We recently had the chance to connect with Tiffany Reid and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Tiffany, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
One of my proudest moments just happened recently actually. Last year I raised money through sales of my art to travel to Arequipa, Peru and help with Operation Smile. This charity works towards helping children in third world countries fix their cleft palate.
I will admit, charity work is hard. I hate asking people for money. So I created items that people could buy and a large percentage went to the charity. My husband made cookies for bake sales and we collected pop cans all year round to donate. Every little bit counts right? Well it all paid off, when I landed in Peru. I met many brave families who travelled far and wide to see if they qualified for a cleft palate operation. Doctors, dentists, psychologists, speech pathologist from all over the world donated their time to help children. I had the easy job of keeping them pre-occupied with face painting, colouring, and playing with toys. One little girl could barely open her mouth when I saw her and so I held her hand and we communicated through the power of kindness and love. She stole my heart. I put sparkles on her face and sat with her for many hours while she waited to see the doctor. It truly warmed my heart.
We were able to see 76 families in which 32 children qualified for surgery. It was remarkable to see perfect strangers come together to help these children have a better life. It was an experience I will never forget. I feel so proud that my art took me to this special place and allowed me to help others.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a Canadian contemporary abstract artist. Being from the Pacific Northwest and experiencing the dramatic weather in the area such as cold winters and sensational storms, my work is heavily inspired by the currents of the ocean that serve to guide the weather, as well as the gravity of nature that one feels so strongly. As such, my paintings contain a compelling evocation of the delicate balance of chaos and order, as can be found in weather and earth systems. I also emphasize the natural connection between the heart of man and the forces of nature.
Using a unique and non-traditional techniques involving various media such as isopropyl, textured pastes, resin, and recycled materials, I am able to create luscious paintings filled with bright organic bubbles of colors as well as sensuous textured surfaces that recall both the rugged power and fragile beauty of the natural world simultaneously. I seek to create an emotional and sensorial journey for the viewer, allowing them to be transported to an unimaginable place where they can lose themselves.
I am a member of the Federation of Canadian Artists, which is dedicated to raising artistic standards by stimulating participants to greater heights of knowledge and achievement by offering what is believed to be the first completely artists’ sponsored gallery in Canada. Currently the Federation is the only national-level visual arts organization that manages their own full-time art gallery. I have been featured in ArtFix Daily, SD Voyager Magazine, the Agora Gallery (New York), and of course the Federation of Canadian Artists. Currently I am the artist in residence at the Hilton Hotel in Metrotown and Richmond and Spa Utopia in North Vancouver. You can see my work around Vancouver at local venues and art shows.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Ever since I can remember, I was that artsy, scrawny kid who could turn anything into a masterpiece — or at least a glorious mess. Towers made of toilet paper rolls, finger-paint explosions on the kitchen table, elaborate dioramas that took over the living room… and when I wasn’t crafting, I was putting on little dance shows for my parents, twirling around like the star of my own imaginary stage.
But as I grew older, the world began to whisper (and sometimes shout) that art was just a hobby — not a “real” career. So I did what so many dreamers do: I tucked away my paints and brushes and followed the practical path. I stepped into the fast-paced world of medical sales — and surprisingly, I thrived there. I loved connecting with people, solving problems, and building relationships. I was good at it. Yet, even in my most successful moments, there was a quiet tug at my heart — the one that belonged to the little girl with paint on her fingers.
Eventually, that voice grew louder. With the encouragement of my family, I picked up my brushes again. I signed up for workshops, entered contests, and built my own website — each step reigniting a part of me that had long been asleep.
Now, I’m back where I truly belong: creating, exploring, expressing. What started as a childhood dream has come full circle. I’m a full-fledged artist — joyfully, passionately, and unapologetically
When you were sad or scared as a child, what helped?
When I was a little girl, I was painfully shy — the kind of shy that made even saying hello feel terrifying. I could barely speak to people, and my silence often left teachers and parents puzzled. In grade one, during a school play, my teacher gave me what she thought was the perfect role: to hide inside a box and pop out at the right moment. Simple enough, right? Except… I never popped out. When they finally opened the box, there I was — teary-eyed, trembling, and completely overwhelmed.
My parents didn’t know what to do. I wasn’t a kid who could just be pushed into the spotlight. But a family friend suggested something unexpected: dance and art classes. No words required — just movement, colour, and emotion.
And that changed everything.
Through dance, I learned to feel free in my body — to let rhythm replace fear. Through art, I found a voice that didn’t need to speak — my brush became my language, my colours my emotions. Bit by bit, the shy girl in the box began to open up to the world.
Today, my happy place is simple: headphones on, music blaring, brushes flying, paint everywhere — me, completely alive in the moment. Art and music have given me more than self-expression; they’ve given me courage.
So to that little girl who once couldn’t come out of the box — look out world, she’s not scared anymore.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
It’s probably no surprise that my friends and family would describe me as wildly creative — but here’s the truth: I wasn’t always this way. I’ve learned that creativity isn’t some magical gift you’re born with; it’s a muscle. You have to stretch it, challenge it, and yes, sometimes completely wear it out. It takes practice, curiosity, and the courage to look inward — to make space for ideas, for mistakes, and for emotion. Because honestly, the best art doesn’t come from perfection — it comes straight from the heart.
They’d also say I’m a bit of a hustlepreneur — equal parts artist and go-getter. I pour my energy into my business, my art, and the people I care about. I’m always dreaming up new ways to share my work, market my art, and build meaningful connections. Some ideas soar, others completely flop — but that’s part of the adventure. I’d rather fail being my authentic self than succeed at being someone else.
Because at the end of the day, creativity isn’t just what I do — it’s how I live.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What false labels are you still carrying?
For a long time, I told myself a story — one that became far too easy to believe. It went something like this: I’m not good enough. I’m not a real artist.
Those words lingered in the back of my mind every time I picked up a brush. They crept in quietly, chipping away at my confidence. I’d compare myself to others, wondering what made them legitimate and me… not. I questioned my worth, my pricing, even my right to call myself an artist at all.
But then, something shifted. Little by little, encouragement started pouring in — from family, from friends, from strangers who connected with my work. They saw something in my art that I had stopped seeing in myself. They told me how my paintings made them feel — joyful, inspired, calm, alive. And that was the moment I realized: art isn’t about credentials or permission. It’s about connection.
The more I allowed myself to create from the heart, the more I understood that I was a real artist — not because someone said so, but because I loved what I did, and it moved people.
Now, the story I tell myself is different. I am enough. My work is worthy. And I’m proud to take up space in the art world — exactly as I am.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tiffanyreidart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiffanyreidart/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/tiffanyreidart/
Image Credits
Felicia Chang Photography
Eva Grace Photography
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