Exploring the Creative Landscape: Oceanside Arts Magazine August 2026 Issue
Art is more than the finished work hanging on a wall. It is shaped by curiosity, experience, place, memory, experimentation, and the many influences that artists carry with them throughout their creative lives.
In this collection of stories, we meet artists whose practices reflect the remarkable breadth of Canada’s contemporary arts community. Cover artist Gordon Milne has spent decades developing a distinctive visual language of bold colour, movement, and geometric form, creating landscapes and portraits that explore the emotional possibilities of shape, rhythm, and composition.
Award-winning artist Keitha McClocklin offers a fascinating perspective on abstract realism, experimentation, and the dialogue between art history and contemporary painting. Kai Liu reflects on migration, memory, and the intersection of Eastern artistic traditions with the landscapes and culture of Canada’s West Coast. Billie Reath Lang reminds us that creativity can be playful, too, bringing storytelling, humour, imagination, and joy to her children’s books and whimsical portraits.
We also hear from Larry Stuart, whose paintings of Vancouver Island demonstrate a lifelong fascination with light, colour, and atmosphere. Brandy Saturley considers the evolving contemporary arts community in Calgary, while Claire Olivier uncovers an unexpected piece of history. Glenn Bush shares his enthusiasm for jazz education and the vibrant musical community that exists here on Vancouver Island.
Together, these stories offer a glimpse into the people and ideas behind the art. They reveal the varied paths artists take, the places that inspire them, and the experiences that continue to shape their work.
For the Oceanside Arts Council, celebrating these creative voices is also a way of celebrating the rich artistic community that surrounds us. We invite you to explore these stories, linger over the artwork, and perhaps discover a new artist, idea, or perspective along the way.
There is always more to discover when we take the time to look closely.
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