Anouk Hartwell

About my name... I chose this name and legally changed it in 2002; thanks to my mother for offering the idea to do so.

From a young age Anouk was drawn to making art, since no art programs were offered at her school, her mother found adult art classes to get her started. And so her life in art began.

After being accepted into the interior design program in Alberta a few years later, I switched to the outdoor adventure program, which really felt like home. That's when my adventurous side took hold. I learned a lot in those two years, about whitewater canoeing, backpacking and skiing in the mountains, dogsledding and the business side to tourism.  It is my love of the outdoors that works its way into my art. I mainly paint mountains, trails, oceans and outdoor activities as my theme.

Anouk's work focuses on realism of the outdoors, mostly on and around Vancouver Island. Sometimes the activities that take place in the backcountry or a view of life under the ocean’s surface capture her imagination, so she paints it.

What surprises me about my art is when people ask me if it is a photograph, and when I see the emotions people express towards my art. I am so very grateful.