Olive Chan Art

What a gorgeous day to be out plein air painting with all the folks who showed up for the event at !

I managed to do a quick mini tree study in the midst of checking in with everyone and admiring the variety of styles, setups, and artwork.

Thank you to everyone who came out. It was lovely to meet some new friends and see some fellow artists. It was especially great to see the kids engaging with nature and growing their art skills.

Thank you for inviting me to facilitate today’s event! And thank you for putting on the plein air challenge and providing art goodies and prizes!

If you missed the in-person event today, you can still participate at other events or by sharing your plein air work online and using the hashtag until July 31.

Keep creating, everyone! 🎨

Soooo thrilled and honoured to have been asked to create a painting of this beautiful view for my dear friend . Heather’s late sister had been an avid sky photographer and Heather wanted a painting of one of her sister’s photos to remember and honour her by.

During the process of painting this, Heather looked back at the original photo and realized her sister had taken the photo on June 27, 2023. When she messaged to tell me that, I knew that I had to deliver it to her on the one year anniversary of when the photo was taken.

I titled this painting “Heart’s Treasure,” as a reflection of the sister relationship and for the way photos of skies were Heather’s sister’s heart’s treasures.

It’s always such a joy for me to see my client’s eyes light up when they see their piece for the first time. What made Heather’s response extra special was that in the ten minutes it took for me to drive home from her place, she already hung it up and sent me a photo of it in its new home.

Thank you, Heather, for choosing to include me in this deeply meaningful way to remember your sister. May this piece always invite you into a calm space and remind you that you are deeply loved.

“Heart’s Treasure”
11”x14”
Acrylic on deep canvas

Details from my last commission before the summer.

Can’t share the whole piece yet but here’s a peek. 😊

I only have a couple slots open for commissions in the fall for this year. Message me if you’ve been thinking about a piece and we can get the process started!

Have you ever heard of nacreous clouds?

This little gem was for a lovely client who reached out to see if I could help her capture an extraordinary experience. While on a walk in northern Scotland, she saw shimmering, iridescent clouds with shifting pinks, turquoise, and purples. Nacreous clouds are a rare phenomenon that happens around sunrise/sunset in northern areas where the air is cold enough.

My client had been praying about a difficult situation during that walk and seeing these clouds felt like a window into the divine. She heard in her heart the words, “Truly! My promises never fail!” (Which became the title for this piece.)

She emailed me to see if I could help her capture this moment in a painting. It was my first time hearing about and painting nacreous clouds so it was a new challenge, but it turned out so special. I found a colour-shifting paint and thought it would be a perfect touch to complete this. You can see some of the reflective purple in the second photo.

Being invited to create such personal, meaningful pieces is part of what gives me joy as an artist. I’m so grateful to my collector for trusting me to capture her memory and I hope it will always remind her of how loved she is.

“Truly! My Promises Never Fail!”
6”x18”
Acrylic on canvas

June art story is up! My subscribers got to read this story last week but I forgot to post it here. If you’re in need of some stillness and you’re interested in my spiritual journey, this month’s post is for you.

Read this month’s blog post here: https://olivechanart.com/june-2024 💙

Every Painting Has a Story: June 2024 – “Stillness” Hello friends, somehow we have made it halfway through the year! June is a relatively busy month in our household with school winding up and end-of-term activities happening. This month’s story is an invitation for…

Arrived in New York! 🌆

This gem was a recent commission from my dear friend who wanted a companion painting to another piece of mine from a few years back. It’s based on a gorgeous photo taken by amazing fellow artist that I had previously referenced for one of the mini paintings in my Tiny Expanses collection.

“Under the Same Big Sky”
5”x7”
Acrylic on canvas paper

The title for this piece was inspired by the song “Somewhere Out There,” which was my favourite song as a kid. I wanted it to be a reminder to my friend Mimi that even though we live far apart, the same sky covers us and the same love holds us.

Thanks for asking me to create this for you, Mimi! I am deeply grateful for your friendship, encouragement, and support!! 🩷

Saturday, June 29 from 11am-1pm, join me at Opus Coquitlam for a Plein Air Adventure!

From June 15-July 31, is hosting plein air events where anyone can join and create some art outdoors. You can also participate online by posting to Instagram and using the hashtag .

