In this inspiring biographical interview, Canadian seascape and maritime painter Poppy Balser opens up about her lifelong connection to the ocean and how it shapes her award-winning watercolor and oil paintings. Recognized for her luminous depictions of coastal life, Balser shares her artistic journey—from growing up near the Bay of Fundy to becoming an acclaimed plein-air artist whose work reflects both awe and advocacy for the ocean environment. Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of how Poppy captures movement, atmosphere, and the changing seasons through her expressive brushwork, and how painting on location challenges her to respond to wind, waves, light, and the unpredictable conditions of nature. She discusses the emotional and technical complexities of maritime art, her plein-air philosophy, and the way her work expresses a profound respect for the sea and the people who depend on it. This episode dives into Poppy’s early influences, creative process, studio and outdoor practices, and her experiences participating in major exhibitions and international plein-air competitions. She reflects on the rewards and risks of painting on the water, how living near the dramatic tides of Nova Scotia informs her perspective, and what she hopes viewers feel when they encounter her artwork. Whether you are a painter, art student, coastal enthusiast, or creative soul seeking inspiration, this conversation offers rare insight into a life shaped by saltwater, weather, and paint. Discover how one artist transforms the rhythms of the ocean into timeless works of art.
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BIO
Poppy Balser is a Canadian painter of maritime life and seascapes centered around the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia. Poppy was born in St Stephen, New Brunswick growing up in its environs before crossing the bay to settle in Nova Scotia. She has spent a lifetime close to the sea developing a natural connection to its shoreline, which has given her a unique perspective and appreciation for it resources. Poppy is the oldest of three children—she has a brother Owen and sister Rosie—to parents Udo Buerkle, a German immigrant and scientist, and mother Beth, a potter and homemaker. With a number of artists on both sides of her family, Poppy was encouraged as a child to take an interest in arts with access to a variety of crafts but it would be later in life that she revisited her passion. Growing up in rural New Brunswick, Poppy attended Vincent Massey Elementary and Sir James Dunn Academy. She enjoyed the outdoors, especially the fishing village life and surroundings that would later make it a natural choice of subject for her paintings. In school, she enjoyed science and physics so it was no surprise that she chose pharmacy school at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia as the foundation for a career as a pharmacist. It was then that she met her future husband Robert who also became a pharmacist. The couple later moved to Digby, NS and, while raising two children - Nick and Alice, Poppy resumed her painting. She has taken several workshops with several artists that would become her mentors and inspiration. Poppy is an award winning artist participating in plein air festivals and competitions across North America. She is currently Vice President of the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour (CSPWC). Poppy is represented by galleries, including Teichert Gallery in Halifax, Amicus Gallery in Chester, the Flight of Fancy in Bear River, Harvest Gallery in Wolfville as well as Camden Falls Gallery in Camden, Maine.
Poppy’s website: https://www.poppybalser.com/
Instagram: @poppybalser
Poppy’s Playlist:
Podcasts, news, current affairs
RadioLab
Pop music
Poppy’s favorite women artists:
Watercolorists:
Shari Blaukopf of Montreal- fabulous sketcher and instructor Uma Kelkar of San Jose- urban sketcher, paints with abandon, is balancing two careers: engineer and painter, not afraid to experiment to make her art grow Linda Kemp, Ontario- beautiful painter, popular instructor Jean Pederson, Calgary, AB- fabulous painter, another one who welcomes experimentation in her art
Oil painters:
Nancy Tankersley, Easton, MD, gorgeous paintings, very skilled instructor. Nancy is one of the few (only?) woman instructor I have taken a workshop from Kathleen Hudson, Colorado Springs - balancing motherhood and painting Karen Blackwood, amazing seascapes, they take my breath away Barbara Jaenicke- paints snow like no one else, so stunning Olena Babak of Maine- beautiful light filled plein air paintings. I met Olena years ago at one of my first plein air events.
Host: Chris Stafford
Produced by Hollowell Studios
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A Hollowell Studios Production
Instagram: @theaartpodcast
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