Hello

I live on Vancouver Island in Canada, a place with lush green forests, stunning coastline, and amazing wildlife. I paint in my small home studio while balancing a full-time job as a therapist. Most of my inspiration happens when I am walking in the forest with my dog, Ursa. Below you will find a little more about my artistic journey and my reason for painting. Thank you for reading. - Thayre Christine Fellows

My Story

I started painting in 2011 in my basement, and at the time, I wasn't confident to show my work to anyone because I thought that it wasn't good enough. Even though I had an aptitude for creativity I had no formal training in art and I honestly did not know what I was doing! I was simply experimenting with paint like a little child. Joyfully allowing myself to explore the medium. For quite some time I enjoyed painting as a creative expression, but I did not think that I was creating "real art" or anything that someone else would like. Over time, I shared my creations with friends and family who encouraged me to share and sell my work. But that step always proved elusive for me. My belief that my art was not good enough was really a reflection of my own inner sense of not being good enough. And this kept me from sharing my art, and myself.

During a very challenging time in my life, art became an important therapeutic practice, helping me navigate very turbulent waters. At times it became the only way that I felt any joy. So I painted a lot at that time, and yet still struggled to feel confident enough to share my work.

After a few years, life smoothed out. I became a therapist and started helping other people with their life challenges, and I found an enthusiasm for being of service. Helping others truly had the effect of filling my own cup. Now, I seem to have a lot of energy and lovingness to share! I have also discovered that the intention to share lovingness with others has transformed my art. Consequently, the purpose of my work has changed. It is still about enjoyment of the process, but now it is also a vehicle for communication.

I have done a lot of exploration around spiritual development. Certain "mystical" experiences have become so regular and ordinary to me that I often forget that it is an uncommon way to perceive life. I have often felt a need to hide this part of myself from others out of anxiety about what they may think. However, more and more I feel a desire to be myself while out in the world, and to communicate the experiences with other people. A lot of this subjective experience is very difficult to communicate verbally, so I make art in order to serve this purpose.

The world that I see is alive and radiantly shining with energy. People are beautiful beyond words. All of life is beautiful and intricately interconnected, and Love is everywhere within all things. These are the things that I hope to capture and share with my work. If you are here reading this, thank you for taking the time to get to know me and thank you for your support!