2026 Wine of the Year · Artist
O Canada! We Stand on Guard for Thee
Kelly Whyte
Kawartha Lakes
About the design
This painting is an original oil painting that was created after a canoe trip last fall. It depicts our beautiful Kawartha Lakes landscape at its best. Autumn breathes life into our incredible lakeside beauties, such as this iconic maple tree. It is named for all Canadians that are proud of their country, ‘O Canada! We Stand on Guard for Thee.’
About the artist
Kelly Whyte’s vision is to pursue her passion for painting local landscapes from the Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton Highlands. At her countryside studio, Whyte creates bold, rich and colourful oil paintings that invite the viewer into her story. Walk down a path, follow a creek or gaze at a sunset, the subject matter is familiar and comfortable. Kelly’s painting style leans towards realism but lately she also enjoys painting colourful, impressionist paintings, with oils being her main medium. She continues to experiment with a variety of mediums, always reaching for more. Her main joy is canoeing, kayaking, xc skiing and hiking, while taking copious photographs for her landscape inspirations. You will find Kelly in her studio most days, painting and listening to music. She lovingly refers to her studio as Shangri-La. Kelly’s paintings have gained traction in her community. Scenes recognized by the locals have been warmly received. Kelly donated some of her paintings for fundraisers for Ukraine and the local Food Bank. Community continues to be a huge part of this artist’s life and she is thoroughly enjoying the journey. My journey to capture the light in my paintings is a labour of love. My inspiration comes from my surroundings, a creek, sunset or an interesting configuration of snow on a cedar tree. All these variables come together to create my vision. Described as a prolific artist, the oil paintings created in my small countryside studio are bold in colour and shape. Plein air painting is one of my areas of expression. There is nothing quite like standing on the side of a lake, watching the water dance or hearing the wind rustle the leaves, to keep the paint flowing from my brush. I work with small and large canvases to create that connection with the viewer. I strive to remind them of that special place in their memory. Local landscapes are my specialty.
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Voting closes Nov 14, 2026
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