Graham Herbert

I grew up in Calgary surrounded by drawing, painting and boat building.

He moved to Vancouver in his early twenties to work around boats and do more sailing, but became more interested in painting the West Coast seascape. He studied art at the Emily Carr College of Art and later at the Victoria College of Art. Most of Graham’s techniques however have resulted from years of experimentation and innovation.

I became fascinated with the bold compositional possibilities of nature and beach rocks which gave him endless material for powerful yet tranquil paintings. Recently his love of boats and painting have come together. These colourful, happy images represent a return to the simplicity of childhood and the joy children take in representing the things they love. Graham infuses his paintings with peace and tranquility, imaginary worlds full of exciting colours, funky buildings and classic boats floating on reflecting waters. 

Graham works in a skylit studio nestled in the trees on Hornby Island. Here he distills the images and impressions he gathers on his travels to the many wonderful waterfront communities around the world.