About Kerry Walford
About Kerry Walford
About Kerry Walford
I am an impressionistic landscape painter living in Cayuga, Ontario with my hubby & daughter. I paint and teach art classes in our historic 1840's brick farmhouse named Wildwood.
My paintings reflect the joy & aliveness that I experience while adventuring through rural Ontario. I gravitate to trees, country roads and farm fields, which I portray in a playful and impressionistic manner with an emphasis on light, colour and atmosphere.
I believe in living-in-the-moment, having gratitude, seeing beauty in cloudy skies, taking chances, dreaming big, making mistakes, dusting yourself off, and abiding by the law of attraction, you are what you think so why not think up a big, bright & playful landscape!
My goal as an artist is to spread the joy & aliveness I feel from my adventures, and moments of living in-the-moment.
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About
I’m an award-winning Canadian impressionist landscape painter based in Cayuga, Ontario, where I paint full-time from our historic 1840s brick farmhouse, Wildwood, alongside my partner, Adam, and our daughter, Clementine.
My greatest inspiration comes from exploring Ontario with my family. Whether we’re camping in Algonquin Park, hiking through Killarney, or watching the sun set over Lake Erie, these moments become the foundation for my paintings. Rather than recreating every detail, I hope to capture the feeling of a place, the warmth of golden light, the stillness of the water, and the quiet joy of being immersed in nature.
Working primarily in oils, I paint with an impressionistic approach that celebrates colour, atmosphere, and expressive brushwork. My hope is that each painting invites you to pause, breathe deeply, and reconnect with a favourite memory or the simple beauty of the natural world.
Alongside my painting practice, I co-founded Wildwood, our gallery and teaching studio in Cayuga, where we offer children’s art classes from fall through spring. I also create online painting tutorials and host the occasional adult workshop, sharing the techniques and creative process that have shaped my own artistic journey.
Above all, I believe life is meant to be lived with curiosity. Slow down. Explore often. Spend time with the people you love. Find beauty in unexpected places. Those are the moments that inspire my work, and I hope they inspire yours too.
Thank you for being here. I’m grateful to share this journey with you.
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Artist Statement:
The landscapes I paint are not intended to be exact records of a place. They are an invitation to remember what it feels like to be there.
My work is inspired by the quiet moments my family and I spend exploring Ontario, camping in Algonquin Park, paddling through Killarney, wandering country roads, and watching the last light of day settle across a lake or field. These experiences remind me to slow down, notice the beauty around me, and appreciate the present moment. That feeling is what I hope to preserve on canvas.
Working primarily in oils, I paint with an intuitive, impressionistic approach, using expressive brushwork, vibrant colour, and dramatic light to capture atmosphere rather than detail. I am continually drawn to the golden hour, when familiar landscapes are transformed by warmth, long shadows, and glowing skies. Although rooted in observation, each painting becomes an interpretation shaped by memory and emotion as much as by the landscape itself.
My process begins with an orange imprimatura to establish warmth before developing the composition through strong values and successive layers of colour. The finished surface celebrates visible brushwork, texture, and the energy of the painting process itself.
Influenced by artists such as Vincent van Gogh and Canada’s Group of Seven, I strive to create paintings that feel both familiar and uplifting. My hope is that each piece offers viewers a moment of peace, wonder, and connection to the natural world, reminding us to slow down, step outside, and rediscover the beauty that surrounds us every day.
My work is influenced by traditional techniques and artists. As a child I looked to Van Gogh and the Group of Seven for inspiration. My paintings start with an orange underpainting (imprimatura) to tone the canvas, then I sketch out the composition with a focus on values. I then add various layers of colour with an emphasis on light, depth, and texture. My paintings can be recognized through my bright colours, bold brushwork (which is impressionistic with hints of pointillism), and my emphasis on light and atmospheric perspective. My work reflects my personality; playful, soft & bold at times.
Biography:
Kerry Walford is an award-winning Canadian impressionist landscape painter based in Cayuga, Ontario. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from York University in 2006 before completing a diploma in Interior Design at Sheridan College in 2009, experiences that continue to influence her appreciation of composition, colour, and design.
After beginning her career through juried exhibitions including the One of a Kind Show, The Artist Project Toronto, and numerous outdoor art festivals, Kerry established herself as a full-time professional artist. Today her work is represented by galleries in Ontario and can be found in private and corporate collections across Canada, the United States, and internationally.
In 2015, Kerry and her partner, Adam, left city life behind to restore an 1840s farmhouse in the small community of Cayuga. Three years later they opened Wildwood, a gallery and teaching studio where Kerry creates her paintings and shares her passion for art through children’s classes, adult workshops, and online tutorials.
Kerry’s greatest inspiration comes from exploring Ontario with her family. Camping trips through Algonquin Park, Killarney, and the province’s countless lakes, forests, and backroads provide the reference material and experiences that shape her work. Rather than documenting a landscape exactly as it appears, she seeks to capture its atmosphere, its light, and the emotional connection we feel when immersed in nature.
Working primarily in oils, Kerry’s paintings are recognized for their luminous colour, expressive brushwork, and joyful interpretation of the Canadian landscape. As an Exhibiting Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists since 2020, she continues to build a body of work that celebrates optimism, wonder, and the restorative power of the outdoors.
Whether through an original painting, a print, or time spent together in the studio, Kerry hopes her work encourages others to pause, explore, and rediscover the beauty that exists close to home.
