Anne is a painter and writer who grew up in a small town in Quebec before moving to Vancouver in 2015. During a dark period of homelessness, she discovered art as an unexpected source of peace, drawing late into the night with whatever materials she could find. Watercolors, and later acrylics and oil pastels, helped her navigate sobriety, motherhood, loss, and the overwhelming emotions that came with rebuilding her life. Through fear, grief, joy, and growth, art remained her constant—grounding her, carrying her, and giving her a way to keep moving forward.

Auden Derksen was born in Vancouver, BC and raised in Prince George, where he pursued art intensely before studying social work at the University of Northern British Columbia. Though he stepped away from a social work career, the values he learned remain central to his artistic process. In 2018, he won first place in the Canadian Mental Health Association art contest, a milestone which would help build his foundation of expressing difficult emotions through the power of art. Auden works across painting, digital art, and animation, often blending mediums because he enjoys the creative freedom each one offers. He creates meaningful, emotion‑driven pieces with people and emotions as his center piece.

Carla is a Métis/Cree artist working full‑time as an illustrator, painter, and mural artist. She’s known for her distinctive style and her love of painting wildlife and scenery. A two‑time Art Battle champion, winning in 2016 and 2018, Carla’s artwork also appears in many children’s books. She loves knowing that her art moves people and takes pride in creating work that resonates deeply with viewers.

Cliff Mann is a self‑taught watercolor artist and the 2014 Art Battle Prince George Champion, later advancing to the provincial finals in Vancouver. He has illustrated books, mentored youth in art classes, and served as the Community Arts Council’s artist‑in‑residence. Over the years, Cliff has been sought out for numerous high‑profile commissions, building a reputation for skill, dedication, and creative versatility.

Diane was born on the lands of Vancouver, BC and now lives in Prince George, surrounded by rivers and forest. A proud member of the Dzawada’enuxw First Nation, her roots reach to Kingcome Inlet, Alert Bay, and Gilford Island. Her artistic path began in 2003 during a visit to her mother’s home territory, where meeting her Great‑Great Uncle Sam, a master carver, awakened her creative calling. A self‑taught artist, she blends Mid Coast Indigenous formline with contemporary expression across painting, beadwork, cedar pieces, and smudge sprays. She now serves on the Arts BC Board and works as a Native Liaison, strengthening connections between culture, creativity, and community.

Inspired by nature, animals and the people in her life, Karen paints stories through her art. She often finds herself dreaming of her next creative idea, which she meticulously translates onto a medium with her special skills. While acrylics, oil and etching are some of her favorite mediums to play around with, Karen's artwork can be found on rocks, glassware, driftwood, canvas and feathers.

Lacey is a multidisciplinary visual artist from Prince George, BC, with a deep love for pop culture, nature, and all things animated. Their vibrant work spans acrylic painting, watercolor, digital art, linocut printing, and more, often blending animals and the natural world with cartoon and anime-inspired aesthetics. In 2025, Lacey won the Prince George Art Battle and later qualified for Art Battle BC in Vancouver, held on July 5. There, they won their first round and advanced to the finals.

Quintin began a small art project in 2023 as a way to support his mental health, and it quickly grew into a joyful creative practice. Thanks to his SketchBox subscription, he’s explored a wide range of mediums and discovered that he isn’t limited to just one—he enjoys creating with anything he can get his hands on. Now stepping into Art Battle, Quintin hopes the experience will push him out of his comfort zone and fuel even more artistic growth.

Trevor became a tattoo artist after 25 years in sales and first joined Art Battle shortly after moving to the area in 2016. Painting has become his way of grounding himself—he paints to inspire his music, to regulate his nervous system, to meditate, and to imagine himself as the forces of nature. He paints to inspire his friends, and simply because he loves the act of creating, whether it becomes something or nothing at all. For Trevor, painting is a form of freedom in a world where freedom feels increasingly scarce, and he believes everyone has the ability to paint.