About Bard Owl Arts
Bard Owl Arts was created by Chris Grimes (pen name Cee Thorketil) as an umbrella for her art, design and publishing work.
Artist Statement: Nature as Presence
My paintings incorporate varied textures, layers, glazes, and bold lines to create nature-inspired artworks that play with abstraction. I focus on landscapes, animals, and plants as subjects, aiming to convey the profound inspiration and connection we are capable of having with the natural world. My work serves to honor sentience in nature, expressing the intrinsic value of life and the intricate web of relationships within ecosystems.
Biography
Chris Grimes graduated from Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver, BC, in 2007, with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art with a concentration on painting. She has exhibited in group shows, juried exhibitions, and online publications, receiving several awards for her artistic contributions.
As a committed naturalist and environmentalist, Chris has actively participated in grassroots initiatives to promote ecologically driven changes in local policies throughout her adult life. She resides in Maine with her husband, two dogs, and daughter, where they are developing a food forest and permaculture farm on their wild and beautiful acreage.
Curriculum Vitae
Selected Group Exhibitions
2024, Unfolding Horizons, Deer Isle Artists Association Gallery, Deer Isle, ME
2024, Artistonish Magazine
2020, Gateway International Painting Competition, www.paintingcontest.org
2020, All Planet Earth, Contemporary Art Gallery Online, www.CAGonline.gallery
2019, National Juried Exhibit, Oxford Arts Alliance, Oxford, PA
2019, Equine Art, Washington Thoroughbred Association, Emerald Downs, WA
2019, Summer Road Trip, Pacific Northwest Art School Gallery, Coupeville, WA
2015, Artbeat, Vancouver, BC
2009, Timeraiser, Vancouver, BC
2007, Live Biennale, Public Displays of Affection, Vancouver, BC
2007, Coworkers, Concourse Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Education
Emily Carr University, Bachelor of Fine Art, 2007
Awards
2020, Gateway International Painting Competition, Finalist for Best in Show
2019, Equine Art, Best in Show
2019, Equine Art, Poster Award
Professional Associations
Union of Maine Visual Artists, Maine, USA, 2024-present
Boothbay Region Art Foundation, Maine, USA, 2025-present
York Art Association, York Harbor, Maine, 2024-present
Private Collections
Vancouver, BC
Victoria, BC
Salt Spring Island, BC
Toronto, ON