Poppy Balser
Poppy Balser is a Canadian painter who has always lived within walking distance of the ocean, mostly on the shores of the Bay of Fundy. She developed an early connection with the seashore which has deepened as she studies the sea and its environs through her paintings. She understands that the wild portions of Nova Scotia's environment are a precious resource and seeks to highlight their beauty in her paintings. She paints outside often to keep her observations fresh and accurate. Her goal is to transfer the open air feeling of being outside in nature into her studio work.
Balser began the serious pursuit of painting in watercolours in 2003. She has since followed a path of self directed study, choosing workshops by master painters from across the country. Over the last few years she has expanded her artistic practice to include oil painting. She has become a well known and accomplished painter, known for both her watercolour and oil paintings. She holds signature or elected membership in several art societies, including the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour (CSPWC) and the American Society of Marine Artists (ASMA). Poppy is the Vice President of the CSPWC.
Balser has exhibited in national annual exhibitions with the CSPWC, the ASMA, the Oil Painters of America (OPA) and the American Watercolor Society. She has won multiple awards in the CSPWC and the OPA exhibitions, as well as multiple awards in the PleinAir Salon. She is represented by galleries including Teichert Gallery in Halifax, Amicus Gallery in Chester, the Flight of Fancy in Bear River, Harvest Gallery in Wolfville as well as Camden Falls Gallery in Camden, Maine. Articles about her work have been published in art magazines including PleinAir Magazine and Watercolor Artist and her work has been featured in Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine.
Balser participates in plein air festivals and competitions in Canada and the United States, lately winning awards in both the Forgotten Coast en Plein Air (in Apalachicola,FL) and in the Wet Paint competition held by the OPA during their annual convention and exhibition in Charleston, SC.
Balser tells the behind the scenes stories of her paintings in her newsletter and on her blog. She seeks with her posts and videos to give her readers a real sense of being on the shores of the Bay of Fundy, or wherever her painting journey has taken her.
