Featured Artists

March 2025 ~ Christine G

My paintings are inspired by our beautiful rainforests and rugged coast. I paint to communicate the spirit of the strong yet quiet lands. My process is mainly to observe. To work on site is important; however, to me, overwhelming. To sketch on site is important; however, in my studio is where the painting develops. I paint until the remembered spirit is found. The painting leads me through this process. My paintings often have a stained-glass feeling. I think this is caused by my love of atmospherics and always having to look between the branches.

I was born in Trinidad, West Indies, and raised at Albert Head, Metchosin, BC. These forests and lands have always been my inspiration. Throughout my studies at the Emily Carr University in Vancouver BC, the University of Manitoba and the Ottawa School of Art, the land remains my focus.

After high school, I studied nursing at Saint Joseph’s Hospital, Victoria, and worked as an RN before marrying Joseph (Larry), and getting a military life of many moves with our three children; Germany, England, five provinces and Yellowknife Northwest Territories. Never a dull moment... and studied art whenever possible. I also worked with legal aid for several years in Ottawa. All good life experiences.

On retirement, we returned to Victoria and I was fortunate to find the Victoria Sketch Club and have been a member for 33 years.

February 2025 ~ Carol M

I was born and raised mostly in small-town Alberta except for a glorious childhood interlude in Victoria that left me with a determination to return this Vancouver Island paradise.

My first career as a registered nurse took me to other parts of Canada and to India for 2 years with CUSO (Canadian University Service Overseas). I spent time in East Africa and Europe-- after returning home, I became a Nursing Officer with the Canadian Armed Forces, married an Army man and raised a family while moving to various bases.

Once back home, I attained a degree in Political Science & Economics. Several postings and jobs later, I became an Antique Dealer / entrepreneur with a shop on Ottawa’s Wellington Street. Following retirement, my dreams came true and we settled on Vancouver Island-- first Sooke, then Victoria.

My career as an artist began in childhood with an endless supply of crayons, a mother who was a gifted and passionate artist, and a home surrounded by art, books and encouragement.

I am self-taught, and have been helped and encouraged along the way by wonderful artists to whom I am eternally grateful. I am inspired by places, objects, buildings and people who tell a story. I paint working boats, each with distinctive character, seaplanes that remind us of the Canadian wilderness, streets and building that reflect the culture and history of our Chinese community, colourful floating houses at Fisherman’s Wharf, vegetable markets, historic facades of 19th century buildings and sometimes landscapes and scenes of the prairie in which I was raised.

Much of my work reflects my love of the ocean and the incredible community in which we live. I never run out of inspiration or subjects to paint, and am drawn to strong colours, texture and details that help tell my story. I am a member of the Victoria Sketch Club and an Exhibiting Member of the FCA.

January 2025 ~ Avis R

Avis was juried into the Victoria Sketch Club in 2018. A painter and printmaker since childhood in Sidney, B.C., Avis continues to paint with the Peninsula Plein Air Painters. She majored in Art Education and teaching school as her five children grew up, completing a B.Ed '75, BFA '79 & M'Ed '82 at UVic., followed by Metchosin Summer School of the Arts painting with Flemming Jorgensen, Japanese woodblocks with Noboru Sawai, Self Portraits with Leslie Poole and Colour with Xane St. Philip.

In 1992 Avis was juried into the University of Saskatchewan's Emma Lake Artists' Workshop and in 2003 juried into a Residency in Italy with the International School of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture. On her travels in Greece, Italy, Spain, France, Holland, the UK, USA and across Canada Avis's sketchbooks are a basis for paintings and linocuts. To 2016 for many years Winchester Galleries exhibited her 'travel' paintings and Burnaby Art Gallery her linocut series with "the Sunny Side of the Street" in their collection.

She is a member of CARFAC BC, the Oak Bay Community Artists showing in the Oak Bay Studio Tours and Bowker Creek Brush-Up and an Honorary Member of the Victoria Arts Council. The link to Avis's 2023 Retrospective Show (60 years) "The View From Here" curated by Executive Director, Kegan McFadden is: http://www.artopenings.ca/avis-rasmussen.html

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Her works are in private collections and public collections such as Mary Winspear Centre, Sidney, B.C., York U., Toronto, Kingston Military College, and UVic's Legacy Gallery where February 8th, 2025 Avis will read " My Talk: Burnaby Art Gallery 2016" in the current "Point Group" exhibition.

November 2024 ~ Rand H

Rand grew up in Vancouver, left the west coast in 1966, and retired 40 years later to Victoria. During that period of time he and his wife Margaret lived in Calgary, Providence in Rhode Island, Winnipeg, and Edmonton, with Margaret’s career carving its own successful professional path alongside his. With degrees in the geological sciences, and employment that evolved from industry, through academia to government, Rand’s field travels ranged from the Northwest Territories to the Caribbean and, during quieter political times, to Jordan in the Middle East.

It was during field work with an undergraduate arts student in 1981 that Rand tried his first sketching. He was hooked, and with a workshop here, a short course there, painting (mostly watecolour), pen & ink, and printmaking have become part of his life, along with involvement in several local art organizations.

October 2024 ~ Bonny M

I, Bonny Myers, have been painting since I was 10 years old, now signing BONITA. I grew up in Quebec, became a RN (Montreal) and as a married mother after 1976 took a 30-year hiatus from painting due to work, motherhood and crafting. My artistic education has all been through clubs, workshops and online classes over the years in Canada, USA and abroad. I continue to soak up tips from a variety of courses on ZOOM and in person. I have been an active member of the VSC, OBAC, Windsor Park Art Club, SPAC over my 18 years in Victoria. I discovered the world of online classes and free demos.

In particular here are some:

Easel & Lens (.com) led by Julian Hyzler. Several VSC members also enjoyed his classes; he is a terrific artist, instructor and enthusiastic cultural guide instructing online and at art getaways in Europe.