Our Artists
Terry Power
Terry Power lives and paints in Hardwicke, New Brunswick and has a unique view of Miramichi Bay from a private beach location on the shore of the Bay. The area is scenic in views of nature, birds and a variety of wildlife, with acres of rich marshland being a primary environmental feature.
He has over the years added trees, berry bushes and wildflowers which respect this natural landscape. This environment provides the core of his artistic inspiration and influences much of his work. He enjoys exploring with colour and believes that any colour an artist can conceive has already been portrayed in nature.
An artist then has the luxury of combining these colours in rich and creative ways
Wendy Matthews
I am a longtime member of the Miramichi Art Core, having served in the past as Treasurer and currently serving as Past President.
Art has been an interest since I retired from a teaching career in 2000. Crafting, handiwork, and tole painting have been life long interests, but my focus shifted to watercolour, acrylic and oil painting after retirement. Very recently I have been trying my hand with pan pastels and soft pastels. I am mostly self-taught although there have been many classes and workshops with local artists over the years.
I am inspired by several things. Personal satisfaction in a completed project is one. However, I think the greatest inspiration is seeing the work of other artists. We love to visit galleries. I find inspiration from fellow artists in the Miramichi and Bathurst. I also enjoy painting with friends and often meet for evenings of painting in our studio.
I work mostly with landscapes and flowers. The scenery around us is an inspiration. I am an outdoor person and snap lots of photos for future painting reference.
I now work mostly in watercolour and acrylics but recently have been exploring with paint pouring and with pan pastels.
I have exhibited art at Saddler's Cafe, Seaman's Hospital, Newcastle Library, Bay Breeze Gallery, Ritchie Wharf Gallery, W.S Loggie Cultural Centre and Galerie ARTcadienne, and at Miramichi Art Core's Annual Tiny Art Show.
I consider myself a studio painter although I do participate in plein air events with other artists from Miramichi and Bathurst. My husband Terry and I paint at our studio (Birch Lane Studio) in Whitney.
Terry and I both teach art classes at the studio in Whitney. For the past few years I have taught a Beginner Watercolour class in the fall season.
Contact info: Web site: www.birchlanestudio.ca Studio number: 506-622-4642
Email: wendy@learndesk.com
Linda Gallant (Temporary President)
Linda Gallant swore that in her retirement she would do all the things she wanted to do but couldn’t when she was working full time and raising a family. While that is the sentiment of many women, Linda has managed to do just that. In January 2008, Linda went back to school to audit the life drawing class at NBCC Miramichi with Geordie Millar and you are viewing the result. The classes have given her a new lease on life. She goes out with her digital camera and sketch book, ready to jot down ideas she will work on later in her studio in Neguac.
Linda was born in Montreal. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Sir George Williams University, now Concordia, by attending seven years of night and Summer courses. During that time, she taught in the public school system for the Protestant School Board of Greater Montreal. Quebec’s politics and the language laws that Bill 101 imposed soon restricted the enrollment of immigrant children and Linda could see the writing on the wall. It wouldn’t be long before the English system would be compromised and the choices for an art specialist severely curtailed. So with the full support of her husband, the Gallants moved away from the big city bustle of dual income, regimented day care routines and suburban commutes to a more laid back family centered way of life. In 1985, they settled in a small French (how ironic!) fishing village and have never looked back.
The teaching assignment in Newcastle became the job of a lifetime. For six years, Linda was the District Art Coordinator and taught in ten schools on a regular basis as the itinerant art teacher. When that position was abolished she returned to the classroom teaching art at Miramichi Valley for the last eleven years of her career.
Irene Fives
I would have to describe myself as a self-taught creative. I've only been painting with watercolours for the past few years, but in that time I have found myself totally hooked on this medium. Something magical happens when you apply paint to water to paper. I started with small canvas of 5"x7" cards and progressed from there.
