Min Ma was born in 1955. At the age of 18, Min attended Art College for three years of formal training.

Following college, he applied to, and was accepted at the prestigious and highly regarded China Academy of Fine Arts. He graduated in 1982 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and taught fine arts at the Shandong University until 1986 when he emigrated to Canada. Since then, he has lived in numerous cities throughout North America.

His childhood fascination with art has blossomed into a professional career that has brought him both critical and commercial success.

His style is readily accessible, rich in color and emotional impact; all accomplished through an impressive technique and fine attention to detail.

His choice of subject matter is broad and includes landscapes, still lifes, portraits and figurative, although since 2002, his primary focus has been landscapes done in acrylics.

His works have been collected by private and corporate clients throughout Canada and the world.

A signature member of both the Federation of Canadian Artists (SFCA) and the Northwest Watercolor Society (NWWS), Richard has for many years also been a  member of Painters at Painters, a prestigious B.C. artist's peer group. His many award-winning paintings have been exhibited in solo shows, group shows and international shows including: The Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours, the Federation of Canadian Artists, and the Northwest Watercolor Society (NWWS). Examples of his paintings and articles have appeared in a number of publications including International Artist's Magazine.  Richard's paintings can be found in commercial galleries and corporate and private collections in many countries worldwide.

His works are done in oils, acrylics and other watermedia and are the culmination of a random, exploratory process. A love of paint and an intuitive creative process is evident in the energized surfaces that result.

The subject matter are developed from travel and life experience and reflect a less theoretical and more instinctual approach to colour and composition.

 

Artist Statement

My artwork reflects the world around me, and I draw ideas for my paintings from memory, photographs, and mostly from familiar settings. I was born and raised in Amsterdam, so it is no wonder that my admiration for the Old Dutch Masters is reflected in my work. I use rich colours and evocative tones that often reflect a brooding, pensive and compelling atmosphere most obvious in my scenes of pending storms in rural settings, roiling waves of seascapes, and slanting light down city streets. I use oil exclusively since it allows me a broad scope of expression.

My style is a blend of realism and impressionism, and I use dramatic colours, contours, and brushwork to enhance scenes of the West Coast, the Prairies, and the Netherlands. I create unique and intelligible impressions of my subjects, which is much appreciated by those who admire and collect my paintings.

People who are familiar with my artwork often tell me it is my rendition of clouds that strikes them most. In fact, among friends and family, the expression “Molenaar skies” is used to describe particularly dramatic cloud formations. I incorporate the sky and water in some form in all of my paintings.

Shannon began carving in 1986.   Although painting had been Shannon's passion for many years the moment she touched stone she felt an instant affinity and she knew this was her natural medium.  Shannon selects stone to which she feels an immediate connection.  Preferring not to impose an idea into the piece, but rather open up and let the stone speak to her, thus the sculpture becomes a form of synchronicity.

Artist's Statement: "The relationship of form and space, plus beauty and strength of simplicity continues to be an important underlying theme. Despite the intrinsic obstacles and challenges of each piece the whole experience for me is like a timeless, wonderful dance ."  

Some fine examples of woodturning by local craftsman John Spitters.

Vance Theoret is a stone sculptor who resides in the interior of B.C.

Working in alabasters, soapstones, slate, chlorite and Kissi stone, Vance carves a variety of subjects - but bears are by far his favourite. "Bears are like big kids that never really grow up. So I can get away with portraying a lot of human qualities in them. I like to explore the more playful, curious aspects of bears."

Vance Theoret's work ranges from small pieces for gifts to larger sculptures for private and corporate collections. His pieces can be found as far away as Germany, Switzerland, France, Holland, Taiwan and Japan.