Local artist Toni Carlson’s collaborative art exhibition, titled Outdoor Oasis, is a culmination of her years of fine art studies at UFV and a lifetime of learning, practising and growing as an artist.
Carlson says her unique landscape style includes “aspects of art nouveau with bright, bold colours and contrasting border lines” and uses “organized linework that is meant to catch the eye.” Her artwork has many influences including the famous Group of Seven, a group of Canadian landscape artists from 1920 to 1933, finger painter Iris Scott, other local artists Monica Morrill, Julie deBoer, and most importantly, her father.
Carlson was born and raised locally in Mission, B.C. on a piece of rural property without regular access to the internet. “As a kid, I had to use my imagination a lot in order to busy myself and play.” Carlson credits this as an important element in the development of her creative side and says it contributes significantly to her art and artistic process.
Growing with practising artists in the family inspired Carlson to begin her own art practices. She admits mimicking her father’s exotic fantasy scenes pushed the boundaries of her early art practices, but she looked up to her father and wanted to emulate his work. His example and support continues to motivate Carlson to find her own potential as an artist.
“As a child and teen, I would join him from time to time and he would give me art lessons, show me his work and explain different theories on lighting and the importance of shadows. He is quite a detailed, realistic artist and I have always admired and looked up to him, hoping one day I would be just as good as he was.”
Despite the fact that Carlson started drawing and painting early in life, and by highschool knew her artistic side was one of her strengths, life offered a different path. She steered away from art for a time to pursue more academic schooling and employment. After more than a decade, Carlson’s creative desires brought her back art, UFV, and the School of Creative Arts.
For the first time in her academic career, Carlson felt excited that she found a place where she finally fit in.
“Creating art makes me happy. I’ve learned that when I’m creating something I’m so enthralled in the process that it quiets the world around me. This discovery is especially important to me, because I, like many others, suffer from anxiety, but when I’m in a world of creativity I don’t feel anxious at all. Art is not only something I enjoy, but it’s something that is beneficial to me. Becoming lost in my work has given me a space to relax and be mentally free.”
Carlson credits UFV Professor Chris Friesen, who, like her father, was an amazing mentor. He taught her diverse art practices and processes that inspired her art. Friesen also taught her valuable professional, business, and advertising practices.
“Many people can create art, but there is a whole other world of getting your art out there [to market] that seems so large and daunting. But, having art in my life could lead me down many different avenues of interest.”
The future looks bold, bright, and busy, for Carlson. She is graduating from UFV in 2023, continuing to work in her family business and focusing on building her art business.
Carlson is working towards her own solo exhibitions. Currently, she is working on her public and online profiles and is following the advice she offers to aspiring artists.
“Don’t doubt yourself and be brave enough to put yourself out there. If it’s something that you love and you’re passionate about, and creates meaning in your life, to stick with it and pursue any opportunities that come forward. You never know what can come from that.”
Carlson’s art exhibition “Outdoor Oasis” can be viewed in SOCA’s room C1401.
Steve is a third-year BFA creative writing/visual arts student who’s been a contributing writer, staff writer and now an editor at The Cascade. He's always found stories and adventures but now has the joy of capturing and reporting them.