With an early art education in Vancouver Canada and gallery representation since 1994, Constance Bachmann has remained focused on commercial markets exhibiting in Canada and the United States. The artist’s newest figurative work hints at historical portraiture, echoing her ongoing fascination for the elaborate costumes of those eras. The fanciful clothing featured in her work suggests the French Renaissance period, Elizabethan styles or Spanish Vaquero times. In this spontaneous and playful way Bachmann aims to soften her subjects starched collars and have them relax their stuffy facades, painting society’s past, prideful veneers into a fresher, and much more benevolent context.
Of her practice, the artist states, “Painting has always interested me above all other artistic disciplines, from the luscious physicality of the paint, to the endless possibilities for colour. For me, colour is at the root of everything I do. I’m always looking for creative ways to incorporate unusual bits of colour into the most unexpected areas of my paintings. The more I play with colour, the more a painting takes shape. I enjoy using representational subjects because they inspire me to explore dualities; patterns and scribbles, highlights and shadows, historical and contemporary, for example, while giving the work an overall sense of purpose. I often begin with a formal sketch, but then I allow the work to unfold from there.”
Early in her career Bachmann exhibited in Cayman Island and later also featured extensively in numerous solo and group exhibitions around Canada, the U.S, and Australia.
Education
Okanagan College- Fine Arts program, Kelowna BC 1982
Langara College- Fine Arts program, Vancouver BC 1983-84
Selected exhibitions
2024 St Hilda Art Festival, St Hilda’s School, Gold Coast QLD
2023 Director’s Choice Group Exhibition – 19 Karen Gallery, Australia
2022 Group Summer Show – Sopa Fine Arts, Kelowna, Canada
2022 Director’s Choice Group Exhibition – 19 Karen Gallery, Australia
2021 Gifted Group Show – Sopa Fine Arts, Kelowna, Canada
2021 Grand Opening – Conrad West Gallery, Las Vegas, US
2020 Holiday Group Show – Exposition de Groupe, Alpha Art Gallery, Ottawa, Canada
2019 Gifted Group Show – Sopa Fine Arts, Kelowna, Canada
2019 Holiday Group Show – Alpha Art Gallery, Ottawa, Canada
2019 Beauties and Beast – with Christopher Griffin, Sopa Fine Arts, Kelowna, Canada
2019 Higher Ground – with Matt Petley-Jones, Sopa Fine Arts, Kelowna, Canada
2018 A Chorus of Colour – group show, Sopa Fine Arts, Kelowna, Canada
2018 Strokes of Venus – group show, Sopa Fine Arts, Kelowna, Canada
2018 On the Flip Side – group show, Sopa Fine Arts, Kelowna, Canada
2017 Holiday Hoopla- group show, Sopa Fine Art, Kelowna, Canada
2017 Sprezzatura with Peter F. Gross, Sopa Fine Art, Kelowna Canada
2017 Red Green + In Between- group show, Sopa Fine Art, Kelowna Canada
2016 Poetica – Sopa Fine Art, Kelowna, Canada
2016 Bang the Drum with Richard Taylor, Sopa Fine Art, Kelowna, Canada
2016 Merry + Bright, Sopa Fine Art, Kelowna, Canada
2015 Merry and Bright – group show, Sopa Fine Art, Kelowna, Canada
2015 Boketto with Rose Braun, Sopa Fine Art, Kelowna, Canada
2015 Anne Neilson Fine Art, group show, Charlotte NC, US
2015 Social Medium – Sopa Fine Art, Kelowna, Canada
2014 Wrapped in Colour – Sopa Fine Art, Kelowna, Canada
2014 Lines and Contradictions – Sopa Fine Art, Kelowna, Canada
2014 Sopa Fine Art, Tis the Season – group show, Kelowna, Canada
2014 Anne Neilson Fine Art, group show, Charlotte NC, NY
2013 A Fine Conversation with Ray Phillips, Sopa Fine Art, Kelowna, Canada
2013 Anne Neilson Fine Art, Charlotte NC, NY
2013 Bits and Pieces – group show, Sopa Fine Arts, Kelowna, Canada
2013 Off the Hook- group show, Sopa Fine Art, Kelowna, Canada
2013 Anne Irwin Fine Art- group show, Atlanta Georgia, US
2012 We’re Making a List- group show, Sopa Fine Art, Kelowna, Canada
