A Day in the Life: Saskatoon-based Encaustic & Oil Painter Kathy Bradshaw

July 26, 2023 Emilea Semancik Arts, Visual Arts

Kathy Bradshaw is an award-winning Canadian encaustic and oil artist and is known for her dramatic prairie skies, light-filled forests and soulful animal portraits. She works mainly out of her home studio. Once the base of her encaustic/oil paintings set, Kathy adds depth with additional mediums like oil sticks, charcoal, gold leaf, pastels, inks, shellac and even tar to her rich paintings. Her work is featured in many art galleries across Canada. Kathy travels across land and sea in order to work as a resident artist and artist mentorship, exhibiting across Canada and the US. From a young age, she was always sketching and drawing. An artist at heart, Kathy began her journey into the world of her chosen medium by taking a community art class at the age of 40. She went back to the University of Saskatchewan and completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts training soon after, and has since received many awards for her expressive paintings.

Kathy Bradshaw
Playing with Fire! Kathy uses a blowtorch and heat gun to fuse the many layers together.
Kathy Bradshaw
“That’s The Spirit”, encaustic & oil stick on 36” x 42” cradled panel. A tribute to Spirit Island, one of Canada’s iconic landscapes.
“Chase’s Forest”, encaustic & oil stick on 40” x 60” cradled panel, her largest landscape to date.
“Going Home”, encaustic & oil stick on salvaged horse trough, 22” x 28”. Working on salvaged metal and wood adds history and further meaning to her work.
“Light it Up”, encaustic & oil stick on copper, 12” x 16”. A colourful northern lake sunset.
“Magnificent Beast”, encaustic & oil stick on 30” x 60” cradled panels. Based on an encounter she had with a big Highland Bull in Scotland.
Kathy Bradshaw
“Oh Saskatchewan”, encaustic & oil stick on 30” x 60” cradled panel. A favourite subject matter of Kathy’s, canola fields and big blue prairie skies.
Kathy Bradshaw
“Prairie Explosion”, encaustic & oil stick on 12” x 18” cradled panel. Another big prairie sky!

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Which ‘hood are you in?

I work out of my home studio in Saskatoon and my work is represented by Webster Galleries in Calgary’s SE Fairview area, across from the South Farmers Market

What do you do?

I am an encaustic and oil painter. Encaustic is an ancient medium, dating from 1000 BC, and is composed of beeswax, tree resin and pigment. My two major subject matters are landscapes and animal portraits.

What are you currently working on?

I have two international opportunities this fall. First is a two-week artist residency in France in August and second is a five-day encaustic retreat in Ireland in October. I also have a two-month solo exhibition at the Shurniak Gallery in Assiniboia, SK beginning in November.

Where can we find your work?

Website | Facebook | Instagram: Kathy Bradshaw Art & Kathy Bradshaw Portraits

My work is represented by seven galleries across Canada:

Calgary, AB: Webster Galleries

Canmore, AB: The Avens Gallery

Invermere, BC: Art on 9th

Victoria, BC: Gallery Merrick

Saskatoon, SK: Art Placement

Waskesiu, SK: Black Spruce Gallery

Saint John, NB: Trinity Galleries

 

 

About Emilea Semancik 85 Articles
Emilea Semancik was born in North Vancouver. Emilea has always always wanted to work as a freelance writer and currently writes for the Vancouver Guardian. Taking influence from journalism culture surrounding the great and late Anthony Bourdain, she is a recipe author working towards publishing her own series of books. You can find her food blog on Instagram:
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