Evening Paddle-Part of the Canoe Collection

After more than 30 years as a hair stylist, Raune-lea closed her business in Peterborough and retired to Orillia with her new husband.  Seeking an outlet for her natural creativity, she pursued and excelled at a variety of artistic endeavours, but it wasn’t until she picked up a drawing pencil and then a paintbrush that she discovered her true passion and talent.  Her paintings immediately displayed an astonishingly nuanced and mature ability in a very short period of time. Exploring a variety of subject matter – landscapes, rural scenes, flora and fauna – Raune-lea used her experience with colour, light and proportion to great effect.  

And as it turned out, her new home town of Orillia is an ideal place to grow as a painter.  Always eager to share and learn from other artists, she quickly became noticed in Orillia’s very active arts district, and was soon being hired by other artists to participate in some large mural projects.  Her participation in the arts community has even extended to her taking on the role of president of the Orillia Fine Arts Association for the last few years.

Her work in hyper-realism has allowed her to become a master of her tools.  Her love and adeptness with colour allow her to truly capture the mood of the subject, always evoking an emotional response. Combining the two, produces art with the best of both – technical prowess with unconstrained artistic flair.

Raune-lea continues to produce pieces at an impressive rate, often working at multiple projects simultaneously, with a wide variety of subject matter that interests her.  But she has welcomed commissions from landscapes to pet portraits. We look forward to seeing what her incredible natural talent will produce over the coming years.