work in my home while creating this new body of paintings has encouraged me to see differently, try new approaches and allow my work to evolve in ways I couldn't have anticipated.

It's a way of working I've never intentionally explored before, and that feels both exciting and creatively expansive.

Early on, Ocean and I also made a commitment to each other that our well-being would come first. We wanted this exhibition to be something we genuinely enjoyed, and that intention has become an important part of the collaboration itself.

The exhibition title, Where We Meet, explores multiple meanings.

It speaks to where two artists meet through mutual respect and curiosity.

It speaks to where painting meets sculpture.

Where colour meets wood.

And where texture, shape, and mark-making begin to converse.

When I began creating my series of square paintings this year, I realized each square represented a person. The colours, marks and textures overlap, influence one another, sometimes standing apart and sometimes blending together, much like we do in our own lives.

Bringing Ocean's sculptures into that visual language creates another layer of relationship. The conversation no longer exists only within the paintings, but between the paintings and the sculptures as well.

For me, this exhibition has become an exploration of where our work meets, where our creative practices meet, and where collaboration can take us when we're willing to remain open and curious.

I also hope visitors discover where they meet the work.

Perhaps it's through a particular painting, a sculpture, a texture, a memory, or simply the feeling created by seeing these pieces in conversation with one another.

In the end, that's what Where We Meet is really about—not just where Ocean and I meet as artists, but where each visitor finds their own connection within the exhibition.

I'd love for you to come and experience it with us.

Exhibition Details

Where We Meet
Art Collaboration by Deb Chaney & Ocean Mussack
September 4–5, 2026

Exhibition Hours
Fri, Sep 4 12 PM–6 PM
Sat, Sep 5 10 AM–4 PM

Gabriola Arts & Heritage Centre
476 South Road
Gabriola Island, BC

Beneath the Surface: Visiting Jordi Bonet’s The Fathomless Richness of the Seabed

Recently, Bruce Walther and I made a special trip downtown to visit a remarkable ceramic mural I had heard about for years but never experienced in person: The Fathomless Richness of the Seabed by Spanish-born Canadian artist Jordi Bonet.

Located inside the lobby of Guinness Tower in downtown Vancouver, the mural spans an enormous wall surface and immediately pulls you into another world—one made of texture, rhythm, movement, erosion, tide, and memory.

What struck me first was not just the scale, but the physicality of it.

The mural is deeply textural and feels incredibly alive up close. Ceramic forms protrude from the surface like underwater currents, organisms, shells, rocks, coral formations, and ancient markings. Some areas feel geological. Others feel oceanic or cellular. The piece shifts constantly depending on where you stand.

As artists currently developing concepts for the CHEO public art project, Bruce and I specifically wanted to study the execution of the work—how Bonet handled relief, transitions, rhythm, repetition, and surface tension across such a monumental installation.

And honestly, seeing it in person was inspiring.

Photographs really don’t capture the dimensionality of this piece.

According to the City of Vancouver Public Art Registry, the mural was installed in 1969 and was created to echo “the relationship between the building and its environment,” drawing inspiration from the seabed and underwater life. Bonet described being inspired by “textures and reliefs” such as rippling sand, sponges, and underwater currents.

I especially loved the way the mural balances chaos and structure simultaneously.

There are moments of intricate patterning beside areas that feel completely intuitive and raw. Some sections appear carefully composed, while others feel almost excavated or discovered. That balance is something I think many abstract artists are continually exploring—how to allow spontaneity and control to coexist in the same visual language.

Another unexpected delight?

The lobby itself.

It has this calm mid-century atmosphere that makes you want to stay awhile. If you’re downtown Vancouver and need a quiet place to meet a friend, study, work on a laptop, or simply sit with inspiring art for a while, this is honestly a beautiful hidden spot in the city.

I left feeling grateful that works like this exist in public-facing spaces.

They remind us that texture matters.

Material matters.

Scale matters.

And that art integrated into architecture can profoundly shape how a space feels.

Thank you, Jordi Bonet.

And thank you to the people who continue to preserve and care for works like this for future generations of artists to experience.

Learn more about the mural through the City of Vancouver Public Art Registry and read more about the history of Guinness Tower and its modernist architecture at the Vancouver Heritage Foundation.

Where We Meet: A Painting Series About Connection

I started painting square grids at the end of 2025.

I don't really have a rational explanation for why I began working this way. It simply felt fun to focus on colour and use a palette knife. There was also something unexpectedly freeing about working within a grid-like structure.

At first, every painting included a heart and I called the series Love is Love.

Then something really interesting began to happen when I started creating larger works.

I began leaving spaces between the squares and slowly realized that the squares felt a little bit like people. They were relating to one another, influencing each other, yet holding onto their own individuality.

This idea became the foundation for the new series I'm calling Where We Meet.

Honestly, one of the most enjoyable parts of this body of work is watching how the squares visually interact and "talk" to each other. You can see this beautifully in the close-up studio image above. The paint is still wet—I had been working on it only minutes before taking the photograph.

Some of the paint overlaps from one square into another. Colours blend, textures interrupt one another, edges soften, and unexpected relationships form.

It feels very reflective of our human experience.

We influence one another in both visible and invisible ways. Sometimes we inspire each other. Sometimes we create friction. Sometimes we absorb aspects of the people around us, while remaining distinctly ourselves.

I think this series is quietly teaching me a lot about connection.

If you'd like to explore Love Is Love and other series among my available artwork, my Portfolio Overview is a great place to start.

If something resonates or you'd like to connect, I'd love to hear from you. My studio is open by appointment, so do reach out via my Contact page if you're in the area.

PS: This is the latest in a series of posts about my new painting series and my creative practice. Read the previous post here if you missed it.

