We were lucky to catch up with Renee Gould recently and have shared our conversation below.

Renee, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

After university, I met my husband, a fourth-generation farmer who is still farming the same land that his ancestors did. Many of our neighbours have similar stories to his and the history lies thick here in the Alberta prairie. As a white female living in Canada I often felt that I didn’t know my family’s history or traditions, not the way they do out here. Out here people share the stories and traditions orally, it can also be seen in the fields where old equipment lays dormant. By moving to the prairies I feel like I have uncovered parts of my history and what life might have been like for my own ancestors. My art has evolved to become a reflection of our personal western lifestyle, our neighbours, our community, and its history.
Recently I have taken to painting historical photos that were taken locally. It has been intriguing and fun to bring history back to life through paint. I have engaged in many deep conversations with people of all kinds about Alberta history and the legends that walked this earth.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Art has always been a part of my life, however, it didn’t become a full-time business until I moved to Consort, Alberta, and had kids. On maternity leave, I thought what better time to start a new business?! In the beginning, I utilized nap time to paint and now I wake up early to prioritize the time. With all of this said, my art gets slotted in where I can fit it or make time for it as my kids are young, 3 and 4, and I enjoy helping out on the family farm as much as possible. The majority of my work is done in the winter months when the snow is flying as I try to be outside as much as possible during the summer months.

My work is a direct depiction of my life. Each painting derived from a photo I or my neighbors took of animals we interact with regularly. They tell our story. about the culture, livelihood, and hard work we experience on our farms. The animals that I paint are majestic to me. Putting them in oil paint invokes memories and stories in me but it also sparks memories and engaging conversations with my viewers.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Getting my art to the point it is has been a hustle! One thing that bugs me is when people say ,”Wow, you are so talented!” It is meant kindly but, honestly, it’s been a lot of hard work to get here, not talent. my sister and I grew up filling colouring books and creating. We had close aunts that were artists and handmade/art was always valued. In the past four years, I have put paint to canvas as much as I can, my instagram feed has been filled with artists that I want to influence my work, I am constantly looking for pictures to paint, and there is the business side of things; getting into galleries, promoting on social media, developing and email list, going to markets….etc.
When people ask how long it took me to paint a piece I’ve been learning to say “A lifetime.” it has taken a lifetime to gain the skills, to understand which photos I like to paint, to mix colour, and even when I am not painting I am problem solving and thinking about what my next move will be.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

There is nothing like an original piece of art., To me, a great piece can be observed for an endless amount of time. It provides value and interest up close as well as far away.. I am always disappointed when I photograph my work. So much of a piece is lost in a photograph. The photograph can’t seem to capture the texture, stroke direction, colour, or size when we view it digitally.
Buy the art that you really love. Buy the piece that stays in your mind. Buy the art that grabs and holds your attention.
And after you buy that piece, share it with everyone you know and talk about it!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.reneegould.ca
• Instagram: renee.egould.art
• Facebook: Renee Gould Artworks
• Other: Please give photo credit to Shelby Ferguson of Twisted Tree Photo