Theresa Williams

Theresa Williams, a proudly Indigenous, Secwépemc and mixed-blood settler and self-taught Contemporary Landscape Artist, lives in Carstairs, Alberta. (A small town in Treaty 7 territory.) Born in Calgary, also Treaty 7 territory, and raised on her family’s large multi-generational, remote cattle ranch in Canoe Creek (Stswecem’c), unceded Secwépemc territory in the Interior of British Columbia, Theresa has long been fascinated by landscapes and local history. Theresa attended Emily Carr College of Art and graduated from the University of British Columbia. Her work draws on an appreciation for land first learned and experienced as a child and reflects years exploring Western Canada. Theresa's paintings have exhibited in Alberta and British Columbia and are collected nationally and internationally. 

Theresa paints many different sizes on stretched canvas and canvas and wood panels, using both oils and acrylics. She is well-known for her plein air painting, steering wheel easel, limited color palette and bold, expressive, mark-making. Decades driving mean the view through a windshield often shows up in her work: foregrounds take a back seat to the middle and far away grounds, and weather elements and roads fading off into the distance are common. Theresa cannot remember living in Alberta as a young child but distinctly recalls how familiar the landscape and skies felt when she moved back.

“Looking out at the land from my front seat is such a familiar point of view. Taking that perspective and playing with the image through composition and design while translating it directly onto a canvas or panel can feel magical. I look forward to sharing these images with you.”