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Where We Meet: Art Collaboration by Deb Chaney & Ocean Mussack

This collaborative exhibition explores the intersection of contemporary abstract painting and wood sculpture. Long-time admirers of each other’s work, artists Deb Chaney and Ocean Mussack bring together mixed-media paintings and expressive wood sculptures. Through colour, texture, and form, their distinct artistic voices engage in a thoughtful, immersive dialogue shaped by friendship, curiosity, and creative connection.

Visit the Events Page for more details.

When an Artist Finds a Community: Cassandra Myers' Residency on Gabriola Island

There are some people who leave an impression long before you fully understand the depth of their work.

I first met Cassandra Myers at the Gabriola Arts Council's welcome gathering for our newest Artist in Residence. Before I knew about the awards, the international recognition, or the remarkable breadth of their creative practice, I noticed something much simpler: warmth. Cassandra has an openness that immediately puts people at ease. As we talked, they shared that they were preparing for an upcoming solo exhibition in Toronto while beginning to imagine a completely new installation for their residency here on Gabriola.

Like so many artists, Cassandra stood at that familiar and exciting threshold—knowing something wanted to be created, but not yet knowing exactly what it would become. That willingness to embrace uncertainty is, to me, one of the true marks of an artist.

Over the weeks that followed, I had the privilege of watching not only an extraordinary installation emerge, but also something equally meaningful: an artist becoming woven into the fabric of an island community. We even squeezed in a fun studio visit to Fishhead Studio together here on Gabriola Island.

Meet Cassandra Myers

Cassandra Myers (they/she/he) is an award-winning poet, performer, dancer, illustrator, counsellor, and interdisciplinary artist from Tkaronto (Toronto), Ontario.

Their work lives at the intersection of poetry, performance, film, installation, and visual art, creating immersive experiences that explore identity, disability, gender, healing, and the human experience. Their poetry and spoken word have received national and international recognition, including the National Magazine GOLD Award in Poetry, ARC Poetry Magazine's Poem of the Year Award, The Malahat Review's Open Season Award, and many others.

Yet despite these impressive accomplishments, what struck me most during Cassandra's residency was not their résumé—it was their curiosity, generosity, and wholehearted willingness to invite others into the creative process.

Why Gabriola?

Cassandra came to Gabriola to continue developing Body All Pearls, an interdisciplinary poetry and installation project inspired by the body, vulnerability, transformation, and connection.

Drawn to Gabriola's shoreline, oyster beds, forests, and slower rhythm of life, they envisioned moving beyond the printed page by creating sculptural poetry using reclaimed oyster shells gathered from the island.

The Kasahara Artist Residency offered exactly what so many artists long for: uninterrupted time, natural beauty, and the freedom to explore an idea without knowing precisely where it might lead.

And lead it did.

When a Community Becomes Part of the Artwork

One of the most beautiful aspects of Cassandra's residency wasn't simply the artwork that emerged—it was the number of people who quietly became part of its story.

Island residents collected oyster shells.

Artists shared their time, ideas, and encouragement.

Workshops brought together writers, creatives, and community members eager to explore poetry and storytelling.

A youth poetry slam gave young voices an opportunity to be heard.

Committee members generously offered practical support—including lending Cassandra a vehicle during their stay—making it easier to fully immerse themselves in island life.

Again and again, people simply showed up.

That generosity became part of the work itself.

It reminded me that artist residencies are about far more than creating artwork. They create space for genuine relationships to form between artists and the communities that welcome them.

Watching an Idea Become Reality

From our earliest conversations, I heard Cassandra speak about the installation they hoped to create.

At that stage, it existed only as sketches, possibilities, and conversations.

Months later, I stood inside the completed installation.

Hundreds of suspended oyster shells surrounded visitors, each carrying fragments of poetry, memory, and reflection. Light filtered through the room, gently illuminating the shells as they moved almost imperceptibly in the air.

It was breathtaking.

As artists, we rarely get to witness the entire journey behind someone else's work—from uncertainty and experimentation to a fully realized installation experienced by the public.

Seeing that transformation reminded me that meaningful art asks us to trust the process long before we can see the outcome.

Body All Pearls

Walking through the installation became an experience rather than simply viewing an artwork. The suspended shells invited visitors to slow down, move carefully through the space, and discover poetry embedded throughout the piece. The work felt contemplative, intimate, and quietly powerful.

Each person seemed to experience it differently, which felt entirely appropriate for a work centred on vulnerability, healing, and the many stories our bodies carry.

Listen to Cassandra Describe the Installation

Hearing Cassandra describe the work in their own words offers another layer of insight into both the installation and the creative journey behind it.

Cassadra Speaking About Installation

Cassandra Meyers

Collaboration Behind the Scenes

Although the installation reflects Cassandra's unique artistic vision, it also speaks to the generosity of collaboration.

Throughout their residency, fellow artists offered encouragement, practical assistance, conversations, and expertise that helped bring this ambitious work to life.

Watching Cassandra welcome others into the process was inspiring. There was no sense of needing to create in isolation. Instead, collaboration became another creative material—one that enriched both the artwork and the relationships formed along the way.

Special Thanks to Fran Usher

One person whose contribution deserves special recognition is Gabriola sculptor Fran Usher.

Fran generously shared her expertise in metal fabrication, helping Cassandra develop the structural support that made the suspended installation possible. Her knowledge, encouragement, and willingness to mentor were instrumental throughout the process.

When I asked Fran about the experience, she shared these beautiful reflections:

"It was a real honour to be involved in the metal work of the installation and, more importantly, to see Cass refining her approaches and aesthetic decision making in this relatively new three-dimensional world of self-expression. Her clarity was amazing.

As a sculptor and conceptually themed artist, I could not help but be excited by the passion and complexity of Cassandra's conceptual output. How could one not support her in any way they could?"

Those words beautifully capture the spirit of this residency. Thank you, Fran, for your generosity, mentorship, and creative support.

To learn more about Fran's work at www.franusher.ca and @francesusher_sculptor.

Reflections from the Residency

As Cassandra reflected on their time on Gabriola, it became clear that this residency offered much more than studio time.

