Welcome to the very first episode of Paint & Chats! In this debut episode, host Alexandre-Aimée takes you deep into the rainforests, rugged coastlines, and fierce creative spirit of one of Canada’s most groundbreaking yet misunderstood artistic figures: Emily Carr.

Long before she was celebrated as a national treasure and a visionary peer to the Group of Seven, Emily Carr was branded an eccentric outcast in her hometown of Victoria, British Columbia. She was a woman who refused to conform to Victorian expectations, preferred the company of her beloved pet monkey, Woo, to high-society tea parties, and spent weeks traveling by canoe and coastal steamer into isolated Indigenous villages to document the majestic, disappearing totem poles of the Pacific Northwest.

In this episode, we peel back the layers of myth surrounding "Klee Wyck" ("The Laughing One") to reveal a story of fierce artistic resilience, profound isolation, middle-aged reinvention, and an unwavering passion for the natural world. Whether you're working at your easel, working in the studio, or relaxing with a warm cup of tea, join us for a deep, honest, and inspiring conversation about breaking the rules from day one.

• The Victoria Outcast: Growing up in a rigid Victorian household and breaking free from societal expectations to pursue formal art training in San Francisco, London, and Paris.

• The French Connection & Post-Impressionism: How Carr’s time in France completely transformed her color palette, introducing bold, vibrant Fauvism to the dark forests of the West Coast.

• Documenting the Northwest: Her arduous journeys along the Haida Gwaii and coastal British Columbia, capturing Indigenous pole art, village architecture, and ancient cedar forests.

• The Years of Silence: Facing decades of critical rejection, financial hardship, and running "The House of All Sorts" boarding house, which nearly snuffed out her artistic flame.

• The Group of Seven & Lawren Harris: The legendary 1927 turning point in Ottawa that reignited her passion, leading to her most iconic, swirling, spiritual forest landscapes.

• Unfiltered Eccentricity: Stories of her riding lawnmowers, breeding Bobtail sheepdogs, and painting alongside her pet monkey, Woo, and parrot, Loo.

  
  

Get Creative with me

Are you painting along with this episode?

Today’s studio prompt is all about Movement and Vitality. Try using bold, sweeping brushstrokes and dynamic color shifts to give organic life to trees, skies, or textured surfaces—channeling Emily Carr's belief that nature is alive with a pulsing energy.

Share your artwork or studio setup on Instagram and tag @alexandreaimee with the hashtag #PaintAndChats to be featured in our upcoming community showcase!

Contact & Support

• Website: www.alexandreaimee.com

• YouTube: Subscribe to Paint and Chats with Alexandre-Aimée for visual studio sessions and short-form art history lore.

• Support the Show: Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to help other creatives find the show!