A little bit about my background: My husband Charles and I and our two young sons moved to Miramichi in1987 from Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Spending time in nature has always been important and New Brunswick's forests, lakes and ponds, rivers and seascapes are among the best. Many years ago I worked as a registered nurse and a television news reporter. A back injury sidelined me for a while and returning to the pool and finding yoga helped me return to mobility. I am a yoga teacher, dedicated swimmer and taught aqua yoga for many years.
For me painting is a pastime that feels almost meditative as all your day to day worries slip away as you focus on the present moment. In an increasingly fractured world it is a wonderful way to put some positive energy into our lives and those around us!
I close with the following wise quote: "Comparison is the thief of joy" Theodore Roosevelt. Happy creating!
Our Website: Birch Lane Studio
Terry Matthews
Terry has been painting for over 30 years. Several years ago Terry opened an art studio (Birch Lane Studio) in Whitney, NB where he paints and teaches art classes in acrylics, drawing, and pastels. He has taught 100's of adults how to paint and draw. He paints representational art in acrylics,soft pastels and pastel pencils. His pastel art is focused on Canadian Wildlife and Pet Portraits. He has offered workshops on Wildlife Art, and pastels.
Terry has developed and maintains the Website for Miramichi Art Core, Art Tells Stories, and a number of other groups, and ogranizations. His art has been exhibited at The Ritchie Wharf Gallery, the Artist Kave Gallery, the Baybreeze Gallery, and the Carrefour Beausoleil Gallery.
Terry is a licensed teacher, and worked in the College systems as an administrator, department head and futurist. In the 90's he designed and developed a number of College programs in the field of Knowledge Engineering (AI), and worked in the high tech industry for Mosaic Technologies (Canada) and Knowledge Pool (UK). While at the college he developed a number of AI neural networks for determining the future success of students in College programs. He was invited by a number of Canadian Universities to speak on learning technology, and has presented to Colleges and Universities on a variety of topics. He collaborated on research projects with the National Research Council of Canada in the field of Knowledge Objects .He has been recognized as a technology leader by the province of New Brunswick. He has an Honours undergraduate degree in Psychology, a degree in secondary education and a Masters degree in Computers and Adult Education.
Prior to learning , working and researching in education and technology he worked in the fields of Photogrammetry and Cartography.
Rob McGowan
Rob is a Canadian artist, instructor, and creative storyteller based in New Brunswick, whose work is rooted in both technical mastery and emotional connection. Through his paintings and teaching, Rob explores the deeper purpose of art—not just as a visual experience, but as a pathway to personal growth, reflection, and human connection.
With over four years of teaching experience and hundreds of successful students, Rob has built a reputation for transforming beginners into confident artists. His philosophy is simple yet powerful: “We don’t just create art—we create artists.” His classes are designed to be immersive, encouraging students to complete meaningful works in a single sitting while developing foundational skills in composition, light, color, and expression.
Rob’s artistic style blends classical techniques with a modern, accessible approach. He often draws inspiration from everyday beauty—coastal scenes, still life, and Canadian landscapes—while incorporating deeper philosophical themes influenced by ideas like Wabi-Sabi and the quiet strength found in imperfection. His work invites viewers not only to see, but to feel.
As the host of the television show Canvas Miracles, Rob extends his passion beyond the studio, engaging in conversations with community leaders, creatives, and changemakers. Through these interactions, he highlights the transformative power of art in business, charity, and personal development.
In addition to his regular classes, Rob collaborates with organizations and communities to create meaningful art experiences—from corporate team-building events to charity fundraisers that give back and inspire connection. His ability to merge creativity with purpose has made his work impactful both inside and outside the classroom.
Rob continues to grow his artistic journey while helping others discover theirs, believing that art is not reserved for a select few—but is something deeply human, waiting to be awakened in everyone.
To learn more about Rob McGowan, view his artwork, or join an upcoming class, visit his website at artistrobmcgowan.com or follow him on Facebook at Rob McGowan.
