Calgary based artist Ashley Somerville’s paintings are inspired by her desire to showcase and celebrate Alberta’s native wildlife and natural spaces. She loves to capture the beauty and magic of everyday wildlife encounters in her paintings. Drawing influence from her own personal experiences, each painting captures the most intricate details of local animals;  every whisker, tuft of soft fur or feather. She has a particular fondness for birds, from the smallest of sparrows to her personal favourite, the great blue heron.

Her pieces are created in either acrylic or oil paint, rendered with immaculate care and brought to life through layers of colour and delicate textures. They almost seem like they could leap off the canvas. Every painting starts either in her sketchbook or her camera. It’s an important and significant part of her process to spend time out in nature, gathering references, taking photos and simply enjoying the quiet yet powerful moments that inform her art practice.