Video: When Artists Come to Visit»
Past Show: In for the Night, Poppy Balser and Jay Brooks
Article: The Allure of Light on Water, Watercolor Artist Magazine [PDF]
Article: Painting Water in Motion, Plein Air Magazine [PDF]
Bio
Poppy Balser is a Canadian painter who has always lived within walking distance of the ocean, mostly the Bay of Fundy. She developed an early connection with the seashore which continues to deepen as she studies the sea and its environs through her paintings. She highlights in her paintings that precious resource: the wild portions of Nova Scotia’s environment. She paints outside often to keep her observations fresh and accurate. Her goal is to capture within her studio work the sense of being in the open air, outside in nature.
Balser began the serious pursuit of painting with watercolors in 2003. She has since followed a path of self-directed study, choosing workshops by master painters from across the country. Over the last few years, she has expanded her artistic practice to include oil painting, joining the Oil Painters of America as an associate member in early 2018. Her work painting the fishing industry of the Bay of Fundy, as well as her portrayal of local sailing ships, has earned her a place as a signature member of the American Society of Marine Artists. Balser takes especial pleasure in documenting some of the historical fishing practices, of the Bay of Fundy, that are now slipping out of use with changes in technology and fish stocks.
Balser tells the “behind the scenes” stories of her paintings on her blog, where she gives readers a real sense of being on the Bay of Fundy coast through her posts and videos.
Selected Recent Awards:
2021 Best Watercolor, Plein Air Salon
2020 Best Oil, Plein Air Salon
2020 Best Vehicle, Plein Air Salon
2020 Finalist, Art Renewal Center, 15th ARC Salon
2020 Wet Paint Award of Excellence, Oil Painters of America Wet Paint Competition
2020 Seascape Honorable Mention, Oil Painters of America National Juried Exhibition
2020 Best Watercolor, Plein Air Salon
2019 Outstanding Watercolor, BoldBrush Painting Competition
2018 Finalist, Art Muse Painting Competition
2018 First Place, Kings Landing Paint the Past Plein Air Festival
2018 Honorable Mention, Parrsboro International Plein Air Festival
2018 13th Annual ARC Salon Finalist
2017 Best Watercolor Award, Bermuda Plein Air Festival
2017 Finalist, BoldBrush Painting Competition
2017 Plein Air Salon Competition Best Vehicle
2016 Second Prize, BoldBrush Painting Competition
Group Memberships:
Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolor, Signature Member
American Society of Marine Artists, Signature Member
Oil Painters of America, Associate
National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, Associate
Galleries:
Camden Falls Gallery, Camden, ME, USA
The Flight Of Fancy, Bear River NS
Amicus Gallery, Chester, NS
Teichert Gallery, Halifax, NS
Harvest Gallery, Wolfville, NS
Featured Shows
View write-up of "A Sailor's Dream"
View write-up of “The Beauty of Wood on Water”»
View write-up of “When Artists Come to Visit”»