I will be leading an in-person event on June 29. We will first meet at Opus Coquitlam where each participant will receive a free Opus Essential Paperback Sketchbook. Then we will walk/drive to a nearby park for some sketching/painting/creating. After the adventure each participant who returns with some artwork, completed or not, will be entered for a draw prize.

There are over $18,000 worth of prizes to be won and the cost to participate is free.

Bring whatever art materials you enjoy working with, or pick up something new at the store before we head out. This plein air adventure will be a casual time of creating with no instructional element and is suitable for any age and any skill level. My own kids are looking forward to joining in. 😊

You can sign up here: https://opusartsupplies.com/products/plein-air-adventure-with-olive-chan - or just show up the day of. If you’re planning to come, let me know!

Last year, we had a great group of people and a really enjoyable time.

Hope to see you there!

“First Blush”
8”x24” acrylic on deep canvas
(Swipe for details)

Since I’m still sick, I haven’t been able to work on anything new so I’m posting a commission I completed earlier this year. This was a gift from a wife who wanted to surprise her husband for a special occasion. It is of a place that holds a lot of meaning for them. It was really fun to scheme with my client and this piece was a joy to create.

There’s always an extra element of delight when I get to work on a surprise for my clients’ loved ones. Thank you to my client for entrusting me to create this one-of-a-kind gift for you!

Here’s my fashionably late Mother’s Day post. My blog story this month is all about my mom! 🥰

Read it here: https://olivechanart.com/may-2024

Thanks for sharing this journey with me!

Every Painting Has a Story: May 2024 – The Time I Knitted a Shawl for My Mom Hello friends! A couple of months ago, I introduced you to my dad and his important support for me as an artist. This month, it’s my mom’s turn. 🙂 May is an appropriate month to…

I’m fighting a cold after the whirlwind of the last two weeks but I had enough energy to put the first coat of varnish on this big beauty. Can’t wait to ship it off to my client in Toronto!

Today we joined with family and friends to bid farewell to Tim’s grandma. Although I married into the family, Grandma Chan was the only grandmother I got to know (I met my own paternal grandmother four times in my whole life and never got to meet any of my other grandparents).

In our early married years, we would sometimes drive Grandma to appointments and she would have so much to say to me, even though I could only understand about 65% of her Chinese due to my unfamiliarity with the dialect she spoke. I will always cherish the memory of one particular car ride when she spent the entire time telling me about different vegetables and how to cook them. It might seem like a mundane thing but I never had a grandma before, so to me, it was really special.

Grandma had a life-force so strong that it carried her to the incredible age of 103. I feel privileged to have known her and tonight as I looked around at dinner with the whole extended family, I marvelled at the legacy that this woman has left.

Thank you, Mah Mah, for loving me as one of your grandchildren. You will be missed.

[Photo taken of me and grandma at a family wedding by Melissa Foo.]

Once upon a time, I studied theatre set design and created an entire set inspired by ivory carvings. I share about it in this month’s blog post. Curious? Read about it here:

Every Painting Has a Story: April 2024 – My University Years Hello friends! This month we are taking a peek into my art as a university student. The art I am going to share this month won’t exactly be paintings, but I promise it will be…

My dad was a huge influence for my art. Since March is the month of his birthday and death anniversary, I am sharing a story about one of the ways he encouraged me. Curious to read it? The link is below. Hint: it has to do with painting frogs on our garage doors.

Https://olivechanart.com/march-2024

Every Painting Has a Story: March 2024 – The Time My Dad Got Me to Paint Frogs on the Garage Doors Hello friends, are you wondering where the first two months of the year went? Me too. March is a special month for me because it is my dad’s birth-month and also the month of his…

Work in progress in the morning light ✨

Started on this 30”x60” commission yesterday with the underpainting. I’m really looking forward to painting this sky. Can’t wait to show you!

“Trust the Process”
12”x24” acrylic on canvas (sold)

A week ago, I had the joy of delivering this painting to my clients and friends. The lovely Baron family commissioned me this piece based on a photo they took from a trip to Guérande, France. Guérande is a medieval town on the western coast known for its salt marshes. The image they asked for was of one of the salt flats where they have harvested salt for centuries.

Reflecting on the salt flats, I thought of how in waiting for the water to evaporate, it can seem like nothing is happening. But in reality, the waiting is what brings out the best part. I titled the piece, “Trust the Process,” because I hope that this painting not only reminds them of a wonderful family holiday but that it also gives them hope in those times of life when it looks like little progress is happening.

