My biggest artistic inspiration — February 2026 update
- Diana Skelhorne
- Feb 1
- 4 min read
January is a great month for painting, planning...and more painting. Let’s take a few minutes to catch up on what I’ve been doing lately!
In this update:
My biggest artistic inspiration
Meet my new doggies! And one cat
Teaching an art workshop in Scotch Creek in February
My latest work: Wait A Minute
My biggest artistic inspiration
People often ask me what got me started as an artist and what inspired me.
It’s a good question. Every artist has a different origin story and a different motivation for doing what they do.
In my case, the answer is simple: my Dad got me started as an artist.
I remember the day clearly: I was in my room, working on a drawing. My Dad came in, looked at what I was doing, and said, “that’s not bad.”
Now, that might sound like faint praise, but for a young girl who had often been the target of harsh criticism for other creative pursuits (I was once kicked out the school choir because of my voice), this was a huge shot in the arm. Something I did was good! Or at least “not bad.”
That one comment kept me going then and still keeps me going now, even though my Dad has since passed away. But what a legacy he left me. He was one of the most creative people I have ever known. He didn’t often express his creativity through painting (though he did paint the back of a trailer my parents lived in as snowbirds), but he did doodle a lot. The doodle marks I include on a lot of my Wild Essence and Little Birds paintings are a bit of a tribute to him.
I attribute a lot of my love for wildlife and the outdoors to my Dad. When I was a kid, our holidays were usually camping trips. We didn’t always go to established campgrounds. Sometimes my Dad would just drive until he found a place that looked good and we would camp there, in the wilderness. My Dad was a hunter and a fisher and was always talking about animals and their habits.
My Dad also had a restless, creative mind. He was always building things or trying new ways to solve problems. He built an entire sailboat starting from just a bare hull. He built a dune buggy from spare parts and a truck camper we used on trips. He built a record player cabinet that folded into our basement wall. Always coming up with new, creative ways to express himself.
I hope that in my art I’m carrying even just a little of my Dad’s creative spirit. He’s the one who provided the spark for a fire that is still burning today. Thank you, Dad!
Meet my new doggies! And one cat
Did you know that besides birds and wildlife one of my favourite things to paint is pets?
Over the years I have painted many pet portraits for collectors, everything from rabbits to dogs to horses to cats (oh my!). Once I did a pet portrait that included five dogs! I haven’t painted an iguana or a snake, but if someone wanted me to, I’d be game.
This month I painted four pet portraits. And I’m ready to do more!
Whether your pet is still with you or has crossed the rainbow bridge, a pet portrait is a wonderful tribute and reminder. And pet portraits make great gifts for friends or family members.
If you’re interested in commissioning a pet portrait, please get in touch!
Teaching an art workshop in Scotch Creek in February
This month I’ll be leading an art workshop in Scotch Creek, B.C. as part of the North Shuswap Winter Festival.
The workshop will be held on Friday, February 13, and that’s not the only thing that makes it scary for me! It’s also going to be the largest workshop I’ve ever led, with 18 keen artists painting a colourful bear.
I’m really looking forward to the workshop — I’ll let you know how it goes!
My latest work
This month I’ve been working on some new paintings as well as the dogs and cat you read about above. Here is my latest work (I have a couple more I'll share next month):
Wait A Minute
As you know, one of my favourite things about going for my morning walk in our little village is seeing the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep that live here. The rams are especially interesting to watch — they’re so big, so tough looking with their gnarly, curled horns. And one of the funniest things to see is when a ram is standing and looking tough…and a magpie swoops down and lands on his back. I don’t know why they do it — maybe to eat seeds that get embedded in the ram’s fur when he’s lounging in long grass? Whatever the case, the magpies peck away at the ram’s head and all he can do is stand and look, well…sheepish.
That’s what Wait A Minute is all about. The painting is 12 x 12, so it’s suitable for display in almost any room in your home or office. And it’s a great reminder that while wildlife is serious business, it also has its funny moments. Check it out here on my website or drop me a line if you’re interested in collected it.
Thank you for reading my update newsletter! Get in touch if you have questions, feedback or want to talk.
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