Arlene Hobbs

Biography

I have been painting a long time. It wasn’t what I originally planned to do. I had been studying photography at the University of Calgary. We planned to start a family and I would continue my studies. However, I soon discovered that as a new mother, I couldn’t continue to spend long hours in the darkroom. This was a blessing in disguise! Needing a creative outlet, I started playing around with a set of watercolours, and I loved it. All of those university classes in drawing, composition, design and photography were only the beginning of an adventure that has never ended. Since 1989 I have participated in over 100 exhibitions and have won numerous awards, including the “Award of Excellence” from the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour. My paintings are featured in collections in North America, Europe, and Australia. Two of my flower paintings were chosen as set decoration for the television series FARGO. A few years ago I had the honor of being interviewed by author Jim Henry, Ph.D., R. Psych. and published in “Artistic Excellence: What Outstanding Artists can Teach us about Being our Creative Best” and “Soulful Creativity”. In 1995 I was elected into the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour. I was also a member of the Alberta Society of Artists from 1994 until 2018.

My paintings begin with pencil drawings and color studies to plan the composition, values, and palette. This ritual of preparation gives me a starting point from which the creative process unfolds. Time becomes timeless, as I immerse myself in the process of applying beautiful, rich colors and adjusting the relationships between them. One action leads to another. In a sense, the painting talks to me. By relying on intuition and decades of experience, the painting slowly emerges, until striking a perfect balance between imagination and reality.

I paint what I love, and makes my heart happy. Children, scenes from around our cabin in the woods, waterfalls, and the ocean, all inspire me. Most of all, I love to paint flowers. Growing up in Calgary, Canada, a winter city, has given me an enormous appreciation of flowers. During our long, cold winter, it is comforting to have orchids blooming indoors, then as the ground warms outside, it is such a thrill to see the first spring blossoms emerging, providing a fresh new source of inspiration!