Inspired by colour and the vibrancies, energies and harmonies it creates, Qualicum Beach artist Valerie Giles aims to create a visual story through paint strokes, colour combinations and balance.
Giles, a juried member of the Federation of Canadian Artists, has been creative most of her life, beginning her art journey in elementary school when her work was chosen to be on display at the parliament buildings. Throughout high school, Giles, who grew up in Ontario, continued to create with oil pastels but stepped back from painting during her career of teaching design and colour theory at BCIT for the Faculty of New Media.
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“I didn’t paint much when I was raising my kids and working full time but I did graphic design,” Giles said. “It was quite appropriate for someone who was so keen on colour.”
After retirement in 2012, Giles began painting again, first with acrylics and later with oils.
“A friend of mine said, ‘I’ll give you a couple of lessons to get you started.’ I was meant to be back painting. I love it,” she said.
Giles said she tends to paint old buildings because of their character but she will also paint landscapes and the occasional portrait. She said her work can be classified as representational realism and that many of her ideas for paintings come from photos of her and her husband’s travels.
“I keep trying to loosen [my strokes]. When you’re young you have no fear, I had no fear when I was young. I would take my paints, my canvas whatever I was working with and just do it. And then I lived life and as an adult when I went back to painting I was afraid of making a mistake,” Giles said. “When you’re afraid of making a mistake it can constrict you and restrict you and so now I’m trying to, with every painting, just continually knock down that wall and express myself more freely. The more freely I am, the better my paintings become.”
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If Giles was to give advice to a new and emerging artist, it would be to paint with abandon and to not be afraid of making mistakes.
Giles paints weekly with two friends—together they are the Artists 3”— who provide inspiration and critique for each other’s work.
Her paintings can be found on display at the Qualicum Art Supply & Gallery (206 First Ave. W.) and on her website at www.valeriegiles@shaw.ca.