Naomi Cairns
Naomi Cairns was born on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, in 1984 and now lives on Cortes Island, BC. In 2011 she and her husband bought and restored a 40-foot sailboat, and for the next three years, they lived on it, sailing around exploring the Gulf Islands. Time spent on the water has influenced her most recent body of work in which she explores the interactions of the sea's edge in large-scale paintings. Naomi has a piece in the permanent collection of the National War Museum in Ottawa, ON.
She prefers to work on large-scale canvases, and her paintings envelop the viewer and invite further exploration within the landscape. The water inspires Naomi as she has made her home there or close by for quite some time. Her knowledge and affinity for the movement and light associated with wild West Coast shorelines have endeared her to both new and established collectors.
Rather than beginning the process in her snug studio, Naomi always starts with floating on the water. Often it will be in a kayak or dinghy of her own making. She starts by going for a paddle and taking photos, and doing sketches. Then she heads back to her studio to do the painting on canvas. "My subject matter might change, but for the last three years, [views] have all been from the water."
"The size is very important for me to give me the freedom to play with the different looser techniques of painting but still get the effect that I want from afar. I like how it looks more abstract from up close, and as you get further, the depth takes over, and it feels to me like I am in that place." -Naomi Cairns.
