Patricia Mansell

 I was born in Kent, England.  I moved to Edmonton, Alberta with my family in 1981 and have lived in Leduc since 1990. 

Although I first tried painting in England when I was 16, it was not until 1994 that I began to paint seriously.  I was immediately drawn to wildlife painting and especially to North American animals.  My style is realism and I work predominantly in acrylics and oils, using the strengths of each to bring my paintings to life. 

I develop my paintings from taking my own photographs, and spend large amounts of time researching the animals I paint.  I enjoy travelling North America to find new subjects to paint. 

I have a special joy in being commissioned for pet paintings.  Bringing to life a painting of a person’s beloved pet allows me to depict them in a way that shows their own unique character. 

My painting style is realism, and my subject of choice is wildlife.  I love bringing depth and detail to my paintings, and enjoy the process of mixing colours from a very limited palette.  

One of the strengths of wildlife art is its ability to tell a wide variety of stories.  In my paintings I try to convey messages of family warmth and unity, striving for higher goals, a spirit of freedom or exploration, and bring out the individuality of each animal by capturing it’s essence as it goes about its everyday life.  

A long time supporter of World Wildlife Fund, I portray many endangered species, hoping that bringing these animals to life in my art will promote awareness of their plight.  My journey through painting is a constant learning process, adding to and building my knowledge by exploring new techniques. 

Painting has taken me out of the everyday into a magical land where I can allow what is in my heart and soul to shine through my paintings.