I’m Jill Blakley, a prairie-based fine artist deeply committed to the discipline of oil painting. I was born in Kamloops (Secwepemc territory) and raised in Saskatoon (Treaty 6 territory and the homeland of the Metis).

I’ve studied representational portraiture since 2010 under Craig Berry (Saskatoon), who himself was trained by Scott Owles (Toronto) and the Maestro Michael John Angel (Florence), one of the world’s foremost figurative painters. John Angel was introduced to the techniques of the Old Masters by Pietro Annigoni, the Italian artist whose portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II hangs in the National Portrait Gallery of London.

I have also had the pleasure and the privilege to (very briefly!) study expressionist landscape painting with Gord MacDonald (Halifax), one of Canada’s most skilled landscape painters. In 2024, I took a portraiture course led by Steve Forster (Florence Academy of Art in Italy), founder of the Long Island Academy of Fine Art, in New York. Most of my works were created with songs by The National playing in the background.

Growing up surrounded by wide prairies, but also living in British Columbia for 10 years, nature has been my muse, infusing my artworks with the soulful resonance of the land. My artistic journey is a colorful tapestry woven with diverse experiences and boundless creativity.

In my paintings, you’ll discover a spectrum of themes, each canvas an expression of my vivid imagination. They speak in vibrant hues, textures, and emotions, inviting you into a world where beauty intertwines with introspection.

As you wander through my gallery, you’ll witness my artistic evolution—from basic initial strokes to fully rendered paintings now adorning many private collections. Here, I seek to share my journey, hoping my art finds a cherished place in the hearts and homes of fellow art enthusiasts.