Sophie Graine

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Sophie Graine is a printmaker and painter based in Edmonton, Alberta. Primarily a self-taught artist, her formal education is in the natural sciences. This has led to an adventurous life that occasionally includes skiing across frozen tundra and counting caribou by helicopter. Plein air studies give life and resonance to her studio pieces. Her art is rooted in the tradition of Canadian landscape artists like Walter J. Philips and the Group of Seven, but has an undeniably modern and graphic quality. Sophie's work can be found in private collections across Alberta, and she continues to develop her practice with new series inspired by her surroundings.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Painting outside, often after having hiked or ran or skied for hours or days, is a special kind of adventure. There’s that one time I swatted swarms of mosquitos away at sunset, them crawling down my shirt, me jumping up and down in agitation. Or the time my paints started freezing and turning to slush on my palette. And there was one cold winter day when I forgot my brushes - I chewed on a stick of willow and painted with that! And yet, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Spending time outside, experiencing the moods of the natural world, seems to be my path. Back in the studio, I draw on those experiences to paint, print, and carve art that morphs all the type-two fun into an idealized memory of adventure.

View Sophie Graine's Artwork