A young Port Alberni artist has been grabbing attention in both the real and digital worlds with her paintings.
Rehanna Stanton can usually be spotted at craft fairs around the Alberni Valley with her colourful canvasses of abstract art. Stanton, who just turned 14 last month, is currently a Grade 9 student at Alberni District Secondary School. She first started painting shortly after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I had seen some videos of it online. And I was stuck in the house with nothing else to do,” she laughed. “I had tried brush painting but didn’t really like it. I like abstract art because it’s different than traditional art—and it’s fun.”
Stanton uses a technique known as acrylic pouring, where liquid paint is poured onto a canvas. She has different techniques for disseminating the paint, like using a heat gun, tilting the canvas or layering the paint in cups before pouring. Often the finished product looks completely different than it does at the start. She jokes that she never has expectations when painting so she doesn’t get disappointed.
“You don’t know what you’re getting until it’s completely dried,” explained Stanton. “I usually have a rough judgment of what it’s going to look like by the colours I put in, but it’s always a surprise.”
With Stanton’s new hobby came a dilemma: she was running out of space. She works out of a craft room in her home and found that she didn’t have enough storage for all her paintings. So she started selling her paintings at craft fairs and markets in the summer of 2021 as The Corner Artist, then got into some of the larger Christmas markets that winter.
She will be at a few of the Christmas markets this year too, she said.
This year, The Corner Artist has also expanded to the digital field, with Stanton posting videos of her process on TikTok and Instagram. The videos show the painting process from start to finish, overlaid with lo-fi music. Some of the reels have garnered thousands of views.
“It all depends on the algorithm,” said Stanton.
@the_corner_artist ♬ Hiphop/Chill/Lo-Fi(850021) - HomeMadeGarbage
Eventually, Stanton said she would like to start an online store for her artwork.
“I just enjoy painting,” she said. “It’s a way to express myself.”
Stanton can be found on Instagram and TikTok as the_corner_artist.
elena.rardon@albernivalleynews.com
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