Kelly Hay-Hambrook (Secretary)
Kelly Hay-Hambrook is an artist that enjoys working in a variety of mediums. She was born and raised on the Miramichi, left for a few years to pursue a career but eventually made it back to the river. She worked for years at a Custom Fabrication shop as an Estimator. During that time she started taking Oil Painting (her first love) lessons from the local Artist Bob Stevens. When the opportunity arose, she left Custom Fabrication and went back to school and took the Art Fundamentals and Animation Course that was offered at the local NBCC campus. She now works full time as a Digital Background Artist, her dream job!!
She was introduced to many mediums during her schooling and fell in love with pastels and charcoal. Most of her work completed these days is in pastels. She also does watercolor/gouache when painting on site or doing studies.
When not arting, Kelly enjoys the outdoors, walking/playing with her dog and photography.
These activities give her lots of reference to paint later!
Bio of Christian Cailliau
Christian Cailliau signs his watercolors "CHC". He learned to do watercolors from his father and his mother years ago in Belgium. He has been exploring watercolors for years and has a preference for ombres et lumières painting silhouettes in sunsets and moon light.
He has worked as a primary school teacher for years and finished his career as a university teacher in Policy, and Practices in Adult Education.
He moved from Belgium to Quebec sixteen years ago and then moved to New Brunswick in July 2022 in the beautiful village of Doaktown in the Dickinson House 1895. There he established a small studio with his wife Suzanne Major.
BIO
Christian Cailliau signe ses tableaux « CHC ». Pendant des années il a observé ses parents qui se consacraient à peindre des aquarelles en Belgique. Il s’y adonna à l’âge adulte et manifesta une préférence certaine pour les ombres et lumières peignant des silhouettes sur fonds de couchés de soleil et de clairs de lune.
Il a travaillé comme enseignant au primaire pendant des années et a terminé sa carrière comme enseignant à l’université en Belgique dans le domaine des Politiques et Pratiques en Éducation des Adultes.
Il a quitté la Belgique pour s’installer au Québec il y a seize ans puis s’est installé à nouveau au Nouveau Brunswick en juillet 2022 dans le magnifique village de Doaktown dans la maison Dickinson 1895. Là, avec sa femme Suzanne Major, il a organisé un petit studio d’art.
Studio : 329 Main Street, Doaktown.
Cell. : 438 921-3732 @ : cailliauchristian53@gmail.com
Gloria Savoie
Creativity inspires and motivates us to personally interact with the extraordinary beauty in our midst, our incredibly awe-inspiring phenomenal world, captivating Mother Nature in her finest moments, uplifting us to become our own best selves, moving us toward spiritual transformation and enabling humankind to fulfill our yet untapped, truly extraordinary potential and achieve humanity’s authentic divine destiny of a peaceful, loving, harmonious co-existence based on mutual sharing and compassion for all.
I am a founding member and former Secretary of Miramichi Art Core, working in a variety of mediums, including pencil sketching, painting, and digital art, children’s book illustration, poster and set design, commissioned work, portraiture, photography, sign making, fashion design, writing, and wood etching being a favorite, as it seems so fitting since the wood industry involving the early historic timber and tall ships, helped to develop the Miramichi River Townships. Of course our First Nations peoples called this new world home first and generously assisted the early newly arriving settlers, the French, English, Scottish and Irish to survive the harsh winters. Immigrants seeking refuge from religious and ethnic persecution, war, famine, fires and floods continue to be welcomed to our beautiful Miramichi river valley and the rest of our Canadian Provinces and Territories.
My artistic work is very much influenced by my interest in the diverse cultures of the world, especially the indigenous peoples, whose cultural traditions are so artistically rich, and their wealth of experience and regard for the environment, as stewards of mother earth, can teach us a lot about alleviating the growing threat of climate change. Red Bank has recently been named a World Heritage Site, as the longest continually inhabited First Nations land in Canada.
