Artist Statement

I work in oils on canvas, specializing in portraiture and painting outdoor scenes that include the working waterfront and the quiet wilderness. I anchor my paintings in solid composition and design, incorporating visual action and a narrative approach while bringing out the subject’s character in paint.

Two basic concepts drive my artistic practice. I most enjoy highlighting the warmth of human stories. And I am fascinated by the connections between the living and the inanimate. I paint with a science-based view, caring about facts and details, and seeing the world as a seamless whole. Overall, I paint to represent the connections that can be found between humans, their creations, and the larger natural world, recording all our stories.

Biography

Elizabeth R. Whelan is a UK-born artist, based in Nova Scotia. She specializes in portraiture, as well as painting marine and botanical subject matter. Her work explores coastal communities and their surrounding landscape.

In 2010, Whelan decided to pivot from her earlier career in the commercial arts and discovered the joy of oil painting, depicting boatbuilders and other unique individuals she met during her travels.

Elizabeth currently works from a studio in the Lunenburg area. In 2025, she became an elected member of the Society of Canadian Artists and, after discovering the joy of plein air painting, participated in the 2025 Parrsboro International Plein Air Festival. She finds great inspiration in the beauty of the Atlantic provinces and the many stories waiting to be told in paint.