Lacey Anderson had no idea what she was getting into when she entered the Art Battle at Knox Performance Centre in Prince George.
But the local artist walked away the winner after two intense 20-minute rounds of live painting, competing alongside 11 other artists in three heats of four. Contestants had just 20 minutes to fill a 20-by-30-inch canvas, with the audience circling around and casting votes to determine the winner.
The event, held a few weeks ago and hosted by the Prince George and District Community Arts Council, crowned Anderson the champion through a People's Choice vote.
It was Anderson’s first time participating in an art battle.
“I was nervous for sure, and the canvas size was quite intimidating,” she said.
“But lucky for me, I’ve always trained for speed. My attention span is very short, so I almost always complete my paintings in a day or even a couple of hours. I thought 20 minutes would be a challenge, but I figured I’d be OK. The setup definitely made me a little nervous.”
The competition combines artistic skill with high-energy performance. Each round takes place under bright lights and pounding music, as the audience crowds around to watch creativity in motion.
“It was definitely intense,” said Anderson. “I didn’t expect the crowd. I’ve never attended an art battle before, so I didn’t realize the audience circles you like sharks circling their prey. It was packed, wall-to-wall. I expected a small artsy crowd, but it was sold out, no space to walk. You had to join this little shark circle to move around.
“In the moment, when I was painting, I just focused on the canvas. I tried not to think about the people behind me. My mom, aunt and friends were there — my mom is my biggest supporter and cheered so loud she stopped the whole crowd trying to get a spot behind me. It was intense, but really, really fun.”
The format includes an initial qualifying round, followed by a final round for the top artists.
“You paint your first piece for the qualifier, and then again if you make it to the final,” Anderson said.
She came with a plan. Her first painting was of an owl.
“I brought a whole stack of sketches in case I made it to Round 2, which I honestly didn’t think would happen,” she said.
Anderson had recently started drawing animals and had developed a unique style.
“I paint the canvas black first and then add details on top,” she explained. “It’s a minimalist approach — I try to make it as realistic as possible with as few brush strokes as I can. I developed that style before I even heard about Art Battle and thought it would work well in 20 minutes.”
She chose the owl for its striking focal point.
“There’s this big eye in the centre that really pops,” she said. “Then I picked a cat for the second round. It’s mostly in shadow, so I just had to focus on the light and contrast. Again, the big eye was the focal point, and I worked mostly on the outline and eye.”
Anderson has been creating art since childhood.
“I’ve pretty much been doing art forever,” she said. “But there’s no one else in my family who does art — just arts-and-crafts stuff my mom used to do when I was a kid.”
She started out with digital art and cartoons, then transitioned into painting after discovering Bob Ross.
“I love Bob Ross — he’s my guy!” she laughed. “Watching him got me into landscapes about five or six years ago, and it’s evolved from there.”
By winning the Prince George Art Battle, Anderson qualified for Art Battle BC, held in Vancouver on July 5. There, she won her first round and advanced to the finals.
“It was so great — there were some really incredible and decorated artists competing,” she said. “At the end, it really came down to personal taste. Everyone’s work was amazing.”
To anyone considering entering a live painting competition, Anderson has simple advice:
“Just put yourself out there,” she said. “You never know what you’re capable of until you try. I’d never done anything like this before. I never really took myself seriously as an artist, but I thought, ‘Why not? I’m going to give it a shot.’ It’s fun. Just try — and see what happens.”
Next up, Anderson is exploring opportunities to showcase her work locally.
“I’m in the searching phase now,” she said. “I want to grow as an artist and see what’s out there.”
For more information, visit Lacey Anderson on Facebook.
