Victoria Kelsey

Born in England into an artistic family, Victoria’s artistic influences began at an early age. Her father and mother both worked in the advertising industry in London from the early 60’s and were artists in their own rights. With her father working as an art director, she was immersed in art and contemporary culture. The Kelseys moved to Vancouver soon after Victoria’s birth, where she has spent most of her life thereafter.

Victoria chose to embark on the same artistic path as her parents before her, becoming formally trained in fine art, graphic art, and illustration at Capilano College. Later, she supplemented her artistic education at The Ontario College of Art where she received a Certificate in Applied Arts. For twenty years, Victoria used her skills to become a senior art director for advertisement agencies and firms in Vancouver. 1998 marked the beginning of a new era for Victoria to focus solely on her fine art work. Exploring form at first in large blown-up compositions of still life, she has more recently moved to landscapes. Her paintings are recognizable in their exaggerated scale and bold, bright, and vibrant colour palettes. With realistic renderings contrasted by a stylized and graphic sense of line, she emphasizes the naturally occurring and random acts of nature. Victoria is currently a member of the Federation of Canadian Artists.

“I love to look for the overall form. How the light hits objects and the land itself. Lately I’ve been exploring cloudscapes . . . Storm clouds especially provide the lighting and movement to evoke a sense of experiencing the landscape for the viewer. I think we all crave that connection with our outdoor landscape.”