BIO of Suzanne Major
Suzanne Major signs her paintings “SuzMajor”. She has been painting for the past 30 years. She has participated in symposiums from 2000 to 2010. After that she concentrated her energies on completing a PhD degree in Anthropology of early childhood education. Her focus is education of young children and education to the environment.
She has worked 12 years as Director of the Early Childhood Studies Program of the University of Montreal. She was a teacher in the program for 19 years. She has retired from her full-time position to work as a consultant, writer and artist. She just completed a contract with the NAAEE (National American Association for Environmental Education) that spanned from 2017 to 2024 writing about education to the environment.
She moved to New Brunswick in July of 2022 and settled in the beautiful village of Doaktown in the Dickison House 1895 were she was able to set up a small studio with her husband Christian Cailliau who also paints with water colours.
BIO
Suzanne Major signe ses tableaux « SuzMajor ». Elle peint ses tableaux à l’huile depuis 30 ans. Elle a participé à des symposiums de 2000 à 2010 puis s’est concentrée sur ses études de doctorat en Anthropologie de l’éducation en petite enfance qu’elle a complété en 2015. Son champ d’intérêt est l’éducation en petite enfance et l’éducation à l’environnement.
Elle a été directrice du programme petite enfance de l’Université de Montréal pendant 12 ans et a enseigné dans ce même programme pendant 19 ans. Elle a pris sa retraite de son poste à temps plein pour travailler comme consultante, auteure et artiste. Elle vient tout juste de compléter un contrat avec la NAAEE (National American Association for Environmental Education) qui s’est exécuté de 2017 à 2024 sur l’éducation à l’environnement.
Elle s’est installée au Nouveau Brunswick en juillet 2022 dans le beau village de Doaktown dans la maison Dickison 1895 où se trouve un petit studio. Elle y exhibe ses œuvres avec celles de son mari Christian Cailliau qui est aquarelliste.
Studio: 329 Main Street, Doaktown
Tim Kingston
Rooted in the natural beauty of Miramichi, Canada, Tim Kingston is an artist whose practice is characterized by both established expertise and a spirit of ongoing artistic exploration.
With a long history in photography and a more recent embrace of watercolour and oil pastels, his work is deeply inspired by nature.
Tim's artistic journey reflects a commitment to continuous learning and the exciting possibilities found in new creative avenues.
Cathleen Richards-Green
I studied Freehand Drawing, Life Drawing, Two Dimensional Design, Printmaking and Art History while living in the United States from 1974 to 1980 attending colleges in California and North Carolina.
I live in Miramichi, NB, drawing inspiration from the simple beauty of the Miramichi River Valley and surrounding areas. It’s a simple landscape, but the river at its center is my mystical muse. Every day is an adventure for the eyes and soul. Sitting to watch the magical light of morning, and late evening never fails to deliver that desire to paint. If I was unable to travel anywhere else to paint, this area would offer endless inspiration. Art isn't about where you are...but how you see. I'm in love with changing light and the moods it elicits and I hope I'm able to capture just a bit of that in my paintings, many now done on location. I work in many mediums...from graphite, pen & ink, acrylic, watercolor and pastel, but my main love is oils and the landscape.
I've been a member of the Miramichi Art Core since its inception
My work has been on exhibit at
- Richie Wharf Gallery in Newcastle, Miramichi NB
- Beaverbrook Art Gallery Fredericton, NB
- Carrefour Beausoleil Gallery in Newcastle, Miramichi
- Water Street Gallery in Chatham, Miramichi
My work is in many private collections in Canada and the US.
Website: https://www.cathleenrichards.art/
Rick Knowles
Information Pending
Gerard Godin (Past President)
(Sadly Gerard passed away very suddenly in 2026)
I have painted all of my life - ever since I could hold a brush.
I never really wanted to do anything else, it was all I wanted. Faith or destiny took me to other journeys being a social worker, a business man , and then back to a painter and sculptor.
I find myself looking back on life and I know that I am right where I am suppose to be, here painting with you.
Come join us .
Lisa Mason
Information Pending
Sonja Mahabir
Information Pending