Previously featured local artists

Great works of art require skill, deep insight, depth of knowledge and thoughtful execution. The same is true for wealth planning. 

Click here to view our current featured local artist.

Sharon Lalonde

Sharon Lalonde is a Comox Valley resident who strives to make statements about the world in a way that has not been said before and that part of her process is continually evolving. She is inspired by the amazing beauty of Vancouver Island, the vast talent that surrounds her and the infinite possibilities for expression. 

The heart of her practice

Sharon strives to use themes from the natural world to create paintings that give the viewer a new experience. Her greatest joy is having someone express a real connection with the work.

She has aspirations of a technical nature, to make paintings that are pleasing in terms of color combinations and that are strong compositionally, but the greatest satisfaction comes from conveying a feeling that resonates with someone else.

When she sets out to create a series, the things that inspire her decision about a particular place or thing is something that goes deeper than the moment in time. It is the energy and the collective experiences from the past that capture her imagination.

She is surrounded by nature living in the Comox Valley. It allows her to contemplate the evolution that has occurred for thousands of years and attempt to interpret the significance of that in the art.

To learn more about Sharon and her art, please visit: www.SharonLalondeArt.com

Marianne Enhörning

 

Celebrating Women!

Marianne Enhörning’s figurative work is a tribute to the indomitable power of women. Her life size figures celebrate inner strength and personal power. Despite the many challenges faced by women culturally and historically, they rise above, using love, wisdom, and the sisterhood to prevail against all odds. These iconic women love life and all that it means to be a woman.

Utilizing a combination of bold, textural strokes and delicate lines, Marianne connects to herself as woman. Personal longing has fed the work and an internal struggle exists in the layers of the art. Using intuition, heart and soul, the artist creates strong, graceful women who are grounded in their sense of self.

“Painting is my voice, the place where I can express passions that words can't reach. I begin with a palette of paint, a new canvas and no preconceived ideas. When I raise my head, I see an image true to my being that still evades words.”

Marianne Enhörning is a West Coast Canadian artist. To learn more about Marianne and her art, please visit www.EnhorningDesign.com.

Maggie Ziegler

Maggie is a mixed media artist, web & graphic designer. Originally from Alberta, She felt the call of Vancouver Island more than 10 years ago and made the move to this paradise. Maggie has been transformed and inspired by the easy lifestyle and natural charm of her island home. Her art is a reflection of the beauty that surrounds her and the deep sense of gratitude she feels for the experience of creative expression.

The heart of her practice

Maggie has had a life-long passion for creating art and feels so truly blessed to be pursuing what she loves. She doesn't feel compelled to limit her exploration of whatever appeals to her as a subject matter; She is happiest when she is using bright colours and lots of layers. As with all things in life – there is no guarantee of the outcome so she tries to remain optimistically curious and enjoy the process!

Follow Maggie or find her art online at her website:

maggiez.ca

  

Shea Kotilla

 

"I have come to understand that the process, not the outcome, is the juice of an evolving art practice."

Shea Kotilla is on a journey of exploration regarding the use of art materials to evoke a human, sensory experience. Living in the Comox Valley for the past 50 years has brought Shea Kotilla all kinds of joy. She has lived much of her life outdoors, skiing, biking, hiking, kayaking, and gardening. She has raised three wonderous children on the island, and to Shea, they are her everything.

Attending to the craft of art has come and gone over the years, but it has always been a passion that draws her in. Shea excelled in art classes in her junior and senior high schools, then years later, she attended leisure art classes while her kids were growing, and she would join friends in their studios during her free time. Finally, Shea rented her own space in a shared studio and in the last five years, she has been able to devote more time to her art. She retired in late 2022 from her full-time job and has since become a full-time practicing artist.

The heart of her practice

With this outlook, there is elegance, freshness, and a place for curiosity and to imagine new things. She is forever seeking and discovering ways to express on canvas the ‘essence of a thing’, to cause a sense of motion, or a spark of wonder.

Shea is passionate to continue her learning around art by watching videos, reading books about artists’ lives, and looking at artists’ work online. It’s a world she loves to explore and it is an influence on the changing nature of her practice. Art is deeply a part of Shea, and she can hardly help but dive in… for the love of art!

Follow Shea or find her art online at her website:

kotilladesigns.com