For Billie Rae Busby, art began with glitter, crayons and a living room filled with possibility.

Her parents kept art supplies within easy reach, giving her the freedom to draw and create whenever inspiration…or boredom appeared. Creativity was also part of the rhythm of her home. Her mother was rarely without a project, moving between crocheting, cross-stitch and quilting, while Billie Rae’s aunt showed a strong artistic talent of her own.

“My parents and my aunt really encouraged me to spend time on my drawings,” Billie Rae remembers. “They were my biggest cheerleaders.”

Although no one in the family initially imagined that being an artist could become a career, they recognized her creativity and gave it room to grow. Her junior high and high school art teachers also became important mentors, helping her understand that art could be more than simply a way to pass the time.

Growing up mainly as an only child (her older siblings had already moved away), Billie Rae learned how to entertain herself. Looking back, she believes that having unscheduled time was an important part of becoming creative.

“I am a big proponent of not being overscheduled,” she says. “You need the opportunity to be bored and discover what you actually like to do.”

 

Learning to Notice the Landscape

Some of Billie Rae’s clearest childhood memories come from summers at her family’s modest cabin at Good Spirit Lake in Saskatchewan.

There were no phones or tablets competing for attention and very little television. Instead, there was time to wander, observe and become familiar with the landscape.

She remembers the brilliant blue of the prairie sky, reflections moving across the lake, storms gathering in the distance and sunsets slowly changing colour. Even the drive to the cabin became part of her visual memory, with open fields stretching alongside the road.

“I think I always noticed the landscape,” she says. “But my awareness that those moments were special and nostalgic came later in life.”

Today, looking at the sky and land has become a way for Billie Rae to remain present. In a world filled with noise, schedules and distractions, she encourages people to pause and pay attention.

“We can be driving and not even notice the northern lights or a wheat field blowing in the wind,” she says. “There is so much around us that we miss.”

Her teenage children now help keep that sense of wonder alive. When they notice something beautiful through a window or while walking, they call out, “Hey Mom, come look.”

Billie Rae is delighted that they have also learned to pay attention.

Becoming an Artist

Billie Rae’s path to becoming a professional artist was not a straight one.

At university, she completed a studio art degree while simultaneously studying kinesiology and sport management. Even then, she did not necessarily imagine art becoming her primary career. Instead, she built a successful career spanning almost 20 years in sports, marketing and communications.

She continued to paint, exhibit and sell her work on the side, but it took time for her to truly begin thinking of herself as an artist.

That shift happened in her thirties while taking continuing education classes at the Alberta College of Art and Design, now Alberta University of the Arts. During those classes, she began developing a visual language of her own: one built around colour, layers and the precision of hard-edge painting.

“I was no longer just doing the assignments instructors wanted me to do,” she explains. “I was painting for myself, on my own time, and sharing what I wanted to say through my art.”

Instructor and mentor Christopher Willard noticed Billie Rae’s interest in layering and colour and introduced her to hard-edge painting. The style uses clean lines, defined shapes and carefully separated areas of colour.

Billie Rae was immediately drawn to its boldness and precision.

The landscape entered her work later, following a meaningful drive across the Prairies that inspired her to see the sky and land in a completely new way. Since then, she has continued to explore Western Canada through abstract forms and unexpected combinations of colour.

“I am continuously learning about colour theory,” she says. “The landscape keeps giving me something new to work with.”

Betting on Herself

In 2021, Billie Rae became a full-time artist, although that had not originally been her plan.

During the pandemic, after experiencing work-related burnout and taking a stress leave, she stepped away from her established career. She intended to use the time to reset before finding another job.

Painting became part of that recovery.

It helped her feel present, restored her sense of happiness and greatly improved her mental well-being. Eventually, she began wondering what might happen if she allowed herself to take art seriously for one full year.

“I thought, ‘Why don’t I give it a shot and see if I can make it work?’” she says.

Her years of business, marketing and entrepreneurial experience gave her confidence in the practical side of running an artistic practice. The greater fear was returning to the exhaustion she had experienced before.

“I needed to bet on myself and give my art a real chance,” she says. “I felt I would be more of a failure if I didn’t try.”

What began as a temporary reset became a new chapter in her life.

Finding a Place at Leighton

Billie Rae cannot remember exactly what first brought her to Leighton Art Centre more than 15 years ago, but she clearly remembers how the place made her feel.

She was immediately awestruck by the landscape and the sweeping view.

“I remember thinking about how lucky Barbara and A.C. Leighton were to be able to live and create there,” she says. “I still feel that way every single time I come out.”

Leighton Art Centre would eventually become an important part of Billie Rae’s artistic development. She identifies three experiences in particular that marked important stages in her career.

The first was being accepted into a juried Members’ Show around 2011.

“That experience makes you feel like a legitimate artist,” she says. “You start to believe that your work might actually be interesting to other people.”

The second milestone came in 2013, when Billie Rae joined painter Judy Ueda and ceramic artist Bradley Keys for the collaborative exhibition Three Transformations: Our Vast Prairie Landscape. The artists challenged and encouraged one another while presenting three distinct ways of interpreting the land.

The third was Billie Rae’s 2022 solo exhibition, Night Lights: The Wonder of the Northern Lights. She began developing the work during a residency at Banff Centre, just as she was making the transition to working as a full-time artist.

Together, these exhibitions tell a story of growth. From seeking validation as an emerging artist to confidently sharing a mature and recognizable artistic voice.

“It has been rewarding to see that progression,” Billie Rae says, “and to have the Leighton staff, board, patrons and fellow members cheering me on along the way.”

Her connection to Leighton has given her more than exhibition opportunities. It has also introduced her to friends who have remained part of her life for many years.

Seeing the Familiar Differently

Billie Rae’s paintings are inspired by real places, skies and moments, but they are not meant to be exact representations.

She intentionally keeps her landscapes abstract and somewhat undefined, allowing each viewer to bring their own experiences to the work. One person may recognize the glow of a prairie sunset, while another might remember a lake, a winter horizon or a familiar drive home.

“I hope people see ordinary places and our landscape in a fresh, new way,” she says. “I hope the work evokes a memory of a time, place or season that is important to them.”

She also hopes her paintings reveal the extraordinary variety of Western Canada.

Within a short drive of Calgary, the landscape can change from rolling foothills and mountain peaks to wide agricultural fields or the sculpted hoodoos of the Drumheller Valley. Each place has its own light, colours, forms and emotional character.

Billie Rae has now been creating abstract landscapes for close to 20 years, yet she remains endlessly inspired.

“I am not bored by what is around us,” she says. “There is still so much to see.”

Perhaps that is the invitation at the centre of her work: to slow down, look carefully and remember that even the most familiar horizon can become extraordinary when we truly take the time to notice it.

Connect with Billie Rae on her website or shop her work at Leighton Art Centre.