Abstract landscapes and artistic eploration
Vancouver-based artist Stephen Dancey creates paintings that offer an abstract interpretation of the terrain of the Pacific Northwest, drawing inspiration from the coastal islands, mountains, and waters of western Canada. Often starting with a natural landscape and transitioning into abstraction, Dancey’s paintings invite viewers to connect with the idea of a landscape as something familiar and recognizable before being drawn into the more abstract, textural, and tactile elements of his work.
Rooted in personal experiences and spending time in the places that inspire his work, Dancey’s focus is less on depicting picturesque scenery and more centered on his expressive interpretation. For Dancey, paint is both a physical presence and a reflection of his creative process. His exploration of the physical qualities of paint, its textures and colours, gestural marks and expressive accents, adds depth and dimension to his paintings. The many layers he applies create a rich, complex surface, allowing a kind of history to develop on the canvas that encourages viewers to spend time with his paintings, discovering new details and subtle shifts in the surface as they explore the work further.
Rooted in personal experiences and spending time in the places that inspire his work, Dancey’s focus is less on depicting picturesque scenery and more centered on his expressive interpretation. For Dancey, paint is both a physical presence and a reflection of his creative process. His exploration of the physical qualities of paint, its textures and colours, gestural marks and expressive accents, adds depth and dimension to his paintings. The many layers he applies create a rich, complex surface, allowing a kind of history to develop on the canvas that encourages viewers to spend time with his paintings, discovering new details and subtle shifts in the surface as they explore the work further.
Artistic journey
Stephen Dancey has a BFA in Visual Arts from the University of Victoria. After graduating, he moved to London, England, where he entered the workforce and put his art on hold. Later he trained in magazine design at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and worked in that field in London.
During a summer holiday in Cornwall, he visited the Tate St Ives and other local galleries, and was deeply inspired by the art he saw, as well as the Cornish landscape and beaches. This inspiration led him to quickly create a series of small acrylic on paper studies upon returning to London, capturing his artistic vision for future work. Only two works survive from this time, Gwithian 3 and Gwithian 4, named after Gwithian Beach in St Ives Bay. Dancey’s current work continues to be informed by this initial inspiration.
After moving to Vancouver, Dancey continued to work in arts-related fields, first running his own graphic design business and later, with his wife, managing two dance studios and an annual dance festival. During this time he refined his artistic vision through photographing landscapes and seascapes in preparation for his return to painting in 2024.
Gwithian 3 (left, 6×5 inches) and Gwithian 4 (right, 5×3 inches), both 1997.
After moving to Vancouver, Dancey continued to work in arts-related fields, first running his own graphic design business and later, with his wife, managing two dance studios and an annual dance festival. During this time he refined his artistic vision through photographing landscapes and seascapes in preparation for his return to painting in 2024.
Environmental commitment: repurposing paint waste
Dancey is committed to reducing his environmental impact by reusing and repurposing leftover materials that would otherwise be discarded. Acrylic paint, an acrylic polymer emulsion derived from petrochemicals, is often disposed of in ways that contribute to pollution, either poured down the drain or ending up in the garbage and the landfill.
Rather than letting this waste go to waste, his acrylic paint collages are made from dried paint that builds up on his palette over multiple painting sessions. These ‘ugly’ dried paint remnants are given a new life in his acrylic paint collages, revealing their unexpected beauty, rich colours and textures.
Enquiries
If you have any questions or need more information about any paintings, feel free to reach out: email us. We’re happy to help answer any questions and look forward to hearing from you.
Land acknowledgement
Stephen Dancey acknowledges he is creating art on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) nations. Many of his paintings are inspired by these lands and he is committed to engaging with the land and its history in a respectful manner, recognizing the landscape’s profound cultural significance.