Maddison is a self-taught artist who has been drawing her whole life. Hailing from a small town on the island, she enjoys working with various mediums and subjects. Aspiring to start a career in costume design, car painting, architecture, or pottery, she is still exploring her path. Maddison loves sculpting, drawing, painting, sewing, and engaging in mixed media projects.

I am an 18 year old artist! I’m self taught and would love to publicly in art, please follow me on instagram. commissions welcomed, i work with all mediums and will be going to art school to further my skills!

Holly is a multidisciplinary artist from British Columbia. Throughout their childhood and teenage years, they focused on drawing portraits while also delving into surrealism. Their creative expression spans performance art, visual art, and photography.

The Victoria Event Centre was a theatre home to me for many years. It’s the first stage I did Vaudeville on. It’s the first stage I did short form improv comedy in front of a live audience, and a long form comedy soap opera too! I had the joy of performing sketch comedy there, so many times I lost count long ago. I’ve sung on that stage, danced on that staged. I even posed for a photo, for a newspaper article about local theatre, and I used it for a few rehearsals for my Fringe play in 2011.

Fast forward to 2023, when I competed, as a Visual Artist, at my very first Art Battle, also hosted at the VEC.

I don’t say any of this to brag. I have also crawled on the bar counter, embarrassed myself, pooped in the toilets, and slipped in fake cat vomit before falling onto the stage (and then having to immediately get up and do a whole dance number).

The common thread in all this is that I am thankful for every opportunity I’ve had at the VEC. The VEC has been a second home to me, and I will be forever grateful for the rest of my life.

I am grieving the loss of it already, as I type this. But, I am so happy to be able to be a part of the last event that will happen there!

It will be a goodbye show for me, and my art is surely going to be emoting that sentiment.

Conscious, or unconscious, I know the piece I create will be inspired by all the time I was fortunate enough to spend being creative, at the VEC, in the presence of other artists, friends, family, and audience members.

It’s time to let go, and I do so with so much gratitude in my heart.

Thank you for being a venue that helped support me, to grow and develop so much, as a multidisciplinary artist.

Nora is a traditional line artist, a professional environmentalist, and an aspiring 3D artist. She describes herself as mysterious yet down-to-earth and low-key chill. Nora's work includes line art, aerosol art, and 3D projects, focusing on animation (rigging), lighting, and modeling. She is particularly skilled at drawing quickly and efficiently.

Hey! This is Nora 🙂 A 3D artist and im here TO WINNNNN. RAHHHHH

Carmen is back! She utilizes color, line, and contrast to delve into her identity and her surroundings. Her artistic creations include landscapes and abstract works made with oil, acrylic, and watercolor.

Ivory describes their art as stylized semi-realism with a touch of the uncanny valley. Art is their greatest passion, and they always choose to create, often entering a dissociative state while painting, which leaves them unsure of how their works come to life. They aim for their art to evoke reassurance and familiarity.

Tiegan is a freelance artist in Victoria, BC, Canada, specializing in illustration, comics, and printmaking with a cartoonish or graffiti style. Influenced by underground comix and vintage European animation, she works with acrylics, gouache, watercolors, and digital media, and is exploring linocut printmaking.

It's an honour to be doing one last Art Battle at the Victoria Event Centre; let's give a cheer for the VEC and a cheer for Victoria artists!

Cory is back! He never really knows what he’ll end up painting and sees his creations as spontaneous.

Shirley is a Japanese artist currently studying English in Canada for two months. Although she is still not very fluent, she can communicate through her art. Her skills range from oil painting to graphic art, covering various styles from realism to manga and anime. Art has always been her passion, and she originally wanted to attend art school.

I just arrived in Canada and I don’t understand English very well, but I love art because it can communicate without words! Let’s have fun together !

Sydney feels most alive when creating, often discovering her ideas through the process rather than having a final vision. She connects deeply with feminist art that explores the body and enjoys abstract expression. Working in various mediums, she chooses the one that best communicates her concepts.

Chris prioritizes color in his art, working across various mediums. He began drawing at three and painting in grade ten, still enjoying finger painting. His bold, whimsical pieces reveal their final look only at completion, primarily using acrylic on canvas.

Samantha draws inspiration from surreal dreamscapes, sacred geometry, and abstract neon landscapes in her painting practice. Her use of ethereal color palettes, layered imagery, and intricate details invites viewers to delve into the possibilities of their imagination.

Saelle is a physician whose journey has been shaped by resilience and creativity. With a deep understanding of the human experience, she uses art as a powerful medium to navigate and express her complex emotions. Saelle’s artistic practice spans various forms, reflecting her belief in creativity as a vital tool for healing. Through her work, she aims to transform distressing emotions into expressions of hope and positivity

Hi! My name is Saelle (like a “sail” boat). I am absolutely thrilled to be taking part in the upcoming Art Battle in Victoria. This is my home, and I can’t wait to paint alongside fellow artists and in front of you, my community. Art is my passion, and it has helped me through the hardest times in my life. I hope this experience will be as enriching for you as it will be for me. Namaste.