2012 Side-tracked – group show, Sopa Fine Art, Kelowna, Canada
2012 Summer Tributes – group show, Sopa Fine Art, Kelowna, Canada
2012 Anne Irwin Fine Art- group show, Atlanta Georgia, US
2011 Deck the Walls – group show, Sopa Fine Art, Kelowna, Canada
2011 Anne Irwin Fine Art- group show, Atlanta Georgia, US
2011 Carry On – group show, Sopa Fine Art, Kelowna, Canada
2011 Wrap it Up Again – group show, Sopa Fine Art, Kelowna, Canada
2010 Bark – solo exhibit, Sopa Fine Arts, Kelowna, Canada
2008 Winter Solstice – Assiniboia Gallery, Regina, Canada
2008 Stephen Lowe Art Gallery, Calgary, Canada
2008 Prairie Lights- group show, Assiniboia Gallery, Regina, Canada
2007 Solo exhibit, Stephen Lowe Art gallery, Calgary, Canada
2007 Spring is in the air- group show, White Rock Gallery, White Rock, Canada
2006 Colour on high- group show, Hambleton Gallery, Kelowna, Canada
2006 Moments in time- group show, Stephen Lowe Art Gallery, Calgary, Canada
2005 Solo exhibit- on the horizon, Hambleton Gallery, Kelowna, Canada
2005 Contrasts- group exhibit, White Rock Gallery, White Rock, Canada
2004 Hambleton Gallery, Kelowna, Canada
2004 Stephen Lowe Art Gallery, Calgary, Canada
2003 Hambleton Gallery, group show, Kelowna, Canada
2003 Summer Lights- group show, Stephen Lowe Art Gallery, Calgary, Canada
2003 Solo exhibit, White Rock Gallery, White Rock, Canada
2002 Stephen Lowe Art Gallery, Calgary, Canada
2002 Solo exhibit, Simon Patrich Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
2001 Tutt St Gallery, group show, Kelowna, Canada
2001 Solo exhibit, Stephen Lowe Art Gallery, Calgary, Canada
2000 On mark- solo exhibit, Tutt St Gallery, Kelowna, Canada
2000 Solo exhibit, Stephen Lowe Art Gallery, Calgary, Canada
1999 Tutt St Gallery, group show, Kelowna, Canada
1999 Solo exhibit, Stephen Lowe Art Gallery, Calgary, Canada
1998 Hampton Gallery, group show, Kamloops, Canada
1997 Hampton Gallery, Kamloops, Canada
1997 Tutt St Gallery, solo show, Kelowna, Canada
1996 Pure Art Gallery, Grand Caymen Island
1995 Faces We Know- solo show, Sarah Dobbs Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
1994 Shepard Gallery, Chateau Whistler, Whistler, Canada
1994 Sarah Dobbs Gallery, group show, Vancouver, Canada
Publications
A Million Little Things – drama series, ABC, ‘Duel’ 2020
Boulevard Okanagan, Inspired People, Nov-Dec issue 2017
Greenleaf- drama series, Oprah Winfrey Network, still life series 2016
The Book of the Dog – Lawrence King Publishing, London UK 2015
Strokes of Compassion – by Anne H. Neilson, Charlotte NC 2014
Icon Magazine – artist Profile, 2014 Kelowna BC
Galleries West Magazine – art spotlight 2012
Lullaby for Pi – movie, dog series, Quebec 2010
Entertainment – the Daily Courier, Kelowna 2000
Women’s Television Network, Women in the Arts Series, Vancouver BC 1995
Northwest Design and Living Magazine US, 1993
Charitable Donations
Kelowna General Hospital Foundation ‘Heart of Gold’ Gala 2014, Kelowna BC
‘Georgia English Bulldog Rescue’ Bully Ball Fundraiser 2012-13, Atlanta Georgia
Aberdeen Hall Preparatory School Spring Galas, 2009-10 Kelowna BC
NOCLS fundraiser, 2009-10, Vernon BC
Okanagan Symphony Society 2008 ‘Midsummer Magic’ Kelowna BC
Kelowna Art Gallery ‘Seeing Red and White’ Event, 2006
Vancouver Symphony VSO- 2005, Vancouver BC
Point Grey Academy- 2004, Vancouver BC
United Way- 2003-05, Kelowna BC
Collections
Ronald McDonald House, Vancouver BC
Kelowna Infiniti Nissan, Kelowna BC
Kelowna Hospice House, Kelowna BC
San Marc Custom Homes, Kelowna BC
Sutton Place Hotel, Vancouver BC
Canadian Pacific Railway, Calgary AB
Elbow River Marketing, Calgary AB
Meyers, Norris & Penny, Kelowna BC
Dr Stephen Johnson, Kelowna BC
Ad Vitam Healthcare, West Kelowna BC
Herman Group, Kelowna BC
Cenovus Energy Corporation, Calgary AB
BBB Architects, Ottawa ON
The Larsen Financial Group, Vancouver BC