Sometimes, a creative chapter begins with someone else recognising what we need. For Stella Marin, it began with an easel from her daughter.
When her daughter left for college, she gave Stella the easel for Christmas with a simple message: “Mom, it’s time for you to get back into your art.”
Unsure where to begin, Stella reached out to Beaux Arts Brampton in Ontario, where she met artist and teacher Kelly McNeil. An invitation to try a class became the beginning of a lasting connection with painting, and a mentorship that continues to inspire her.
As Stella puts it: “I went—and I never put my paintbrush down.”
A Closer Look at the Natural World
Now based in Invermere, British Columbia, Stella works primarily in oils and scratchboard. Her subjects range from Canadian landscapes and wildlife to personal pet portraits and selected commissions.
She is drawn to the moments that reward a little patience: the expression in an animal’s eyes, changing light across a landscape, or an unexpected detail that might otherwise pass unnoticed. Her work invites viewers to share that attention and develop their own connection with the natural world.
Her practice has grown through independent exploration, classes, workshops and mentorship in Ontario and British Columbia. That continuing curiosity remains central to how she approaches each new piece.
Recognition Along the Way
Stella’s work has earned an Honourable Mention for her oil painting Swan Lake at Beaux Arts Brampton and a second-place award at the Buckhorn Festival of the Arts.
Her exhibition history includes Vernon Public Art Gallery, Brampton City Hall, Etobicoke Civic Centre and the Buckhorn Fine Arts Festival. These experiences reflect an artistic journey that has taken her from Ontario to British Columbia, creating opportunities to share her work with different communities along the way.
A Founding Artist in the Invermere Corridor
As a Rocky Mountain Art Tour Founding Artist, Stella brings her wildlife and nature-inspired work to the Invermere Creative Corridor.
Her attention to the Canadian landscape connects naturally with RMAT’s purpose: inviting visitors to discover a region through its artists, cultural destinations and curated local experiences. In Invermere and the Columbia Valley, her artwork offers another way to appreciate the surroundings, and a connection visitors can carry home.
An initiative of LJL Galleries and Lisa Levasseur, RMAT is a self-guided art and cultural discovery experience across Alberta and British Columbia.
Discover Her Work at Copper Point Resort
Selected original artwork by Stella is available through Corner Stone Gifts, located at Copper Point Resort, part of the INNhotels family.
For visitors, it is an opportunity to encounter her work in person, discover the artist behind it and perhaps find a piece that recalls their own connection to nature.
Bringing Art to the Screen
Invermere will be the first RMAT corridor to introduce a digital art display, with Stella among the participating artists featured.
The rotating showcase will introduce visitors to artists and their artwork, with QR codes linking directly to their RMAT profiles to explore more and where it can be purchased.
Through its partnership with INNhotels, RMAT is creating additional opportunities for artist discovery during a stay and beyond. Stella’s participation connects her personal artistic journey with that wider vision, bringing nature, creativity and community into the visitor experience.
From a Christmas gift to exhibitions and new creative connections, Stella’s story is a reminder of what can happen when encouragement meets curiosity, and someone picks up the paintbrush.
Explore Stella’s artwork on Instagram