Canadian painter Rebecca Aldernet’s work all has something mysterious about it. Her subject is always women, often in or near water and regularly featuring birds. She says her work is rooted in the rhythms of daily life and a close observation of the natural world. Much of Aldernet’s work also seeks to illustrate the intimate bond between people and the sea.

Aldernet built an amazingly-successful career in marketing, brand design, and art direction. That success gave her the freedom to explore her fine art, and fine it is! Her use of color and her subjects’ styling both give the impression that these are vintage portraits of women who have Seen some Things. Their unsmiling expressions just add to the mystery for me. I may not want to make friends with them, but I do very much want to know their stories.

You can see all of Rebecca Aldernet’s wonderful paintings on her website and on Instagram and Facebook.