backstory - Olive Chan Art

Every Painting Has a Story: February 2024 – My High School Art

Olive Chan — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 16:34:06 +0000

Welcome to February, my friends! This month I will be taking you on a brief tour of my high school art, which I consider to be my most formative years. In today’s post, I will intersperse examples of my work from those years with narrative. I hope you enjoy seeing the pieces that gave me my art foundation!

To start us off, let me give you a little context about my high school. I attended Unionville High School (UHS) in Markham, Ontario. At the time, that school was the only public school with a specialized Fine Arts program in York Region. Called Arts York (now Arts Unionville), each year they accepted a limited number of students for entrance into Grade 9. You had to apply and audition for your discipline of choice (Visual Arts, Dance, Music, or Drama). Aside from the Arts York program, they had the regular education stream for students who lived in the immediate area. Arts York students would take specialized courses in their disciplines in addition to standard courses, which they would take with the rest of the student population.

My very first acrylic painting (1998); a still life (acrylic on canvas board).

When I was in Grade 8 and thinking about which high school to attend, I knew I could go to my local high school but I wanted to try for UHS both because I liked the arts focus and because UHS had a better reputation academically. I ended up auditioning for both Dance and Visual Arts. At that point, I had been learning ballet for 11 years and was taking exams that would allow me to pursue teaching if I wanted to, so I was pretty confident I would get in for Dance.

Visual Arts had always intrigued me and growing up, I was envious of my friends who got to take art lessons. Still, I didn’t know if I had the skills to get me into the program. My Grade 8 art teacher was really supportive when I told her I wanted to apply for Arts York and she helped me prepare the portfolio for my audition. I remember having to bring a self-portrait and a sculpture to the interview, among other required examples of work. I also remember feeling embarrassed at the interview because I had tried to carve a squirrel out of plaster but had only managed to finish half of it.

Painting in the style of Impressionism where colours were broken up (acrylic on canvas board).

At the audition, they had us take a group art class and do several exercises, including sketching a shiny ribbon that had been stapled in various places to a board. Then they interviewed each applicant individually. It was a serious and involved process and I will forever be grateful they accepted me into the program!

A scratchboard drawing where the paper was black and I scratched to reveal the white.

Over the course of the next four years, I learned so much. I got to try things like printmaking, silkscreen, acrylic painting, sculpture, and textiles. I was taught art history and learned about various styles and techniques like Impressionism, Cubism, and pointillism. I also got the opportunity to do life drawing of real live models (something really rare for teenagers to get to do as we actually observed nude figures.)

In Grade 10, I did my first acrylic painting and learned about colour mixing, as well as how to build, stretch, and prepare a canvas. We would design the concept for our paintings, execute them, and then critique them to see how they could be improved. Do you see what I mean now when I say Arts York gave me my foundation?

Pointillism and freehand lettering project. This took 25 hours to complete and the entire building is composed of tiny dots. (Pen and ink on illustration board)

Every semester for four years, I had an art class. My teachers not only taught us art skills but built our confidence. Our art would be regularly displayed in the foyer of our school so everyone could see our creations. The first person who ever offered to buy my work was a teacher at our school. It was a cubist style piece featuring frogs that I had created as a birthday gift for my dad so I couldn’t sell the original to the teacher, but I did end up creating a print of it and selling that to her. (That piece still hangs in my mom’s place.)

Tree frogs in the style of Cubism (chalk pastel on paper); this was the first piece of artwork that anyone asked to buy.

When I turned 40, I made a list of people who had had significant impact on my life and sent them a painting and a thank you letter. My main art teacher from UHS was one of them. I owe a lot of my skills to her! (Thanks Mrs. Chelin, for encouraging me then and still encouraging me now!)

High school was a time of flourishing for me. I would have some wilderness years throughout my 20s and 30s but my teenage years were definitely a key part of developing the artist in me.

Question for reflection, if you want to go deeper: When you think about the teachers who have invested in you (in school or just people who have taught you things), who comes to mind? If you’re able to contact them, consider reaching out to say thank you.

If you enjoyed this post and want to read a monthly art story, remember to sign up so future posts get delivered to your email! I usually post them the second Friday of each month. (Add me to your contacts list or you might need to check your promotions or junk folders if you don’t see the email.)

As always, I love to hear from you! If something in this story resonated with you, if you’re interested in commissioning a painting, or if you have other thoughts, feel free to email, or connect with me on Facebook or Instagram. Thanks for being part of my journey and for letting me be a part of yours!

