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James Charles

Born and raised in New York city, James Charles Walsh was introduced to art at an early age. He grew up in an artistic family who enjoyed the arts and encouraged James to follow his passion for painting. After a stint in the US Navy he hitch-hiked across the country settling in California for a while. From there he moved to Montreal and eventually traveled out west to Alberta where he apprenticed as a sign painter and eventually open his own sign company. Relocating to the west coast in 1986 opened a whole new world for the young painter, and provided an environment where James could concentrate on fine-tuning his artistic talents. He began his formal art training in the Graphic Design and Illustration program at Capilano College, taking courses in still life and figure painting, and quickly gained local recognition as a vibrant and prolific painter. A unique style that is constantly evolving, Charles’ work encompasses fine art and print design. As an Active Status member of the Federation of Canadian Artists he has been exhibited chiefly at the Autumn Brook Gallery in Vancouver and with Fine Caribbean Art, one of south Florida’s acclaimed galleries. He has taught multimedia design at the Video In and drawing at Dr. Clark Elementary school in Alberta. His work is featured in the permanent collection of the Alberta Art Foundation as well as in private collections through North America and he recently had a successful one man show at the Colony Hotel in Delray Beach, Florida. A selection of art prints are available through Art in Motion. James Charles currently resides in the lower mainland of British Columbia.

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Ross Holmes

Ross Holmes was born in 1975 in Vancouver and received his diploma in Studio Art from Capilano College. He then went on to study both photography and painting at the Emily Carr Institute and Langara College. A full time artist with a studio in Chinatown, Ross’ seascapes and landscapes derive from his exposure to vast open spaces. Over the years, Ross has been fortunate to travel to such far away places as India, Mongolia, and Iceland. This is his second showing at the Omega Gallery in Vancouver.

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Leonard Matte

Leonard Matte is a Western Canadian artist, residing on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Born in 1960, he was raised in the city of Vancouver where he spent most of his life. Always a practising artist, he has had other professions including teaching painting and drawing classes to both children and adults. From the University of British Columbia, Leonard has a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree and a Professional Teacher’s Certificate. Leonard’s work has been widely collected in British Columbia and Alberta, with some pieces in Europe. Having had work displayed in galleries in British Columbia, Alberta, Washington and California states, Leonard has taken part in a number of group and one man shows. In addition, twice his art has been featured on the cover of Reader’s digest Magazine; this was August 1992 (English Version) and July 1996 (French Version). The strength of Leonard's acrylic and watercolour paintings lies in his expressive style celebrating the flow of nature through the use of broad, loose brushstrokes of vibrant colours and rich tones. He uses the wet-on-wet technique with both mediums. Strongly inspired by the Master, Emily Carr, he enjoys interpreting the spiritual interplay of sea, sky and land of the beautiful coastal regions of British Columbia.