About the Artist

Hello friends,

My name is Désirée. I’m a watercolour artist that grew up in the prairies of Canada, but the Pacific Northwest has stolen my heart. I attended an artist residency on Vancouver Island March 2020 and in that moment fell in love with salty sea breezes and tall cedar trees.

My artwork is deeply inspired by the ocean and the creatures that it contains. On Leap Year Day of 2020, I saw orcas in the wild for the very first time. It was pure magic, being surrounded by such powerful, graceful, and bonded whales. This moment launched a new chapter of artwork that pays tribute to the beauty and wonder of the West Coast to this day.

I build up each painting with layer upon layer of watercolours. This creates rich works of art that exudes deep blues, rich greens, and golden browns on the shoreline. I define my style of painting as ‘painterly realism’, where concentration of capturing the essence of the reference image is not overshadowed by the sweeping movement of the brush.

I encourage you to sign up for my newsletter. This is a space where I share artwork, stories, photos, and sometimes recipes! Tofino my studio cat makes the occasional appearance too. It’s a little window into the behind the scenes process and gives you access to collection launches before anyone else. Thank you so much for following along on this beautiful creative journey.

Much love,

Désirée Penner