It became a season of experimentation, collaboration, friendship, and artistic growth.

The island's forests, beaches, community, and slower pace all found their way into the work, shaping not only the final installation but also the experience of creating it.

Those gifts are difficult to measure, yet they are often the most enduring.

A Grateful Farewell

As another artist, one of the greatest gifts of this experience was witnessing an idea evolve from possibility into something fully realized.

Watching Cassandra embrace uncertainty with such openness reminded me that creativity rarely begins with certainty. It begins with trust.

Trust in the process.

Trust in curiosity.

Trust that the work will reveal itself one step at a time.

Perhaps what I'll remember most isn't only the installation itself, remarkable as it was. It's the way Cassandra welcomed people into the journey, allowing an entire community to become part of the story.

For a little while, Gabriola wasn't simply where Cassandra worked.

It became home.

Thank you, Cassandra, for sharing your remarkable gifts, your generosity, and your creativity with our island community. It has been a privilege to witness your residency, and I look forward to following wherever your artistic journey leads next.

About Cassandra Myers

To learn more about Cassandra Myers, please visit cassmyers.com and @cass.myers.poetry.

The Freedom of Small Studies: Where Big Paintings Begin

A number of years ago, I had the privilege of living in a live-work artist residency for several years. One of the most meaningful parts of that experience was all the artists I got to meet and learn from.

I remember one artist in particular who was working toward a large-scale installation exhibition. All throughout his studio were these beautiful miniature models—tiny, to-scale versions of the sculpture concepts that would eventually become much larger works.

At the time, the concept of creating small studies before fully realizing an idea was completely new to me, and something about it really stayed with me. It positively influenced my practice in a lasting way.

Right now, I’m continuing a series called Where We Meet, which explores the balance between our own sovereignty and the ways we connect with and influence one another.

Recently, I became inspired to explore some new colour palettes and aesthetics within the series, so instead of jumping immediately into larger works, I went back to creating small studies first—the ones you're seeing here in this studio process image.

Honestly, it's really fun to work this way.

There's something freeing about experimenting on a smaller scale. You begin to get a feeling for whether a concept, colour relationship, or texture language is going to work before expanding it into something larger and more immersive.

Sometimes the small pieces quietly teach you where the bigger work wants to go.

To see my available work, both large and small, my Portfolio Overview is a great place to start.

If something resonates or you'd like to connect, I'd love to hear from you. My studio is open by appointment, so do reach out via my Contact page if you're in the area.

PS: This is the latest in a series of posts about my new painting series and my creative practice. Read the previous post here if you missed it.

Visiting Fishhead Studio on Gabriola Island

Recently I had the privilege and joy of visiting Fishhead Studio here on Gabriola Island with our current artist in residence, Cassandra Myers.

Fishhead Studio is the creative world of Dave and Tammie Hennigar—two incredibly welcoming artists whose work spans sculpture, lighting, folk art, painting, reclaimed objects, driftwood, concrete, mixed media, and beautifully inventive found-material creations. Their studio is filled with imagination, humour, texture, craftsmanship, and a true spirit of experimentation.

From the moment we arrived, it felt less like entering a gallery and more like stepping into an extension of their creative lives.

What I especially loved was hearing stories about their years living and homesteading in the Yukon. There was something deeply grounding and inspiring about listening to artists who have built such an expansive creative practice through curiosity, resourcefulness, and hands-on exploration.

We had wonderful conversations about sculpture, materials, making art, and the process of simply figuring things out as you go.

One of my favourite parts of being an artist is that moment of not fully knowing how something will come together—and realizing that discovery itself is part of the art form. Dave and Tammie embody that beautifully. Their work carries a sense of play, experimentation, and trust in the creative process.

I also loved seeing how reclaimed materials and found objects become transformed in their hands. Old wood, metal, fishing gear, driftwood, and salvaged objects become whimsical sculptures and thoughtful works filled with story and character.

These are such beautiful people, and I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to visit, connect, and spend time in their creative space.

Thank you Dave and Tammie for your generosity, conversation, and inspiration. If you’re visiting Gabriola Island, Fishhead Studio is absolutely worth experiencing!

Fishhead Studio
2515 Coho Drive
Gabriola, BC Canada V0R 1X7
250-327-1503
fishheadstudio.ca@gmail.com
Follow their work on Instagram and Facebook.

What Nourishes Me and My Artwork

Something that is foundational to my practice of cultivating well-being—and something that naturally spills into my artwork—is reading books that sustain, inspire, and support me to think and feel in positive ways.

I'm currently reading Serpent of Light by Drunvalo Melchizedek.

When I'm reading, I really sit with the book. If I own the book, I underline passages, write notes in the margins, and spend time reflecting on ideas that resonate most deeply.

Lately I've begun taking sentences or quotes that truly speak to me and transcribing them into hand-lettered ink word art. I then place these writings into short nature videos that I share on Instagram.

The process itself feels very devotional.

Writing the words slowly by hand allows me to pause with them, think about what I’m learning, and integrate the ideas more deeply within myself. I then get to extend that experience outward, sharing it with others who are also drawn to these kinds of thoughtful, uplifting perspectives.

I thought I would share this image from the outdoor section of my studio patio, showing some of the ink writings before they eventually become part of those videos.

As much as these pieces are not directly paintings or part of a "productive" body of work in the traditional sense, they are absolutely part of my practice. They are part of my self-care, my creative rhythm, and my way of staying connected to inspiration.

My hope is that if something feels nourishing and grounding to me, perhaps that feeling will spill over to you too.

To see my available work, my Portfolio Overview is a great place to start.

If something resonates or you'd like to connect, I'd love to hear from you. My studio is open by appointment, so do reach out via my Contact page if you're in the area.

PS: This is the latest in a series of posts about my new painting series and my creative practice. Read the previous post here if you missed it.

