WILD
Brigit ALBISTON
Artist statement:
My paintings explore presence, movement and emotional resonance through bold, expressive animal forms. Working intuitively with colour and gesture, capturing a sense of character; alertness, calm, curiosity or play, and less so realism. The animals function as moments of connection rather than symbols, inviting the viewer into a direct, felt encounter that is both familiar and slightly otherworldly.
Biography:
Introduced to art through her grandmother, Brigit began sketching with pen and ink as a teenager, learning to see the world through line, form, dark and light. She continued her artistic education with portrait studies during university, later experimenting with water colours before embracing acrylics for their boldness and energy. Inspired by animals and vivid colour, her work blends intuition, emotion and playfulness, inviting viewers into a work that is both expressive and alive.
February 3 – March 1, 2026
Opening Reception, Saturday, February 7, 2025 1-3pm
I’ve always loved nature, but it wasn’t until my teenage years that I realized how deeply the natural world shaped my sense of well-being. On a trip with my parents from our suburban home outside Vancouver to camp on Vancouver Island, I noticed that as the landscape grew wilder and greener, the anxiety that I always carried with me began to ease.
The realization that I feel most at home among trees and the ocean has been a guiding force in my life ever since. It has led me to many beautiful places, including Hornby Island, where I now live, and to a creative practice rooted in close attention and appreciation of the living world.
My paintings sometimes start from direct references -landscapes before me or photographs I’ve taken- but more often than not, early layers are all about play and experimentation, adding paint and other mixed media intuitively at first, but then becoming more considered in my choices as I respond to memories, observations, and emotions. The resulting pieces reflect both my inner world and the living world that continues to sustain and inspire me.
BIOGRAPHY
Michelle Nyberg (she/her) is a visual artist and teacher of online art classes, known for her joyful, impressionistic works in acrylic and mixed media. She draws inspiration from nature around the world, with a particular focus on the gardens, forests, and beaches of Hornby Island, where she has lived for over 20 years.
Michelle’s formal art training began at Langara College in Vancouver, BC, where she gained a foundation in painting, ceramics, sculpture, and design. She continued her studies at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax, concentrating on ceramics and painting.
She has exhibited in solo shows on Hornby Island, participated in group shows in Vancouver and Vancouver Island, and shared her work in online exhibitions. Her paintings have brought joyful expression to collectors’ walls in Canada, the United States, Europe, and New Zealand.
Website: www.michellenyberg.com Instagram: @michelle.nyberg.art Youtube: Michelle Nyberg Art