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Every Painting Has a Story: January 2024 – My Childhood Art

Olive Chan — Fri, 12 Jan 2024 16:51:05 +0000

Hello friends, welcome to the first blog post of 2024! In previous years, I shared backstories to paintings featured in my calendars but this year will be a little different. Throughout 2024, I will be featuring some of my past work that will never make it into calendars and maybe not even onto social media. (Gasp!) Consider it a backstage pass to my artist life. I hope you enjoy what I have in store!

When I was planning the blog topics for this year, I thought why not start from the beginning? My mom had kept a folder with some of my earlier work so I have a few examples I can share. When I look back at my early art, I wouldn’t suspect that I would become an artist later. But I do recall always enjoying drawing and painting ever since I was young.

The earliest drawing I have: my family. (Drawn in crayon at 5 years old)

The earliest drawing I have is this crayon drawing. My mom noted who the people in the picture were. I have included my cousin (who was a young adult living with us at the time), my dad, my mom, and me, all wearing what appear to be party hats. In the top left corner I have included a yellow sun with radiating rays, some blue to indicate the sky at the very top of the page, and five rather large birds. On the ground is a flower and we are standing next to a yellow house. I’m guessing I drew this when I was around 5 years old.

6 year old Olive pointing to her painting on display.

I also have this photo of me standing proudly pointing at a painting on display. Judging by my buck teeth and pigtails, I would say I was around 6 years old here. I can’t tell what my painting is about but there are quite a lot of details. I also know that rainbows were a recurring theme in my art around that time.

Watercolour Rainbow 1 by Olive (6 years old)

Watercolour Rainbow 2 by Olive (6 years old)

These next two paintings were from Grade One (6 years old) and they also feature rainbows. It’s interesting to see how some 35+ years later, I’m still painting rainbows! Grade One was also when I got my earliest positive response and affirmation of artistic talent. Unbeknownst to me, my teacher had submitted one of my drawings to a contest for the Ontario Dental Association and it had been chosen as a cover for one of their brochures. I used to have a copy of that brochure but it has since been lost. Along with my drawing being chosen as cover art, I received a prize of $500 – which in 1987 was a big deal! (I think my parents donated the money back to the school.)

Watercolour Tulips by Olive (10 years old)

By Grade 5, I can start to see a more refined sense of aesthetics come out in my work, as this tulip painting shows. I have a couple workbooks from that year and in my drawings I started to include elements of shading.

Funny monster drawn in marker and watercolour by Olive (12 years old)

By Grade 7, I definitely knew that I enjoyed art. This is one remaining drawing I have from that year – a fantastical monster that is both silly and colourful. I had the same art teacher for Grades 7 and 8 and when I told her I wanted to audition for a fine arts high school, she spent extra time at lunch and after school to help me prepare for that. (Thanks, Mrs. Shadrach!) She had no idea that getting into that school would pave the way for my future career.

There you have it. How my art journey started.

I don’t have any reflection questions this month but if any of my art from childhood connects with you, feel free to spend some time with it. Also, I would love to hear what you might see in my earliest work. Thanks for reading along. I look forward to sharing some of my high school work with you next month!

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Every Painting Has a Story: April 2023 – “From Whom All Blessings Flow”

Olive Chan — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 15:59:29 +0000

It’s April! This month’s painting is one of my more recent ones and I’m excited to share the story behind it!

“From Whom All Blessings Flow” is a 16″x20″ acrylic painting that was commissioned to me by a client who wanted to thank their friends for many years of support. My client asked me if I could paint a scene from Guizhou, a province of China that was dear to the recipients’ hearts. I had known about this project for at least a year and hadn’t quite landed on any particular image despite having researched and brainstormed several times. Then I found out my client would be visiting their friends and somehow everything clicked into place and I went from having no idea to a finished painting within two weeks!

The painting features the Huangguoshu waterfall, a popular destination for locals and tourists alike. The waterfall is one of the largest ones in China and also the world. My client had actually visited this waterfall with their friends so it held extra special meaning for them. They had gone at a dry point in the summer and this painting in its earlier stages looked similar to the trickling water they had seen.

From Whom All Blessings Flow, 16″x20″, Acrylic on Deep Canvas (sold)

This was the first time painting a waterfall for me and I learned a lot and enjoyed the process. I combined the references from three stock images to create this piece. It was fun to paint the flowing water and watch it come to life.

The title for this piece is borrowed from a line of an old hymn known as the Doxology. It goes, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.” I picture the flowing water as blessings and hope that this painting will always remind the recipients of both the blessings in their lives and the Source of these blessings.

