Artistry of Lancashire: Vicky Issott

Vicky Issott is a Preston born-and-bred artist who has recently returned to Lancashire after over a decade living in Nelson, BC, Canada.

Vicky describes Nelson as a “beautiful little city (with a population) of 10,000 and is full of artisans of all types” and it is built on ley lines, which she explains is one reason why the city appears to “bring out the artistic” in so many people.

Nelson is located in the Kootenay region which is home to a huge number of artists, not limited to potters, sculptors, poets and authors. Vicky won a voucher to attend a course at a local night school, and was reunited with her love of drawing and painting – a passion she says was lost in the midst of mortgages, children and generally trying to keep afloat!

She started experimenting with mixed media art and having worked with a myriad media, she settled on the use of acrylic paint as her preferred choice, due to its forgiving nature – beneficial to artists starting out! Vicky also adores artist markers – ink pens – that can be used to create astounding blends of colour and are so easy to use.

As an animal lover, Vicky was quickly drawn to the Kootenay region’s abundant wildlife as a source of inspiration and recalls with a smile what her husband would call her “eras” – when she’d focus specifically on one animal. The “Raven Era”, the “Eagle Era” and the “Bear Era” are just a few examples!

Combining her love of art with her passion for animals, wild and domestic, Vicky got involved with local Rescue Centres whilst living in Nelson. She sold pet portraits and made her art into t-shirts, mugs, fridge magnets and cards, raising over $10,000 for animals in the region.

Now back in Lancashire, once the house renovation is complete and the Covid pandemic has passed, Vicky is keen to get involved with local animal charities in a bid to raise money in support of their work.

Vicky’s work has focused primarily on pet portraits in recent years; however she has also produced commercial work, often featuring Nelson’s famous “BOB” – the Big Orange Bridge. She also created a large piece inspired by a photo taken by photographer Jesse Schpakowski of a golden eagle, spotted on a dreary Sunday when Vicky met Jesse, by chance, whilst walking off the after-effects of another Kootenay creation – strong IPA ales! Vicky plans to hang this piece in her new Lancashire home as a constant reminder of their time across the water.

Vicky plans to establish herself as a pet portrait artist here in the UK and currently she does most of her selling via her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/vizzyart so you can view her work and contact her there.