“My rural upbringing greatly influenced my lens on the world. My art is an outlet for contemplative exploration of deeper concepts on how we relate to an ever-changing landscape and environment. I paint both in oil and watercolour, blending realism and expressionism. My love and reverence for my subjects is reflected in meticulous detail, often juxtaposed with broad gestural strokes. Painting for me is a cathartic and documentative means to record a way of life that is slowly disappearing. It serves as a history of the homesteads, the people, animals and agriculture of this area. ”
Crystal Beshara is an international award winning contemporary realist painter living in Ontario, Canada.
Inspired by her rural roots growing up on a small hobby farm in Eastern Ontario, her ability to capture the anatomy and spirit of her subject matter highlights her reverence for rural life. A self-taught realist, she spent her childhood observing and drawing the world around her. Crystal moves easily between the mediums of watercolour, gouache and oil focusing on realism while juxtaposed with expressive, gestural brushstrokes. Her paintings weave together whimsical allegory while touching on the very real shifts in environment and the precarious disappearing and ever changing agricultural landscape.
After receiving her BFA in studio in 1997, Crystal went on to obtain a diploma in Botanical Illustration from the Society of Botanical Artists (SBA, UK). She has exhibited and won international acclaim for her artwork and has exhibited alongside some of North America’s greatest Wildlife painters such as Robert Bateman, James Coe, Rod Lawrence, John-Seerey Lester, Greg Beecham, Kathy Ellem and Theresa Elliot.
Crystal is a busy entrepreneur, mentor, regularly invited Juror & Arts Educator and offers painting workshops abroad including Southwest USA, Greece, Ireland, Canada, France, England and Mexico.
Crystal spends most of her days in her light-filled studio located in the small rural village of L’Orignal, nestled between Montreal and Ottawa. Together with her husband, Jason they founded CANADIAN ART DAILY
Federation of Canadian Artists
The American Watercolour Society
American Women Artists
Woman Artists of The West
Artists Who Teach
American Watercolor Society
Ottawa Watercolour Society
The International Guild of Realism.
Red Salon Artists
Nepean Fine Arts League
Art Lending of Ottowa
American Art Collector
Pleinaire Magazine
Fine Art Connoisseur
Canadian Cowboy Magazine
Canadian Cattleman
International Artist Magazine
2023 (April-May issue) Pleinaire Magazine SALON winner for Peoples Choice (Cuttin’Loose)
American Art Collector / Collectors Focus Florals & Botanicals March 1st 2022
American Art Collector / Women Artists March 1st 2022
“Le Régional”, Hawkesbury Aug 13, 2020
“ The Review” Vankleek Hill Aug14,2020
July / August 2020 Fine Art Connoisseur
2019 For Feathers & Forethought by Bob Bahr
Ottawa Citizen , Art at Home (Oct 2016)
International Artist Magazine (Dec Jan 2015/2016)
Ottawa Woman Magazine (feature cover) November 2014 issue
The Charlatan, Nov 2014
CTV Ottawa Morning LIVE Ottawa Citizen, June 2014
Capital Parent Magazine, Summer issue 2014
Ottawa Start, July 2014
Ottawa613 May 2014
Friday Special Blend, June 2014
Rogers Daytime Television, May 2014
Kitchissippi Times, April 2014
Ottawa Magazine, January 2013
Art & Science Journal, Oct 2012
Ottawa LIFE, Oct 18th, 2012
Daytime Television. January 19th 2012
EMC January 2012
Ottawa Community News January 2012
CTV Ottawa Morning LIVE Jan 09, 2012
Ottawa Citizen , Peter Simpson Jan 10, 2012
Where Magazine Jan/Feb 2012
Modern Family Magazine Spring, 2011
Local Tourist Ottawa Feature by Tracey Mosley, April 13, 2011
Eastern Ontario AGRINEWS Cover feature, April 26, 2010
CTV NEWS at 6:00, Interview “ When I visit the Farm” March 26, 2009
The Quill & Quire, Books for young people. Review of “When I visit the Farm”, April 2009
Nepean This Week, “Local Artist Opens New Art School” March 2009
CBC Ottawa Living Guest artist for “Wall Art” March 2009
CBC Ottawa Living Flight of the Bumble Bee Book November 2008
Rogers Daytime Television, 2005, 2006,2007,2008, 2009
CKCU Special Blend with Sue Johnston Oct. 2006
News at Noon, CJOH/CTV May 31, 2005
Daytime, Rogers Television May 26, 2005
Ottawa Sun, June 10, 2005
Nepean This Week, June 08, 2005
Centretown News, April 2004
Ottawa Life Magazine, May 2000
Regional Contact, October 1999 CTV/CJOH, Joel Haslam
CJOH/CTV NEWS, 1999 “Artwork for a Landmark” Derek Miller
All in a Day, CBC Radio, October 1999 Host Ken Rockburn
The Fulcrum, cover story, October 1999 Ian Capstick
The Ottawa Xpress, 1999 Mark & Steve Baylin
The Fulcrum, 1997 Stephanie Powers
WINNER PEOPLES CHOICE 2023 Pleinaire Salon Competition ( for “Cuttin’ Loose”)
“Honourable Mention” Heart of Gold, 3rd Annual Women in Watercolor International Competition
“Honourable Mention” A Colourful Masquerade 2022, Federation of Canadian Artists “ANIMALIS” show
“Peoples Choice” WINNER in OIL .2020, McMichael Plein Air Competition
“Peoples Choice” WINNER in WATERCOLOUR 2020, McMichael Plein Air Competition
2020, Shortlisted for the 2020 McMichael Plein Air Competition
Juried into the 2020 AIRE (Federation of Canadian Artists)
2019 Frances Trachok Memorial Award of Excellence, Lean on Me, oil on canvas, 24″ x 24″ (AWA “Looking West” Show at the Steamboat Art Museum, Colorado)
2018 First in Watercolour for “These Boots” SKB Rendezvous, Dubois Wyoming
2011 Ontario Arts Council Travel Bursary
2011 Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Bursary (For Artists in Realism)
2010 Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Bursary (For Artists in Realism)
2007 Nominated as Ottawa’s top 3 emerging Artists OSA awards
2006 Nepean Fine Arts League First Prize Excellence award and Trophy, “Isaiah” watercolour
2006 Nepean Fine Arts League First Prize Jurors Choice, “Isaiah” watercolour
2006 Nepean Fine Arts League Members Choice, “Isaiah” watercolour
March 2005 Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance
1997 Youngest elected member of the OWS (Ottawa Watercolour Society)