For those with the Scripture calendar

This month’s artwork is paired with John 1:16 which says, “From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.” A reminder for us to notice and remember the blessings we are given.

Questions for reflection, if you want to go deeper: If you were to picture your life as this waterfall, how much water is flowing at this moment? What blessings are you experiencing today? Take a moment to pause in gratitude.

{This post is dedicated in honour of Rev. Henry Numan. Henry was the one person who replied to every single email newsletter I sent. His presence in my life and inbox will be missed.}

On now until April 28: Tiny Expanses Art Show!

Tiny Expanses – Olive’s first solo art show – Apr 15-28

The Tiny Expanses art show is open! Thank you to the many of you who are coming over the opening weekend to enjoy the 100 tiny sky paintings and for those of you who are browsing online and participating from afar. I’m grateful to everyone who supported the show and especially to those who bought pieces for themselves or as gifts for others. If you’re local, you can still make an appointment to see the show until April 28. All the pieces can be viewed and purchased at my web shop.

If you enjoyed this post and want to read a monthly art story, remember to sign up so future posts get delivered to your email! I usually post them the second Friday of each month. (You might need to check your promotions or junk folders if you don’t see it.)

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Every Painting Has a Story: November 2022 – “Goodness”

Olive Chan — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 19:44:07 +0000

I don’t know about you, but for me November has been a bit of a tough month so far. Having the image of “Goodness” up on our wall has been both a balm and a reminder of the goodness in life, even when the skies are grey and the weather turns cold.

The painting for this month is one of a pair that was commissioned by a friend of mine. I wrote about the sister painting, “Mercy,” back in May, explaining how my client had wanted to capture the sunrise/sunset moments and be able to enjoy them for longer.

Olive holding the sister paintings Goodness (left) and Mercy (right)

“Goodness” reflects the glory of sunrise and is based on a photo by a local photographer. The mountainline is of our local mountains – a request from my client who often walks the trails and admires these exact mountains.

I titled it “Goodness” in reference to Psalm 23:6, which is also the verse paired with this painting for this month. It says, “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.” Some translations have it as goodness and mercy. One way I like to think of it is that we awaken with Goodness by our side, ready to delight us throughout the day ahead; and we go to sleep in the arms of Mercy, offering us forgiveness and rest.

So here we are in November with longer nights and dimmer days. Maybe you are struggling. Maybe you’re thriving. Regardless, there is goodness pursuing you. I hope this month’s painting can be a reminder of that.

Questions for reflection, if you want to go deeper: How is goodness showing up in your day today? What are you grateful for? In what area of your life do you feel like goodness is dawning?

2023 Calendars + Cards Are Here!!

2023 Art (+ Scripture) Calendars along with two styles of notecards now available on my website

2023 Calendars are now available! The calendars feature unique paintings that I’ve created in the last year and are available with or without Scripture verses. They are $30CAD each with discounts on multipacks.

New this year are 2 styles of notecards – one winter themed and one with an ocean sunset.

For more details and to order, visit my shop page.

Thanks for choosing my art and for supporting small business, especially in these times! It means a lot to me.

If you enjoyed this post and want to read about the stories behind all the paintings in this year’s calendar, remember to sign up so future posts get delivered to your email! I am aiming to post them the second Friday of each month. (You might need to check your promotions or junk folders if you don’t see it.)

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Every Painting Has a Story: June 2022 – “As Your Days So Your Strength Shall Be”

Olive Chan — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 00:27:43 +0000

June feels like the cusp of summer, with the temperatures getting warmer, children finishing up school, and vacation plans being drawn. The painting for this month feels like June to me, with the warmth of the sun along with the fluffy clouds. This painting is a special one and I’m looking forward to telling you about it.

“As Your Days, So Your Strength Shall Be” is the title of this painting, taken from Deuteronomy 33:25. It was commissioned as a gift from my client to their friends – one of whom was battling cancer at the time. Working with my client, we wanted an image that could convey hope and strength to encourage their friends through this difficult season of their lives. The two trees represent the couple, standing in resilience as a new day dawns, held by Love. The pines in this piece are inspired by a photo that the couple had taken themselves. This painting now has a home in Hong Kong.

The sky and water for this piece is based on a reference photo from Adobe Stock images. It’s interesting for me to look at it now and see how much my skills and style have developed since I completed this over a year ago in January 2021.

