About Tanis

Artist Statement continued...

My first love is drawing and by incorporating ink drawing with Water colour paint I have been able to satisfy the detailing of my drawing techniques, with the vibrant palette of water colour.

I am also busy creating with clay in my own little work space. Handling clay satisfies the physical hands-on approach I love so well.

The best feeling is taking a lump of clay and throwing a pot on the wheel and seeing what I come up with. I will visualize what I want to see, but more often I let the clay just do what it wants and see what I end up with.

Art Biography

I was born in Victoria BC but my family roots are from Shawnigan Lake BC.  My Mother Florence was the daughter of John and Josie Hepworth early settlers of West Shawnigan Lake. My Husband Gerry and I have been living in Shawnigan since Sept 1998.

I started doing art as far back as I can remember. I think once I started school and had art on a regular basis, I found that I loved it. Drawing for me was very rewarding, cheap and easy to do. You just need a pencil and paper and an imagination.

Once in high school I had a new world of art open up to me and some really great teachers to help nurture the many mediums I was able to explore. I tried anything and everything the teachers had available for the students.

Strait out of High School I had a family which was the expectation of that generation.

 In my mid thirties, I had a chance to go back to school and took the two-year Visual Arts Diploma program at Camosun College from 1996 to 98. At college besides drawing I explored many other mediums, it was then that Pottery became a very big part of my life.

I have since taken watercolour classes with two very talented local artists water colour became my medium of choice for about 8yrs. I have developed my style to incorporate ink drawing mixed with the painting, which has produced a very pleasing result for me.

I also have a small pottery studio that I have been producing functional ware in. I love throwing a pot on the wheel and just seeing what I come up with.
In the last 10yrs I have been developing my sculpting skills with base relief added to some of my functional ware. In 2019 we enlarged my home studio, where I teach one on one from time to time.

Other projects I have worked on.
I have created a sports pub logo for the Tudor House Pub, Victoria BC
- the Ecole Mill Bay school Otter image and logo.
-I have been in two of the Verse and Vision shows for the Chowichan Valley
- plus four other shows - two of just my art alone and two with other local artists.
-For the past 9yrs I have been a part of The Clay Hub Collective. Community Clay Studio in the Cowichan Valley BC. I am a board member and volunteer as well as teach workshops.

Some of the mediums I have explored are: Oil painting, Acrylic painting, Watercolor painting Oil pastels, Charcoal drawing, Chalk drawing, Sculpty oven bake clay, Pyrography, Print making, Silk screening, Etching, Graphic art, Drawing, Ink drawing, Film animation, Sculpture, Pottery, Photography, Basket weaving, Loom weaving, Knitting, Crochet, Embroidery, Sewing, Batik and many different crafts.

I like to keep my hands busy and always thinking of creative ways to do something.