As a child, Loraine Wellman was recommended to classes at the Vancouver Art Gallery, where her teachers included painter Peter Aspell and sculptor Beatrice Lennie, and ever since then she has studied art.

Following high school Loraine had an immersion in classical art training at the Vancouver School of Art (now the Emily Carr School of Art) with such outstanding artists as Gordon Smith, Peter Aspell and Bruno Bobak, among others; Arthur Erickson gave noon-hour lectures on art history. After completing her Bachelor of Education degree at the University of British Columbia, Loraine became an art teacher herself.

Her extensive work in fabric arts, which concentrated on contrasts and values, was featured in many American magazines. After working with oils, watercolours, pastels and various drawing mediums, Loraine decided to try acrylic paints; intrigued with their layering qualities, she chose them as her painting medium. Her interest in photography provided new viewpoints on composition, as demonstrated by her extreme close-up paintings of flowers. A love of gardening provided three dimensional experience in colour and design, and her paintings of gardens are evidence of this inspiration.

During further studies at Douglas College Loraine did more experimental work; she also studied portrait painting with Geoffrey Traunter and further developed her personal style under the instruction of Carla O'Connor. In Loraine's opinion all of these experiences have contributed to her ability to capture the unique qualities of the West Coast lifestyle.

Loraine's desire is to simply share her enjoyment of the world in which we live; she goes through life with a sketchbook in hand, believing that drawing skills form a foundation for painting. She loves paint, brushwork and the play of light and colour; building her paintings layer by layer, she creates vibrancy and richness in colour variations. The majority of her paintings are on unframed wrap-around canvases, giving them a sculptural quality.

There is an appealing warmth and vitality to Loraine Wellman's works of acrylic on canvas; they are featured in collections across Canada, the United States, Taiwan and Europe.