canadian artist
elspeth mcLean
painting
Painting is my way to find
my “happy place” and colour
is a way to express and
celebrate the colours of my
soul. By using bright and vivid
colours and intricate dot work
style, the artwork I create
becomes a direct expression
of my experience of life. I tend
to focus on the more uplifting
and beautiful aspects of this
world because I think there
is already enough darkness.
This mindset helps me keep
alert, in the moment and I try to see the positive aspect in
any situation.
Although I was born and raised in Perth, Western
Australia, I moved to Canada a few years ago. I am
enjoying living on the Vancouver Island. Island living with
a studio facing west over the ocean and the forest in my
backyard is a very inspiring for me.
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etsy
My artwork is directly influenced by my life and what
surrounds me. Nature, the seasons, the animals that
cross my path, my travels and of course any mythology/
symbolism that I am interested in are expressed through
my artwork. I like to create paintings based on either
scenes I’ve had or witnessed or a feeling that I want to
express through image. I keep sketchbooks of quick
scribbles, a folder with colour combinations that I love and
scrapbooks of images that capture my imagination. I use
these as reference points when creating a painting.
Acrylic has become my material of choice because I just
love how rich and thick in texture it is. It allows me to
create my dot work thick and tactile while drying quickly. I
am a fast worker, I have so many different stories to tell,
that I need this medium to keep up with the flow of my
ideas.
For the future I hope to get more into illustrating and
even creating a children’s book. I also plan to exhibit
more in public, especially solo, as I have been working
predominantly online the last few years.