With a stroke of his brush one holiday, Glenn Payan redirected his life by focusing on his passion — painting.

Although Payan had been painting since he was young, it was while he was a middle school teacher that his art became more prominent. He would trade teachers their English classes for art ones.

It was only on holidays in 2001 that he realized he wanted to paint for himself. “It was one of those moments where I picked up the brush and I had this sense of like, ‘This is going to be fun,’” says Payan.

With the support of his wife, with whom he lives in British Columbia along with their four children, Payan took a two-year leave of absence from teaching that year. He is currently in the process of resigning so that he can continue to focus his energy into his art.

Growing up in British Columbia, he was always inspired by the landscape and beautiful scenery he was surrounded by every day. A significant portion of his art is based off memory. He recalls the landscape of the Point Grey area in Vancouver where his grandmother used to live. “I highlight the key enjoyable elements of the memory of being in that spot, and try to get that across through painting,” says Payan.

And that’s exactly what he does. His art has an intrinsic simplicity to it, in a way that anyone would recall a mental image. However, Payan, an avid mountaineer and rock climber, truly depicts the beautiful and elegant mountains that define British Columbia through his tremendous detail and colour. “I have a real respect for the mountains and the forest and I still love being there,” says Payan, “and to take that and be able to put that into canvas and to show that to others.”

Payan’s art stands out because of his use of the bright and vivacious colours that make his art come alive. Payan explains that he’s a very cheerful person and that’s why there’s a parallel between him and his work. “I enjoy bright colours and the sense of joy and happiness it can give,” says Payan. He started with acrylic but now mainly uses oil-based paints.

He rarely does commissioned work but you can purchase his paintings at the Canada House Gallery in Banff, Alta. and the Ian Tan Gallery in Vancouver. Payan said he was very nervous when he first met Tan. He remembers visiting the gallery, giving Tan his business card and promptly running out. Tan called Payan when he got home and they’ve worked together ever since. “We’ve made a great team so far,” says Payan.

Payan has been featured at Ian Tan Gallery since 2005. He says he’s very grateful to Tan for the opportunity to share his paintings with visitors to the gallery for the past four years and the chance to continue to show his work. •