The scripture verse for this month is the same as the title for the painting: “As your days, so will your strength be” (Deut 33:25). June is typically a busy month for many people – especially those with kids in school or who are teachers – and I wanted to include a reminder of God’s promise for us. Personally, as I write this, I am in the midst of many events and responsibilities, and I need to remember that God will give me strength for each day. This verse also invites me to focus on today and not worry about tomorrow. I’m quite adept at living in the future in my mind so it is helpful to remember that God promises strength for each day as it comes.

Questions for reflection, if you want to go deeper: What element(s) of this painting communicate God’s strength to you? Where in your life are you looking to God for strength? How are you being invited to focus on today instead of living in the future?

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Every Painting Has a Story: May 2022 – “Mercy”

Olive Chan — Tue, 10 May 2022 21:38:22 +0000

May is my birthday month so of course I had to choose one of my favourite paintings to put in the calendar for this month. “Mercy” was one of two pieces commissioned by a friend for their home. The sister piece, “Goodness,” will be featured later this year in November.

When my client contacted me initially, she was wondering if I had extra copies of my calendar because she wanted to frame some pages to hang up in the house. When she found out I took commissions, she was excited to know about an even better option. We chatted on the phone and she told me how she had been wanting some calming artwork for their home for a while. Being a mother to two children, she longed for some nice skies to look at throughout the day to remind her of God’s presence and peace. She always enjoyed watching sunrises and sunsets, but they were so fleeting. If she could get some paintings of those moments, they could last a lot longer!

Another element she wanted to include was local mountains, because they reminded her of God’s faithfulness. There was a particular range she enjoyed looking at on her walks and she asked if I could incorporate those mountains into her pieces.

I searched for some sky inspiration from local photographers on Instagram and sent my client a number of ideas. We decided on two that could represent a sunrise and a sunset; different enough from each other but still complementary. I contacted the photographers to get permission to reference their photos and went to take some of my own photos of the mountains.

Sister paintings, “Goodness” (left) and “Mercy” (right)

My client had a specific spot in her house where she was hoping to put these paintings and we decided that 12″x24″ for each piece would be the best size. Being a high-traffic area of the house, we went with a slim canvas so that it would not jut out from the wall as much.

The gentle light in this painting made me think of God’s mercy, which is why I named the piece, “Mercy.” Meant to reflect the end of the day, I wanted it to be a reminder of the mercy of God that awaits us after a day is done. Mercy that covers all the ways we have failed, mercy that covers our disappointments. Mercy that allows us to rest.

I paired this painting with Isaiah 30:18, which says, “The Lord longs to be gracious to you.” I’m not sure about you, but I grew up with the impression that God was strict and demanding, that God was mostly displeased with me. I no longer believe this, but sometimes I still operate out of that perception. Here, scripture tells us God longs to be gracious to us. God offers kindness to us. How amazing is that!

Questions for reflection, if you want to go deeper: Where in your life do you long for God’s mercy? How does knowing that God longs to be gracious to you affect your perspective on life? Where do you notice God’s graciousness and kindness today?

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Every Painting Has a Story: April 2022 – “Tranquility and Freedom”

Olive Chan — Thu, 07 Apr 2022 20:54:38 +0000

If you’ve ever had the opportunity to visit Banff, Alberta, you will probably recognize the location of this month’s painting. The piece this month features Moraine Lake – a favourite spot for many people because it is just so incredibly beautiful.

Back in 2020, when I was just starting out as an artist, Tim’s cousin, Jason, reached out to me to see if I could complete a couple paintings for their home. The idea was that he and his wife would each get to choose a piece. The pandemic had cancelled their travel plans so they opted to support my practice instead (so sweet!) and buy some art that would allow them to “travel” from home. Jason’s piece, a triptych (three-part painting) titled, “Come Away With Me,” was featured in my 2021 calendar. Since I didn’t finish Tasha’s piece in time to make into last year’s calendar, it is now featured in this year’s calendar.

Moraine Lake is one of Tasha’s favourite places and she had taken some photos of it on a previous trip. In discussing the concept for this painting, she sent me a few shots for me to look through. We decided on this particular photo because the beam of light was so captivating. I added a second bird into the image to represent her and Jason.

Reference photo of Moraine Lake taken by Tasha

At 24″x36″, this was a slightly larger canvas than I had worked on before. I enjoyed the size and how it made a bolder statement. Tasha sent me photos of the painting in their dining room after it was hung and it definitely suited the space well!