Thank you so much, Baron family, for entrusting me to capture this lovely memory for you! I hope it brings you joy and comfort for many years to come.

(The Baron family also adopted two Tiny Expanses paintings for their home from my show last year. Can you spot them in the second photo?? 👀 )

“Hope Endures”
8”x10” acrylic on canvas (sold)

This was a really special piece featuring Pikes Peak in Colorado. It was the final part of my commissioned project for Erin . Based off of Erin’s photo that she had taken from her mother’s hospital room, it captured a significant moment for her.

I titled it “Hope Endures” because Erin had shared how the mountain glowing under the storm clouds spoke to her of hope. My wish is that this piece would always remind her of Hope’s presence and that she is loved.

Thank you, Erin, for entrusting me to create such a deeply meaningful piece for you. This whole project was a delight and reminded me of why I do what I do!

“Vision of Comfort”
2”x2” acrylic on paper

This is the sixth and final tiny painting in the set I created for . If you hop over to my profile grid, you can see them all together. I love how the palette of the whole collection is so harmonious - and they were all based on her photos!

This project had one final piece, which I will post soon.

Erin, thanks for choosing me to help bring your vision to life!

“Vision of Faith”
2”x2” acrylic on paper

This painting was number five of 6 commissioned tinies all based on my client’s photos. I loved the glow of the sky in this one.

Thanks Erin for the inspiration and opportunity to create this piece!

“Vision of Serenity”
2”x2” tiny painting (acrylic on paper).

This was part of a second set of tiny paintings for . It was a delight to create these for her, knowing that she wanted to keep this collection for herself. I loved how her photo references had similar colours which brought the set together cohesively.

Thanks, Erin, for being so awesome to work with!

“Vision of Hope” tiny painting.

This was the third piece in the tiny collection I completed at the end of last year for . It was a twin piece to “Vision of Calm” (my last post) as she had requested two paintings based on the same photo reference. At first glance, they look pretty similar but if you look closely at the trees, you will see that they are distinct paintings.

Thank you, Erin, for choosing my work as gifts for loved ones!

“Vision of Hope”
2”x2” acrylic on paper

“Vision of Calm” tiny painting.

This 2”x2” piece was part of a set of commissioned tinies based on my client’s photos. I really love painting small - just as I love painting big. 😊

Thank you for this opportunity to create for you!

A tiny commission of Pikes Peak.

“Vision of Strength” (2”x2” acrylic on paper) was based on ‘s photo of Pikes Peak in Colorado. She had asked me to create a few tinies as Christmas gifts last year, along with a set of tinies for herself.

It was such a joy to work with her to create this series. I will be posting the other pieces soon!

👀 What did my very first painting look like?

I took my first acrylic painting class in Grade 10 and this month, I share about it on my blog. So, you are invited on a mini-tour of my high school art! Curious? Visit the link below to read all about my most foundational years of art.

Every Painting Has a Story: February 2024 – My High School Art Welcome to February, my friends! This month I will be taking you on a brief tour of my high school art, which I consider to be my most formative years. In today’s post, I will…

✅ First commission of 2024 complete!

This series of paintings arrived in the States yesterday so now I can share about them! Back in the fall, Erin reached out to ask if I could create some tiny paintings based on her photos. As we corresponded, she decided she wanted three tinies to gift to people, three tinies for herself, and one slightly larger piece. The larger piece would be based on a photo she took while in her mother’s hospital room shortly before her mother passed.

The larger piece (8”x10”) is titled “Enduring Hope,” based on what Erin shared with me about how the storm clouds over Pikes Peak spoke to her of hope. The smaller pieces are titled after qualities that I wish for her and her recipients.

This project marked a first in several ways for me:
• first time creating custom tinies based on client photos
• first time doing a project in two parts as I created the first set of tinies before Christmas so she could gift them (second photo) and the remainder of her project was completed in January (first photo)
• first time taking a client whose initial contact was through IG messaging. Many times, artists get contacted by scammers asking if they take commissions and I almost dismissed Erin’s message. But she mentioned she found my account through her friend so I decided to respond. I asked Tracy about her and she told me Erin was a lovely person and a talented artist herself (which I would discover for myself over the course of the project).

