We recently had the pleasure of catching up with Canadian artist April Matheson—an intuitive, vibrant talent whose richly textured paintings feel like a dream you can reach out and touch. April’s practice blends oil, acrylic, and collage into layered compositions that explore colour, rhythm, memory, and the emotional pull of everyday beauty. Based in British Columbia, her work is a celebration of what’s fleeting and felt—moments you might otherwise miss, turned into powerful visual stories. In this lighthearted but thoughtful conversation, April shares how she finds flow in the studio, what colours she’s loving right now, and why she thinks her paintings might just be whispering to us.

“Shoes on = work mode.” 

When asked how she gets into the creative zone, April admits that it doesn’t always come easy. “Music is a big part of it—noise-cancelling headphones, always,” she says. “But the biggest factor? Putting on my ‘uniform’—paint-splattered denim and an oversized tee.” Lately, she’s added something new to the mix: shoes. “It seems simple, but it tricks my brain. Shoes?! Must be work mode. Time to focus.” 

The Joy of Texture 

April’s pieces don’t just invite you to look—they practically dare you to touch them. “Once they’re dry? Absolutely I touch them! And I always encourage others to touch them—is that bad?!” She describes the tactile quality as “knitwear turned hard and smooth.” All of her paintings are protected with a quality varnish, so fingerprints aren’t a problem… though she jokes that “the spirit of a gallerist is slapping my hand” as she says it.

Colour Crushes (and Colour Icks)

 April has a vivid relationship with colour. “I definitely go through phases. I guess you could say I’m a little sensitive to it.” Pure red and yellow? “Kind of give me the ick.” Fluorescents or dusty muted tones? “I’m in.” Current obsessions include a “muted red clay with a blue-ish tone,” a cobalt that leans toward cornflower, and her forever-love: “a warm, golden green.” 

Snapshots & Kangaroo Paws 

As for inspiration? It arrives in unusual, beautiful ways. “I’m constantly taking snapshots—mentally or literally—of colour palettes. Sometimes it’s from architecture magazines, but more often it’s a 6” corner of someone’s garden, or a stranger’s outfit as they pass a certain fence.” She recalls building a bouquet of chocolate cosmos, purple heart stems, and reddish kangaroo paws. “It became the palette for a painting of my grandma.”

If Her Paintings Could Speak... What would they say? 

“They’d whisper,” she says with certainty. “They’re pretty rhythmic—maybe even a gentle drumbeat that you might nod along to.” 

No Medium Left Behind

 April’s work seamlessly blends oil, acrylic, and collage—but do those mediums ever fight for attention? “I’d like to think they all get along. The collage and oil share equal space. The acrylic might not always get the credit it deserves,” she laughs. “But the painting couldn’t exist without it. It seals underlay colours and creates micro paintbrush lines that oil ends up settling into. So I don’t think acrylic’s feeling insecure. They’re all buds.”

Always Evolving

April’s art continues to inspire collectors and viewers alike. It’s a rare mix of painterly freedom and quiet control, full of colour stories and unexpected layers. Each piece is deeply personal—and yet somehow universally felt.

We’re proud to showcase her work at Mountain Galleries, and we can’t wait to see what she dreams up next.