Joel Mara – Artist Biography: Joel Mara’s art is a love letter to the wild, untouched beauty of the West Coast. Raised on Vancouver Island, some of Joel’s earliest memories are of Miracle Beach—sunlight on the water, the scent of pine, and the freedom of playing outdoors with his brothers. His parents encouraged creativity from a young age, often gathering their children around a table stocked with coloured pencils and paper. That early connection between nature and artistic expression still defines Joel’s work today. After earning a degree in Graphic Design and Illustration from Capilano College, Joel spent five years in the commercial design world. But the limitations of that field left him craving something deeper and more authentic. He turned instead to fine art—choosing paint, wilderness, and intuition over deadlines and design briefs. Joel’s paintings are rooted in the rugged landscapes of British Columbia. Whether it’s the turquoise lakes framed by glacial peaks or the mist-shrouded coastline where pines cling to rocky cliffs, his work captures moments of stillness and awe in the natural world. He often hikes deep into the backcountry—Garibaldi Provincial Park, the Broken Group Islands, and remote mountain valleys—to find inspiration that can’t be manufactured. Known for his bold use of colour, Joel spends a significant part of his process mixing custom hues—electric blues, warm greys, rich dark greens, and unexpected yellows. His thick, textured application creates surfaces you can almost feel, evoking the raw, tactile experience of nature itself. Joel Mara’s work has been exhibited in galleries across Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest, including Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton, Kelowna, Ganges, Whistler, and Seattle. Each painting is not just a landscape—it’s a story, a journey, and an invitation to reconnect with the natural world.