The Black & White Show—A New Direction for Where We Meet

The mood shifts with If You Wanna Be My Baby It Don't Matter If You're Black Or White II (Selected for Exhibition), 24" × 24" × 1.5", Acrylic and mixed media on canvas, Where We Meet Series, © Deb Chaney 2026 (Artwork shown in a styled setting; scale may vary from real life.)

When I first came across The Black & White Show at the Sacramento Fine Arts Center in California, I felt an immediate sense of excitement. The exhibition invited artists to submit work created entirely in black, white, and shades of grey—a beautiful creative limitation that immediately sparked an idea.

My ongoing series, Where We Meet  explores the universal experience of connection while maintaining our own individuality and sovereign sense of self. The paintings are built through many layers of acrylic and mixed media, creating textured surfaces that speak to inter-connection, relationships, and embracing our own individual uniqueness.

Removing colour from the equation felt like an exciting challenge. Rather than adapting an existing painting, I decided to create an entirely new pair of works specifically for this exhibition.

If You Wanna Be My Baby It Don't Matter If You're Black Or White

The titles were inspired by the familiar lyrics from Michael Jackson's song Black or White, reflecting one of the central ideas behind this series—that beneath our many differences, we all seek connection while respecting ourselves.

Working exclusively in black, white, and grey shifted my focus toward texture, value, rhythm, and the relationships between forms. What I initially thought might feel limiting quickly became liberating. Without colour competing for attention, the surfaces, marks, and quiet conversations between the squares became the heart of the work.

Although only one painting was selected for the exhibition, both pieces were conceived together as companions within this new monochrome exploration.

If You Wanna Be My Baby It Don't Matter If You're Black Or White I, 24" × 24" × 1.5", Acrylic and mixed media on canvas, Where We Meet Series, © Deb Chaney 2026

If You Wanna Be My Baby It Don't Matter If You're Black Or White II (Selected for Exhibition), 24" × 24" × 1.5", Acrylic and mixed media on canvas, Where We Meet Series, © Deb Chaney 2026

A Wonderful Gesture

As an international artist living on Gabriola Island, British Columbia, participating in U.S. exhibitions can occasionally present logistical challenges. In this case, the complexities of international shipping meant I wasn't able to send the painting to California in time for the in-person exhibit.

That said, I shared my situation with the Sacramento Fine Arts Center, fully expecting to withdraw from the exhibition. Instead, the organizers responded with remarkable generosity. They offered to continue featuring my accepted painting as part of the exhibition's online gallery for the duration of the show.

Their kindness transformed what initially felt like a disappointment into something worth celebrating, and I'm sincerely grateful for their support.

Explore the Exhibition

One of the joys of juried exhibitions is discovering the incredible range of artistic voices working within the same creative constraint. This year's exhibition includes photography, painting, drawing, and mixed media, each offering a unique interpretation of black, white, and grey.

I'm honoured to have my work included among such a diverse and talented group of artists. You can view their works along with my featured painting on the exhibit’s page here.

A New Chapter

Perhaps the greatest gift of this exhibition is not simply having a painting accepted. It's discovering that this monochrome branch of Where We Meet has its own visual language.

Sometimes a creative limitation doesn't narrow the possibilities—it reveals them. I have a feeling this is only the beginning.

Exhibition Details

The Black & White Show
July 14–August 8, 2026

Closing Reception
August 8, 5 PM–7 PM

Gallery Hours
Tue–Fri 11 AM–3 PM
Sat 11 AM–5 PM

Sacramento Fine Arts Center
5330 Gibbons Dr
Carmichael, CA 95608, USA
916-971-3713
info@sacfinearts.org
Black & White Art Show
Sacramento Fine Arts Center 

When Previous Work Informs Current Creations

The other day I found myself sitting in the meditation corner of my room, looking at two paintings I have displayed there: Kindness and Perseverance. Both have dominant yellow tones, but Perseverance was speaking to me today. It's this soft, subtle butter yellow that feels incredibly calming and alive at the same time.

Something that often happens in my artistic practice is that previous work begins to gently guide the new series. I'll look closely at an earlier painting and suddenly notice something that wants to continue forward into the current series.

This morning, in addition to the colour itself, I started noticing the smaller details inside Perseverance—gestural chocolate coffee-brown marks, earthy textures, and hints of ultramarine violet in layers that are grounded and organic. It felt deeply connected to the direction of the paintings I'm working on now.

I became really excited about letting this soft yellow become the dominant tone in the next pieces.

I went straight into the studio and began experimenting with coffee grounds to create a warm light-brown foundation for four new paintings. Once this first surface dries, I'll slowly begin building upward with translucent yellows, earthy textures, and inspiration borrowed from past work.

I love when previous work informs and inspires the current work.

If you're interested in collecting an original painting, explore my available works here.

PS: This is the latest in a series of posts about my new painting series. Read the previous post here if you missed it.

A Hidden Gem in Dunbar: Discovering Mónica Reyes Gallery

While visiting Vancouver in May, I had one of those wonderful little unexpected moments that remind me why I love wandering and staying open to surprise.

I was driving back from an outing when, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a gallery I had somehow never noticed before. Tucked quietly into the Dunbar neighbourhood, it almost felt hidden away—understated, elegant, and quietly calling me in.

So naturally… I pulled the car over immediately.

As luck would have it, the gallery was just closing. But gallerist Mónica Reyes graciously stayed open for a few extra moments and warmly invited me in to enjoy the current exhibition. Those small acts of generosity and openness always stay with me.

The Exhibition

Stepping into the gallery, I took in the exhibit of Vancouver artist Julia Soderholm, whose work I found incredibly refreshing.

The paintings feel deeply rooted in observation of the natural world while remaining abstract and intuitive. Colour, gesture, movement, atmosphere, and memory all seem to coexist within the work. I especially loved the way certain pieces evoked landscape without ever becoming literal—moments of sky, water, trees, light, and distance all hinted at through layered marks and luminous colour relationships.

