About
“ I have a passion for painting portraits whether of a human or an animal. I often work in series where I can develop a theme over time and I enjoy telling stories with my paintings.”
LAARA CASSELLS is a contemporary Canadian painter best known for her representational paintings and portraits. Since 2010 her award-winning work has been shown in over 85 exhibitions worldwide.
Previously a professional theatre designer, Laara Cassells has designed sets and costumes for theatre, ballet, opera and film for numerous companies across Canada and Europe.
More recently, Laara has exhibited paintings, drawings and sculptures in Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Italy, South Korea, Poland, Switzerland and across the USA and Canada. Her work was selected for Nordart 2013 in Germany as the sole representative for Canada.
AWARDS
2019 Special Merit Award, “2019 Nature” Art Exhibition, LightSpaceTime Online Gallery, Palm Springs, CA. 2019 Best In Show Award, Richeson 75 International Figure/Portrait Exhibition, Richeson Gallery, Kimberly, WI. 2019 2nd Place in the Wet Media category, “2019 Fall Roundup Competition”, Western Art Rodeo Association, Spanish Fork, UT. 2019 2nd Place Painting, “All Animals” Competition, contemporaryartgalleryonline,com, Annapolis, MD. 2019 Honourable Mention for “Karlee”, “O Canada” exhibition, Federation Gallery, Vancouver, BC. 2019 2nd Place Painting, 3rd Place Winner overall, “9th Annual Figurative” Online Competition, Light, Space, Time Gallery
2019 4th Place in Painting, “All Women’s Art Competition”, contemporaryartgalleryonline.com, Annapolis, MD.
2018 Artsy Shark Featured Artist Award, Carolyn Edlund, Founder, Artsy Shark, NY, NY.
2018 Top Featured Artist Award “Herstory” Exhibition”, Manhattan Arts International, NY, NY
2018 Third Place Award, “International Society of Acrylic Painters 1st Annual Master and Signature Artist Show”
2018 Best Overall Acrylic, “7th Annual PleinAir Salon Dec/Jan Exhibition”, PleinAir Magazine.
2018 First Place Award, “Retro” Online Juried Exhibition, Federation of Canadian Artists, Vancouver, B.C.
2018 Honourable Mention, “Women Artists”, International Quarterly Group Online Art Exhibition, Fusion Art.
2017 People’s Choice Award, “Miracle of the Portrait” Competition, Portrait Society of Canada
2016 1st Prize for Painting, “Con Corso Buenos Aires 8”, International Competition, Milan, Italy
2016 3rd Prize, First Annual All-Members Online Exhibition, International Society of Acrylic Painters
2013 Award of Exceptional Merit, Scottsdale Biennale, Scottsdale, AZ
2013 Holbein Award, 16th Annual Open International Exhibition, International Society of Acrylic Painters
2013 Medicine Hat Cultural Development Grant
2013 Award of Merit , 2013 National Juried Exhibition of National Oil and Acrylic Painters’ Society
2013 Editor’s Choice Award, “Portraits V”, Artist Portfolio Magazine
2013 Alberta Foundation for the Arts Grant
COLLECTIONS
2015 Esplanade Museum and Art Gallery, Medicine Hat, Alberta
2010 Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Edmonton, Alberta
2010 Medicine Hat College, Medicine Hat, Alberta
2009 School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
2005 Esplanade Museum and Art Gallery, Medicine Hat, Alberta
2004 Jeonju Historical Museum, Jeonju, South Korea
2003 City Hall, Balatonfured, Hungary
2001 Maison des Femmes, Brussels, Belgium
1998 Medicine Hat College, Medicine Hat, Alberta
1985 University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
1980 Broadway Medical Clinic, Vancouver, BC.
PUBLICATIONS
May 2019 Featured in Article in May 2019 issue of Galleries West Magazine, Calgary, AB
Nov. 2018 Featured in Oct/Nov 2018 Issue of Spotlight Magazine, Publ. Circle Foundation for the Arts, Lyon, France.
Sept. 2018 Featured in September 2018 issue of Artists Magazine, publ: F + W Media Inc, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
May 2018 Featured in “AcrylicWorks 5: Bold Values”, publ: North Light Books, Blue Ash, OH, USA
Apr. 2018 Featured in Winter 2018 Issue of Circle Quarterly Art Review Magazine, Lyon, France.
Dec. 2017 Feature article on “_after” series in “Acrylic Artist Magazine”, Dec. 2017.
Apr. 2017 Featured in “Equine Art Today” in Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine.
Feb. 2015 “Laara Cassells : _after”, Catalogue by Esplanade Art Gallery, gallery @501 and Thames Art Gallery
Oct. 2014 “Studio Visit Magazine, Vol. 28” publ: Open Studios Press, Boston, MA, USA
Sept. 2014 Featured in Lorena Kloosterboer “Painting In Acrylics: the indispensable guide”. NY: Firefly Books, 2014.
Aug, 2013 “Artist Portfolio Magazine” Issue 12, publ: Issuu, Palo Alto, CA 94301, USA
Jun. 2013 “Nordart 2013 Catalogue”
Oct. 2012 “International Painting Annual 2” publ: Manifest Press, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Mar. 2011 “Ex Arte Equinus 4” publ: Art Horse Magazine, Beaumont, Texas, USA
Apr. 2011 “International Contemporary Artists” publ: ICA Publishing, NY, USA
Oct. 2011 “Art Renewal Center Salon Catalogue 2010/2011” publ. Art Renewal Center Port Reading, NJ, USA
Nov. 2011 “Canadian Who’s Who 2011” publ: University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada