My Artistic Journey

Ten years and a hundred paintings later. Here are some highlights of my artistic journey.

"Sometime you go off on tangents that turn out to be cul-de-sacs, so you simply abandon that little journey, come back to your main road and go on."
- David Hockney

It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since I picked up a paintbrush for the first time! When I look back, I realize just how many paintings (and happy hours) I’ve poured into this journey — and I’d love to share some of it with you.

It all began when my mom and I signed up for a weekend painting class. Our first assignment was to paint koi fish — and honestly, I spent most of the time with my brush hovering in midair, not quite sure what to do next! I had all these ideas in my head, but no clue how to bring them to life.

Koi fish by Sylvie Peltier - Esspé — My koi fish painting, February 2014. I painted most of it by myself. The teacher came to my rescue and painted the bright yellow fish.

Still, I was hooked. I kept taking classes and painting whenever I could, squeezing it in between projects from my day job as a TV producer.

I joined the local Art Society, and four years after that, I took part in my first art show — and sold my very first painting! I’ll never forget that feeling of knowing a total stranger connected with something I’d made.

Another teacher at the time told me that the trees were too similar, but it didn't prevent "Meditation Lake" from finding its forever home.

In 2021, I had my first solo show at the French Cultural Centre in Vancouver, which gave me the confidence to start painting larger pieces (I love the freedom of a big canvas!). That’s also where I met my first collector — who now owns six of my paintings!

"Line Dancing" above and "Dance" were my collector's first purchases.

When we moved from White Rock to Qualicum Beach in 2023, I hit the ground running thanks to a wonderful artist neighbour who introduced me to the local art scene. Since then, I’ve had a solo show at the McMillan Arts Centre and another one coming up January 2026 at The Old School House in Qualicum Beach — featuring all new paintings!

Over the past decade, I’ve created more than 100 paintings, and I thought it would be fun to share them with you over the coming months. Follow along on Facebook and Instagram to see my #ArtistJourney — one painting (and memory) at a time. 🎨💛