There’s a looseness and confidence in Julia’s paintings that I really appreciated. The work feels alive. Spacious. Unforced.

A few paintings in particular pulled me in—especially the larger works with saturated blues, greens, violets, and soft chartreuse passages that seemed to vibrate against one another. The paintings carried that beautiful balance between structure and intuition that I’m always so drawn to in abstract painting.

I also loved the scale and simplicity of the gallery itself. Clean white walls, beautiful natural light, and enough breathing room for the paintings to really speak.

If you’re in Vancouver and love contemporary abstract art, I highly recommend stopping in.

Exhibition Details

The day comes with a colour
Paintings by Julia Soderholm
May 14 – June 27, 2026

About the Artist Currently on Exhibit

Julia Soderholm is a Vancouver-based painter currently completing her MFA at Emily Carr University. Her work explores abstraction and landscape through layered paint, gesture, memory, and colour. The paintings invite viewers into a kind of re-enchantment with the natural world — something I could absolutely feel while standing in the gallery.

Gallery Information

Mónica Reyes Gallery
2895 West 33rd Avenue
Vancouver, BC V6N 2G3
604-339-2096
Instagram: @monicareyesgallery

Gallery Hours
Wed–Sat 11 AM–3 PM

Painting Tools at the Heart of the Process

I want to share a little about the tools I’ve been using in this series—because they are what help me bring these ideas into form.

You can see a number of palette knives lined up in the photo, and they are by far my most-used tools right now. I use them to mix paint and apply it directly onto the canvas, building up the surface and creating those layered square forms.

As the paintings have grown in size, the tools have too. What started with smaller knives has expanded into larger ones to match the scale of the work.

Something else that’s been really important is having everything organized and within reach. When I feel the impulse to adjust something—to add, subtract, or shift—I can respond right away without breaking that creative flow.

I’m not using brushes very much in this series. It’s mostly palette knives, along with a few other tools I’ll share more about soon. I find this to be a very tactile, hands-on process—and I’m really enjoying that.

If you're interested in collecting an original painting, explore my available works here.

PS: This is the latest in a series of posts about my new painting series and my creative practice. Read the previous post here if you missed it.

Deb Chaney's Artwork Featured in Saatchi Art's Vancouver City Spotlight

I am grateful to have some selected artwork included in this special feature of Vancouver artists on Saatchi Art's online gallery.

Saatchi Art recently launched its City Spotlight: Vancouver collection, a curated feature highlighting artists working in and around one of Canada's most vibrant creative communities.

Nestled between majestic mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Vancouver has long been a place where nature, creativity, innovation, and culture intersect. The city's artistic landscape is rich and diverse, and I am honoured to have several of my mixed media creations included alongside so many talented artists. I am grateful to have grown up in this beautiful city and love, love, love to visit!

You can view the full collection at Saatchi City Spotlight: Vancouver.

About Saatchi Art

For those unfamiliar with the platform, Saatchi Art is one of the world's leading online art marketplaces, connecting collectors with artists from around the globe. The platform provides opportunities for artists to share their work with an international audience while offering collectors access to thousands of original pieces, limited editions, and contemporary creators working across a wide variety of mediums and styles.

One of the things I appreciate most about Saatchi Art is its commitment to curatorial discovery. Their team regularly creates thoughtfully assembled collections that introduce collectors to emerging and established artists while highlighting regional creative communities.

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Saatchi Art and their curatorial team for selecting my work for this feature. Being included in a collection that celebrates Vancouver's creative spirit is both meaningful and encouraging.

Featured Works

The selected pieces represent different moments in my creative journey and my ongoing exploration of well-being, transformation, and inner connection through colour, texture, and layered abstraction.

In This Together 4

View on Saatchi Art

In This Together 4

View on Saatchi Art

Take it away XII

View on Saatchi Art

Take it away XII

View on Saatchi Art

Wheels Of Life

View on Saatchi Art

Wheels Of Life

View on Saatchi Art

• Take It Away XII

• In This Together 4

• Wheels of Life

Each composition was created through an intuitive process that combines acrylic paint, texture, layering, and reflection. My hope is always that these visual expressions invite viewers into a moment of pause, presence, and possibility.

Other Artists Who Inspired Me in the Collection

One of the joys of being included in a curated feature is discovering the remarkable work of fellow artists. As I explored the Vancouver Spotlight collection, several pieces immediately caught my attention.

"Exhaust" by Claudine Gévry

View on Saatchi Art

"Interior Scene (Living Room in Blue, Green, Yellow and Grey)" by Nicole Durocher

View on Saatchi Art

"Smoulder/Smother" by Katherine Duclos

View on Saatchi Art

"Exhaust" by Claudine Gévry
This piece stopped me in my tracks. I was drawn to its energy, movement, and expressive quality. There is something beautifully alive and emotionally charged about it.

"Interior Scene (Living Room in Blue, Green, Yellow and Grey)" by Nicole Durocher
I love the colour relationships and sense of atmosphere in this work. The composition feels both inviting and sophisticated, creating a space I want to step into and explore.

"Smoulder/Smother" by Katherine Duclos
This piece captivated me with its depth, mood, and layered visual language. The subtle complexities reveal themselves slowly, rewarding a longer look.

I always find it inspiring to see the unique ways artists interpret their experiences, observations, and inner worlds. Collections like this remind me how diverse, expansive, and exciting contemporary art can be.

A Celebration of Vancouver's Creative Community

Being part of this Vancouver Spotlight feature feels like a celebration of the incredible artistic talent that exists throughout British Columbia and beyond. Art has a unique ability to connect us across geography, culture, and experience, and I am grateful to share space with so many inspiring creators.

Thank you again to the Saatchi Art team for this recognition and for supporting artists through thoughtful curation and global visibility.

And thank you to everyone who continues to follow, collect, share, and support my creative journey. Your encouragement makes it possible for me to continue creating work that explores well-being, authenticity, and the transformative power of art.

