Hello

I live on Vancouver Island in Canada, a place with lush green forests, stunning coastline, and amazing wildlife. I paint in my small home studio while balancing a full-time job as a therapist. Most of my inspiration happens when I am walking in the forest with my dog, Ursa. Below you will find a little more about my artistic journey and my reason for painting. Thank you for reading. - Thayre Christine Fellows

My Story

I started painting in 2011 in my basement, and at the time, I wasn't confident to show my work to anyone because I thought that it wasn't good enough. Even though I had an aptitude for creativity I had no formal training in art and I honestly did not know what I was doing! I was simply experimenting with paint like a little child. Joyfully allowing myself to explore the medium. For quite some time I enjoyed painting as a creative expression, but I did not think that I was creating "real art" or anything that someone else would like. Over time, I shared my creations with friends and family who encouraged me to share and sell my work. But that step always proved elusive for me. My belief that my art was not good enough was really a reflection of my own inner sense of not being good enough. And this kept me from sharing my art, and myself.

During a very challenging time in my life, art became an important therapeutic practice, helping me navigate very turbulent waters. At times it became the only way that I felt any joy. So I painted a lot at that time, and yet still struggled to feel confident enough to share my work.

After a few years, life smoothed out. I became a therapist and started helping other people with their life challenges, and I found an enthusiasm for being of service. Helping others truly had the effect of filling my own cup. Now, I seem to have a lot of energy and lovingness to share! I have also discovered that the intention to share lovingness with others has transformed my art. Consequently, the purpose of my work has changed. It is still about enjoyment of the process, but now it is also a vehicle for communication.

I have done a lot of exploration around spiritual development. Certain "mystical" experiences have become so regular and ordinary to me that I often forget that it is an uncommon way to perceive life. I have often felt a need to hide this part of myself from others out of anxiety about what they may think. However, more and more I feel a desire to be myself while out in the world, and to communicate the experiences with other people. A lot of this subjective experience is very difficult to communicate verbally, so I make art in order to serve this purpose.

The world that I see is alive and radiantly shining with energy. People are beautiful beyond words. All of life is beautiful and intricately interconnected, and Love is everywhere within all things. These are the things that I hope to capture and share with my work. If you are here reading this, thank you for taking the time to get to know me and thank you for your support!

Bosun's Legacy

Bosun was a sweet little dog with the loveliest personality. When I first saw his angelic face I knew I had to adopt him. He had been found as a puppy alone in a ditch, very skinny and hungry.

The day after I had agreed to adopt him, the shelter staff called to tell me that he had a heart condition. My partner and I decided to give him the best life we could and to enjoy his company for as long as we could have him. After doing some testing of his heart we learned that he had an incurable defect. There was no certainty of how this would affect him as he got older. There was a chance that he could live a normal life, and there was a chance that he would not.

I decided to think positively and hope for the best. He integrated into our lives and burrowed himself into our hearts. Bosun always had to be cuddling on someone's lap. You would not be able to sit down for 2 seconds before he would be snuggled up against you! He radiated lovingness. It wasn't long before I was completely attached to him and thought of him as my child.

During the weeks leading up to his passing I was engaged in setting up a new therapy office and was thinking that at some point he would make a great therapy dog. I was thinking about painting something special for my office. One day I bought a new canvas, which eventually became The Spirit Tree of Life painting. My partner and I arrived home that day and I brought the canvas into the house. As Bosun ran to us in his excitement to see us come home, he suffered a heart attack and died in our arms. His poor little heart was not strong enough to support his growing body. It was just a few weeks shy of his first birthday.

While dealing with his loss was incredibly painful, it was also an opportunity for me to look towards my spiritual practice and realize the truth about death; that it is not a loss but merely a transition. And I was inspired to paint The Spirit Tree of Life to illustrate this understanding. In honor of Bosun I have chosen to incorporate a small amount of his ashes into paintings by drilling a small hole in the back of each frame and sealing it with glue. I believe that his spirit can still share love and I wish to share that love with others. I dream that someday his memory, and my work, will be shared around the world.