Erin, it was such an honour and delight to work with you. Thanks for trusting this internet stranger to create these works for you! I’m grateful that we are strangers no more. I hope these pieces remind you of beautiful moments and beyond that, that you are loved. 💕

Starting the year off by blogging about some of my very first pieces of art (think 5-year-old Olive). Intrigued? Read it at olivechanart.com or through the link in my bio.

Thanks for journeying with me!

Worked on this trio of tinies this week. It’s part of a commission that I started last year and I’m so grateful for my client’s patience with this project. Next week I will work on a little bit larger of a piece that is part of this commission too. Can’t wait to share the whole thing with you!

Wishing you a restful weekend, friends!

👋🏼 Hello friends! It’s been a while since I did an introductory post so I’m starting the year with some fun facts about me:

🫒 My name, Olive, comes from Psalm 52:8 which says, “But I am like an olive tree, flourishing in the house of God. I trust in God’s unfailing love forever.” My Chinese name consists of the characters for “trust” and “unfailing love.” My parents gave me a true gift when they named me because my name reminds me who I am.
💟 I’m a people-loving introvert. I care about lots of people but being with them drains me. I need ample alone time to keep my batteries charged.
🌙 I am not a morning person and I need 9-10 hours of sleep a night for optimal functioning.
🎭 I got into backstage theatre in high school and did a degree in set design. Didn’t end up working in that field but it was so much fun.
🏙️ I was born and raised in Toronto and moved to Vancouver 15 years ago.
🧩 I love puzzles. I almost always have one going. Puzzling is one way I rest my brain.
✍🏼 I also enjoy writing. I have kept some form of blog for 20+ years. This year, I decided to write about my art journey starting from my childhood. (Subscribe on my website if you want to come along for the ride!)
💜 My favourite colour is purple but I use surprisingly little of it in my paintings.
📚I love reading memoirs. People’s stories are so fascinating to me. Someday I hope to write my own.

Your turn! I would love to hear, how are we similar or different?

🇨🇦

2023

This year felt a bit slower than previous years for me. I completed less commissions and took more time to attend to my personal wellness. But I did hold my first solo art show (which I created one hundred(!!) paintings for) and made time for some personal projects.

I made less income this year than last year, partly because I didn’t sell calendars. But when I think about metrics, I recognize that I grew in ways that are harder to measure - like my painting skills, experiencing what it takes to put on a solo exhibition, discovery and acceptance of myself, and connections made with artists and collectors, among other things.

The year wasn’t exactly what I expected, but it was a fruitful year and I’m grateful for it.

Whether you’ve followed my journey for a long time or are new here, thank you for coming along for the ride! Here’s to more beauty in 2024. 💛

🎁 Christmas gift for my mom installed!

What a joy to hang up this painting for my mom over the weekend. When she moved into her place almost three years ago, I had said I would create a piece for above her fireplace. We hadn’t known what the painting would be of until this past June when we had a chance to go to Toronto and visit the park where my dad’s ashes had been scattered.

The image for this piece was inspired by a photo I took of the park in Toronto and a sky that my mom captured from her new place in Vancouver.

I titled this piece “Invisible Essence” for a few reasons:
• The canvas itself was one I had built and stretched 23 years ago when I was in high school. The original painting featured a coin purse with some stones, feathers, leaves, and pinecones - treasures children often collect. On that painting were the words, “L’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux” (the essential is invisible to the eyes”), a quote by Antoine Saint-Exupéry from one of my favourite books, The Little Prince. (Swipe to see that first painting.) I didn’t want to hang that particular painting any more so I gessoed over it to create something new. The title for this piece borrows from the painting underneath.
• My dad’s ashes are scattered at this park. They are not visible but they give meaning to that place for us.
• The sun in this painting can’t be seen directly but impacts the entire scene. Without it, everything would look different.
• This is a piece that commemorates my dad - although he is now invisible to us, his legacy and influence continue.

It is a piece about hope, love, and remembering that the essential things in life we often cannot see. I hope that it blesses my mom and serves as a daily reminder of just how very loved she is. ❤️

“Invisible Essence”
36”x36” acrylic on deep canvas
Private collection
(Swipe for a closer view)

Many thanks to for help with the beautiful frame

Wishing You a Gentle Christmas

Whatever these next couple weeks look like for you, may you find moments of meaning and rest.

May you meet each day with the whole of who you are and may you remember that you are loved just as you are.