If you're interested in collecting original paintings or prints, you can explore my available works here.

This Is Where The Painting Begins to Change

Starting with the grid

As noted in my previous post, every piece in this series begins the same way—a pencil grid laid down on the surface, creating the structure for everything else. It's a quiet, methodical start. The grid doesn't change, but what happens within it does.

Choosing the background colour

Once the grid is in place, my next decision is the background colour. This might seem like a small thing, but it sets the tone for everything that follows. It's the foundation that will support all the colours eventually living within each square—so it has to be right.

For this piece I chose purple. I knew I wanted to explore bright pinks and fluorescent tones, and I felt a purple base would hold and balance that energy without competing with it.

How the process keeps evolving

What's been really interesting to me is how much the process keeps evolving, even within a consistent structure. Each painting teaches me something new as I adjust how I apply the paint, experiment with different approaches, and notice what feels most alive.

There's a rhythm forming across the series. Repeating, shifting, refining. The structure stays the same; everything else is in motion.

If you're interested in collecting original paintings or prints, you can explore my available works here.

PS: This is the second in a series of posts about my new painting series and my creative practice. Read the first post here if you missed it.

Follow Your Yellow Brick Road–A New Little Gems Series

A room is brightened by Follow your yellow brick road ii of iii, 9” x 12” Acrylic on Paper, © Deb Chaney Prints available on Saatchi Gallery.

I’m excited to share a series of three paintings I created earlier this year called Follow Your Yellow Brick Road. Each one is part of my Little Gems Series—multi-layered 9” x 12” original paintings created with acrylic (both heavy body and liquid), ink, pencil, and tar gel.

The inspiration for this series came while developing my upcoming course, The Illuminated Artist in Business. In both art and business, I’ve discovered there is no single, prescribed path. Instead, each of us must find our own “yellow brick road”—a path shaped by exploration, trust, and authenticity.

Art and healing are deeply connected

Research has shown that engaging with art can reduce stress, promote well-being, and even improve health outcomes. In creating these works, I layered texture and color as a metaphor for life’s unfolding journeys.

“At the deepest level, the creative process and the healing process arise from a single source. When you are an artist, you are a healer; a wordless trust of the same mystery is the foundation of your work and its integrity.”
– Kimberly Hetherington

Follow your yellow brick road ii of iii, 9” x 12” Acrylic on Paper, © Deb Chaney Prints available on Saatchi Gallery.

The 3 Follow your yellow brick road paintings drying in the studio.

The original paintings are available, as well as prints in a range of sizes through Saatchi Art:

• Follow Your Yellow Brick Road I

• Follow Your Yellow Brick Road II

• Follow Your Yellow Brick Road III

I hope this series reminds you to trust your own unique journey. If you're interested in collecting an original painting, you can explore my available works here.

How a Painting Series Begins

Drawing a grid in pencil on the canvas getS things started.

Where This Series Begins

I've been wanting to share what's been happening in the studio lately and this new series feels ready to step into the light.

Every painting in this series starts the same way—with a pencil grid.

Once I land on a colour direction that excites me, I draw out this simple structure on the canvas. It becomes a quiet guide—a container that holds everything that comes next.

Freedom Within Limits

I've been thinking a lot about how, in creativity, having some form of limitation can actually open things up. Even with this grid in place, there's a sense of freedom within it. I get to explore, play, and respond without needing to solve the whole painting all at once.

This series really began with curiosity—an idea sparked by blocks of colour and how they might connect—and it continues to unfold from there.

More to come as it evolves.

Until then, feel free to explore my available original artwork.

ART PARTY! A Fundraising Exhibition at Seymour Art Gallery

Purple Pie Green I by Deb Chaney, 12" x 12" acrylics on canvas

I’m thrilled to share that I’ll be participating in ART PARTY!, a special fundraising exhibition at Seymour Art Gallery this May.

This vibrant community exhibition brings together an eclectic group of local artists, with all artwork priced at $100, $200, or $300. Proceeds from the exhibition will help support Seymour Art Gallery’s ongoing exhibitions, educational programs, and public arts initiatives within the community.

The opening celebration takes place on Saturday, May 16 at 5 PM and includes a silent auction, live music, and a joyful gathering of artists, collectors, and art lovers.

For this exhibition, I’ll be sharing seven paintings from my Love Is Love series—a body of work exploring connection, playfulness, emotional presence, and the simple beauty of colour relationships through layered abstract compositions.

There’s something especially meaningful to me about these smaller works. They invite a more intimate interaction and often resonate with both established collectors and young people just beginning their relationship with original art. In fact, during the gallery’s recent Start with Art exhibition, three of my paintings found homes with young collectors—something that felt genuinely meaningful.

One of the featured works in this upcoming exhibition is Purple Pie Green I, a playful and richly layered painting balancing cool turquoise, violet, deep berry, and soft passages of light. Like many works in this series, it emerged intuitively through layering, subtraction, movement, and responding moment by moment to colour and feeling.

All We Need is Love

by Deb Chaney, 12" x 12" acrylics on canvas

Love is All We Need

by Deb Chaney, 12" x 12" acrylics on canvas

Love is Love III

by Deb Chaney, 12" x 12" acrylics on canvas

Love is Love IV

by Deb Chaney, 12" x 12" acrylics on canvas

Love is Love VI

by Deb Chaney, 12" x 12" acrylics on canvas

Love and Coffee II

by Deb Chaney, 12" x 12" acrylics on canvas

Purple Pie Green I

by Deb Chaney, 12" x 12" acrylics on canvas

The seven paintings included in ART PARTY! are all 12” x 12” acrylics on canvas.

• All We Need is Love

• Love is All We Need

• Love is Love III

• Love is Love IV

• Love is Love VI

• Love and Coffee II

• Purple Pie Green I

The opening evening features a live performance by Afro-Canadian musician Sam Chimes. His improvisational blend of jazz and soulful hip-hop with live looping and vocal layering, promises to create a memorable atmosphere for the celebration.

