Happy Birthday to Ucluelet B.C.'s First Lady of Art. - Marla Thirsk.

June 12, 2019 - Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

If you have been blessed enough to make it to the west side of Canada's west coast you may have enjoyed the works of Marla Thirsk.

Marla Thirsk - self portrait

Marla Thirsk - "Family Dynamics" 2019 - 36" x 48" - Acrylic with textured gesso. 

Well today this amazing woman turns 66, a number associated with abundance, optimism and creativity. She is the longest sitting member of the Pacific Rim Arts Society (which incidentally celebrates 50 years next year) with nearly 30 years with the Arts Society... acting as president six times!

 Marla came to the far left coast over three decades ago with her partner, who worked in the fishing industry, raised her two sons and was doing her own version of art long before the town coined her "Ucluelet's Artist."


Marla has painted the Town of Ucluelet year after year. In She produced a 2019 "Ukee Series" calendar that did the town proud.

She is a bit of a maverick. Fearless in her choice of subjects Marla has sorted through her own personal history in her paintings and currently her work reflects the natural world of British Columbia... in her own style.

This past February her work graced the cover of "Island Arts" magazine. There is talk of a Marla Thirsk retrospective... an exhibition that no British Columbian, especially Islanders, should miss.

Once the date of the retrospective is set it will be available on "Blogging the Countryside."

Marla Thirsk - "Ucluelet's Artist"