Artist Statement & Bio
Artist Statement
I am inspired by my own backyard, and the often unrecognized moments of great beauty in each day. My artwork tends toward the emotive and ephemeral - frequently colour filled, with soft edges and curved lines. I find the point of intersection between abstraction and realism to be compelling territory, and am drawn to transition moments such a dawn, dusk, or a close-up view of the familiar, when it becomes strangely unfamiliar. Thin places and liminal spaces. Moments where there is a sense of mystery, whimsy, and perhaps otherworldliness.
I hope you enjoy my work. It is such a privilege to share it with you. - Shan
Shan Thomas, March 2025
Plein air painting in Victoria, BC, with Rowan. On rainy days, he sometimes prefers to observe from the warmth of the car haha.
Hello from a summer plein air day!
Painting at the Harmony Arts Festival Plein Air competition in Ambleside, West Vancouver in August 2024. I was honoured to receive an Honorable Mention for this painting.
At the biennial Ladysmith Fine Arts Show, 2023, with “Sweet Sweet Peas” (sold). Show closes on February 25, 2023
Artist Bio
Shan can be found painting either en plein air or in her studio in Victoria, BC, accompanied by her Sheltie “Rowan” (who likes to be included in every photo!).
A former teacher and chartered accountant with a lifelong passion for painting, Shan turned to art full-time in 2010, starting with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) at Emily Carr University of Art + Design. She has had shows in Vancouver and Calgary, and Victoria. She is a former member of the Southern Alberta Art Alliance (SAAA), and also paints with “the Alfrescoes”, a local group of plein air painters in Victoria, BC.
Drawing on her teaching background, Shan has hosted paint-night sessions, and instructed workshops for residents in long term memory care. Her work, including commissions, is widely held in private, public and corporate collections.
From a group show at Gallery Splash! in Esquimalt.
December 2023 to January 2024
A few photos from a show at Gallery Splash! in Esquimalt. December 6, 2022 to January 3, 2023