I’m deeply grateful to curator Vanessa Black and the Seymour Art Gallery team for including my work in this exhibition and for their continued support of artists and arts culture within the community.

If you’re in the Vancouver area, I would love for you to stop by and experience the exhibition in person.

Exhibition Details

ART PARTY! A Fundraising Exhibition
May 16–May 30, 2026

Opening Event
Saturday, May 16, 2026
5 PM
Admission by donation

Gallery Hours
Tue–Sun 11 AM–5 PM

Seymour Art Gallery
4360 Gallant Ave
North Vancouver, BC V7G 1L2
Seymour Art Gallery Exhibitions

MAY’d on Gabriola—A Celebration of Creativity, Community & Connection

MAY’d organizers out front the Gabriola Theatre Centre

There’s something truly special about coming together to celebrate creativity—not just as individuals, but as a community.

This May long weekend, I’m so happy to be participating in MAY’d on Gabriola, a vibrant, island-wide event that brings together artists, artisans, performers, and makers in a beautiful expression of what it means to create.

From soap to songs, painting to performance, this event spans 40 venues across Gabriola Island and showcases the work of over 60 creatives, each offering something unique, heartfelt, and made with care.

A Community Effort—With Deep Gratitude

MAY’d on Gabriola organizers in the Gabriola Theatre Centre, a main hub during the event

Events like this don’t just happen—they are created through the time, energy, and dedication of people who care deeply about art, community, and connection.

A heartfelt thank you to the organizing team:

• Jasmine Howes, Artistic Director, Gabriola Theatre Centre

• Cindy-Sue Rabinovitch, artist, teacher, and Integrative Chakra Therapy® Healer

• Corinne Flaws, artist and photographer

• Laura Egin, arts administrator

Your vision, effort, and generosity are what make this event possible. It’s a beautiful thing to witness and be part of.

Where You’ll Find My Work

The distinctive Gabriola Theatre Centre. Photo credit: Stephanie Artuso

I’ll be exhibiting my work at the Gabriola Theatre Centre, one of the central gathering spaces for the event.

This venue is more than just a location—it’s a hub of activity throughout the weekend, hosting the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as performances, food trucks, and community gatherings.

I feel especially grateful to Jasmine Howes for her kindness and generosity in welcoming my work into this space. It’s an honour to be part of what is unfolding here.

The Work I’ll Be Sharing

Loving My Home I

Loving My Home II

Loving My Home III

Loving My Home IV

For this exhibition, I’ll be sharing new paintings from my Love Is Love Series.

This body of work explores the quiet balance between individuality and connection—how we exist as our own unique selves while also being deeply in relationship with one another.

Each piece is created through an intuitive, layered process, building and revealing over time. The work is grounded in my ongoing exploration of art as a practice of presence, healing, and well-being.

Experiencing these pieces in person offers a completely different feeling — one that’s difficult to translate through a screen.

What to Expect Over the Weekend

MAY’d on Gabriola is a full weekend experience, with something happening across the island.

Event Hours

Saturday May 16 & Sunday May 17, 2026
10:00 AM–4:00 PM

Special Events at Gabriola Theatre Centre

Opening Night—Friday May 15 at 5:30 PM
Citizen Chen Performance—Friday at 7:30 PM
Vaudeville Dress Rehearsal—Saturday at 7:30 PM
Vaudeville Performance—Sunday at 3:00 PM
Closing Celebration—Sunday at 7:00 PM

Whether you spend a few hours or the whole weekend, there’s an incredible sense of discovery, creativity, and connection woven throughout.

Plan Your Visit

If you’re planning to attend the event, you can explore all participating venues and artists at maydgabriola.ca.

A Personal Invitation

There’s something really meaningful about seeing art in person—standing in front of it, feeling it, taking it in without distraction.

If you feel called, I would love for you to come by the Gabriola Theatre Centre, experience the work, and be part of this beautiful weekend.

Visiting Artist in Residence: Micah Goldstein at the Kasahara Gabriola Trust

Deb Chaney and Micah Goldstein at Deb’s studio — Gabriola Island.

There are many extraordinary things about living on Gabriola Island, affectionately known as the Isle of the Arts.

For me, this place truly feels like home. I moved here during the pandemic, seeking a landscape where nature, community, and creativity could coexist in a meaningful way. Gabriola offered exactly that—beautiful beaches for hiking, the ocean always nearby, and an incredibly vibrant community of artists.

Sometimes, though, the island offers even more than you could think to ask for.

Kasahara Gabriola Trust Artist Residency

A few years ago, I learned about the Kasahara Gabriola Trust Artist Residency, hosted by the Gabriola Arts Council. The program welcomes artists from around the world to live and work on Gabriola Island, sharing their creative practices and ideas with the community while developing their own work in a quiet and inspiring setting. You can learn more about the residency at the Gabriola Arts Council.

Last year, I had the honour of joining the residency committee as a volunteer. What struck me most was the extraordinary generosity behind the program. Many members of the committee offer their time simply because they believe in the importance of supporting artists and cultural exchange.

Artists are welcomed with a small gathering when they arrive, and during their stay they share their work with the community through workshops, talks, and an exhibition at the Gabriola Arts & Heritage Centre.

The Legacy Behind the Residency

The residency exists because of the remarkable vision of Toshiko Kasahara.

More than fifty years ago, Toshiko came to Gabriola Island almost by accident. She later built a beautiful oceanfront home here at the age of eighty. She loved the island deeply—the ocean, the people, and especially the arts.

Her spirit was adventurous and bold. She loved music, conversation, and connection. The home she built now serves as the Kasahara House, where visiting artists stay during their residency.

Today, her gift continues to bring creative voices from around the world to Gabriola, enriching the island’s artistic community.

