Maureen Maryka

"Creativity in one form or another has always been a force in my life, either through art, music, or design. My paintings are lively and full of movement.; an exploration of colour, light,... Read More

"Creativity in one form or another has always been a force in my life, either through art, music, or design. My paintings are lively and full of movement.; an exploration of colour, light, patterns, and textures. My work reflects my sense of optimism through the use of a vibrant, cheerful palette, painting only subjects that inspire me to be my best."

I was raised in Calgary, attending the Alberta College of Art, the University of Calgary, and completing a Bachelor of Arts (English) at the University of Victoria. I'm married with two terrific children and a sweet Labradoodle named Sammy. After spending ten years visiting Quadra Island in the summers, we finally decided to move to Quadra full-time in 2012. I am delighted to be working in my beautiful timber frame studio, with gorgeous view of the Discovery Passage.

I am primarily a landscape painter, working mostly with acrylics. The Impressionists and Post-Impressionists, the Group of Seven, as well as many current artists have had a great influence on how I paint. I believe colour and light are the essence of painting. Nature often provides us inspiration and a beautiful palette, but it's the artist’s attention to light can make the colours dance on the canvas. Like the impressionists, my work often portrays visible brushstrokes, a suggestion of movement, and the idea of taking an ordinary view and creating something extraordinary from it. Vibrant colour is especially important to me, but I am careful to balance it with soft edges and quiet spaces.