I titled this painting, “Tranquility and Freedom,” because that was my wish for her. My hope is that this piece would invite them to a place of tranquility and that they would live with increasing freedom as they fly in the light of Christ.

The verse for this month seems particularly appropriate given our world events. I hadn’t known that a new war would begin when I put this calendar together, but the words from 2 Thessalonians 3:16 are a prayer and a hope: “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.” I don’t know what else in your life might be causing you worry or anxiety, but I hope that as you look at the painting this month, you would be invited into moments of peace and freedom.

Questions for reflection, if you want to go deeper: Which element of this painting (the water, trees, mountains, light, clouds, etc.) do you resonate with right now? Where in this image does God meet you? For which areas of your life are you longing for peace or freedom?

PS. Those of you who are receiving these posts by email, I am aware that for some people, some of the images are not displaying correctly. I’m working on resolving this issue but in the meantime, if you run into this problem, click on the link at the top of the email that says “View email in browser.” I appreciate your patience as I work out the kinks!

Thank you for supporting my first gallery exhibition!

A Quick Thank You

I wanted to take a moment to thank you, friends, for your enthusiastic support of the Healing Gardens art show I was in last month. Many of you took the time out of your full days to visit the gallery and some of you even brought friends and family! Some of you were not able to make it out in person but still sent me messages. I am so very grateful for everyone’s response. It was my first time exhibiting at a gallery and I learned a lot. I’m also hopeful that there will be more shows in the future!

For those who are still interested in purchasing a piece, I have listed them on my website on my Collector’s Art page. They would make great Mother’s Day gifts and for all the smaller pieces, I will cover the cost of shipping within Canada!

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Every Painting Has a Story: March 2022 – “La Joie de Vivre”

Olive Chan — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 05:27:18 +0000

March always comes with both a sense of hope mixed with some sadness for me. Hope, because in the area of the world I live in, we begin seeing signs of Spring. And sadness, because March contains the anniversary of my dad’s passing as well as his birthday. The piece I chose for this month is a reflection of hope – partly because I need the reminder, but also because everyone does at one point or another.

“La Joie de Vivre,” was a piece commissioned by my dear friend Kathleen last year as a surprise birthday gift for her husband, Jérome. His 40th birthday was coming up and they had originally planned to celebrate with his family in the south of France where his parents lived. But because of the pandemic, they weren’t able to travel. Since they could not go to their family home, she wanted to see if we could bring a piece of “home” to him!

Kathleen gave me some details about the location as well as some of her own photos of the beach. I also found some stock images of the same location and it turned out that one of the photos I found actually featured a rock that her father-in-law would turn around at when running with their dog! We tailored the image further to include clouds from an actual photo of a day they had been on that beach. We also included 10 small figures – and someone flying a kite – to represent the members of their family.

The concept – a mashup of two photos. The top right corner shows where the two skies were spliced together.

Since his family is French, I knew it had to have a French title. The phrase, “la joie de vivre,” translates literally as “the joy of life,” and expresses a cheerful enjoyment of life. I thought it was appropriate, considering this was a birthday gift, and I hoped that the painting would always remind him of the things that bring him joy. The title also seemed fitting with the animated spray of water in the foreground of the painting.

Kathleen and I were so excited to see how Jérome would respond to the gift. When he opened it, he recognized it right away. He also told her it was one of his all time favourite presents. It brought me so much joy to be able to bless their family in this way.

In the calendar, I paired this painting with the verse, “To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life” (Revelation 21:6). I love this promise from God – how it speaks of God’s generosity and ability to refresh us. My hope is that as you look at this image, you would sense the Water of Life quenching your thirst.

Questions for reflection, if you want to go deeper: How do you feel when you look at this image? In what areas of your life do you feel thirsty? How is God refreshing you?

Healing Gardens Exhibit – Open until March 31

Tim and I in front of some of my artwork at the Healing Gardens Exhibition

My work is up at PoMoArts! I have the honour of exhibiting together with 8 other amazing ceramicists, painters, photographers and fibre artists in the Healing Gardens Exhibition. The exhibit is free and open to the public until March 31, 2022. My family and I were able to visit on the opening weekend and it was such a restful space. Given the current state of our world, having an exhibition like this is a much-needed solace.

I have 15 paintings in the show, most of which are for sale. Many of the other artists’ works are also for sale. A portion of all sales will go to support the gallery and local arts. If you visit, be sure to take some photos and tag me if you post it on social media. For those who aren’t able to attend in person, you can still see the work via the Healing Gardens Exhibit Virtual Gallery.

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