Current Artist in Residence: Micah Goldstein

Visiting from Montreal, Micah W. Goldstein is the current artist in residence.

Micah’s interdisciplinary practice explores the intersection of printmaking, animation, memory, and place. Her work often focuses on intimate, reflective moments—hands interacting with objects, feet touching the ground, or the quiet awareness of moving through a space.

By placing the viewer very close to the subject, she transforms even small objects into entire worlds.

Her artistic process is deeply tactile and meditative. Micah experiments with ways of recreating digital effects through entirely analogue techniques—using tracing paper, lightboxes, layered transparencies, and shadow shapes to mimic movements such as pans or crossfades.

These ritualistic methods emphasize the act of making. Through layering, repetition, and careful attention to process, she builds dense visual environments that invite viewers to slow down and experience a moment of presence — what she describes as the feeling of being “here”.

Micah also recently shared the creative process behind one of her short films during an artist talk on Gabriola Island. The film has so far been shown in Ontario and Montreal through a student festival, and she continues submitting it to festivals internationally.

Her ability to explain both the conceptual and technical aspects of her work was incredibly illuminating—particularly for those of us without a background in film or animation.

Workshop with the Gabriola Community

Micah presenting the fundamentals of animation and frame sequencing during her community workshop.

During her residency, Micah also led a hands-on workshop for the Gabriola community, sharing techniques from her animation and printmaking practice.

Participants learned how animation is built frame by frame and how careful sequencing creates the illusion of movement.

The workshop allowed artists and community members to experiment with the same careful processes Micah uses in her own practice.

Inside the Creative Process

Micah’s process involves layering images, experimenting with transparency, and building motion frame by frame.

Her studio setup during the residency included a camera rig positioned above the work surface, allowing each drawing or paper layer to be captured precisely.

The result is a slow, attentive workflow — one that values presence and physical interaction with materials.

Workshop participants exploring animation techniques and creating their own sequences.

Experimental cyanotype frames used as part of Micah’s analogue animation explorations.

Animation setup used to capture individual frames during the filming process.

Behind the scenes of Micah’s animation workspace during the residency.

A Personal Studio Visit

Recently, Micah visited my studio here on Gabriola Island. We shared tea and cookies while talking about our practices, artist residencies around the world, and the evolving landscape of contemporary art.

Our conversation ranged from the Vienna Biennale (which she may be participating in), to creative process, to the personal journeys that shape an artist’s work.

It was one of those beautiful exchanges that reminds you why artistic community matters.

Micah is a thoughtful and courageous young artist — someone who is clearly stepping into the world with curiosity, intelligence, and heart. I feel incredibly grateful that our paths crossed.

Gratitude

Programs like the Kasahara Gabriola Trust Artist Residency remind us how powerful artistic exchange can be. Artists arrive from different places and disciplines, bringing with them new ideas, perspectives, and conversations that enrich the entire community.

Micah, thank you for sharing your work, your curiosity, and your presence with our island. It has been a privilege to meet you, and I look forward to following your journey and everything you create in the years ahead.

For those who missed her residency exhibition, here is a look at the Expanded Overlays showcase:

Expanded overlays was an exploration of works relating to animation, printmaking, and time created during the Kasahara Gabriola Trust Artist Residency. Artist-in-residence Micah Goldstein shared some of the work she's been developing while on the island, as well as a short under-camera animation demonstration using paint on glass. Micah's work was displayed both as individual frames and as full animated sequences.

Learn More

Visit Micah Goldstein’s Website to explore more of her animation and printmaking projects.
The Kasahara Gabriola Trust Artist Residency–learn more about the residency program and past visiting artists on the Gabriola Arts Council website.
Follow Micah on Instagram for behind-the-scenes look at her latest analogue explorations.

Illuminate: Champions for Change—Art, Connection, and Mental Well-Being

There are moments in life when something arrives that feels deeply aligned—where your personal journey, your creative work, and a greater purpose all meet in the same space.

Being part of Illuminate: Champions for Change is one of those moments for me.

On April 30th, at Arts Umbrella on Granville Island, this special fundraising evening will bring together community leaders, organizations, and supporters who are committed to improving mental health and addressing loneliness in our communities. Hosted by Bit Happier in collaboration with the Stigma-Free Mental Health Society, the event is focused on something that touches all of us—connection, well-being, and the courage to speak openly about mental health.

This cause is not abstract to me.

There was a time in my life when my mental health was at its lowest point. It was a period marked by deep struggle, and ultimately, it was through creativity—through making art—that I found my way back to myself. Art became a place of grounding, of expression, and of healing when I needed it most.

That is why supporting this event feels so important.

Bit Happier is doing meaningful work in the space of mental wellness, using creativity, technology, and community to address loneliness and help people feel more connected. Alongside them, the Stigma-Free Mental Health Society continues to create real impact across Canada, especially through their work with youth and education programs that reduce stigma and open up conversations.

Together, this evening is about more than fundraising—it is about bringing people together to illuminate what is possible when we care for one another.

As part of the event, I’ve donated an original painting to the silent auction:

Playdate in the City II, 20" x 20" x 1.5", acrylic and mixed media on canvas, from the Love is Love series, © Deb Chaney 2026

This piece explores connection in a very human way.

Each square within the grid began to feel like a person to me—distinct, contained, yet always in relationship with those around it. Some connect, some hold space, some move closer, some pull away. It reflects the subtle ways we influence each other while still maintaining our own sense of self.

At its core, this painting is about what it means to love authentically—to stay open, to connect, and to be in relationship without losing yourself in the process.

It is something I am still learning.

If this work speaks to you, I invite you to take part in the silent auction or attend the event. Your presence and your support contribute directly to initiatives that are helping people feel less alone in the world.

Because at the end of the day, that’s what this is about.

Connection.

Compassion.

And creating spaces where people can feel seen, supported, and well.

For more information on the evening's schedule and location, please visit my Events page.