Nestled on our regenerative farm and surrounded by forest, my art studio is where nature's inspiration comes to life. Every piece I create is hand-illustrated with love, drawing from the changing seasons, wildlife encounters, and the peaceful rhythm of a naturalists life.

From educational, art forward children's books to nature-inspired home decor, each creation tells a story rooted in the natural world around me. My creations are meant to help us feel more connected to the beauty inherent in all living things.

Artist Statement: Nature as Presence

My paintings and illustrations incorporate varied textures, layers, glazes, and bold lines to create nature-inspired artworks that play with abstraction. I focus on landscapes, animals, and plants as subjects, aiming to convey the profound inspiration and connection we are capable of having with the natural world. My work serves to honor sentience in nature, expressing the intrinsic value of life and the intricate web of relationships within ecosystems.

Biography

Chris Grimes (Cee Thorketil) graduated from Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Vancouver, BC, in 2007, with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art. She then spent time traveling through western North America, from Alaska to the tip of the Baja penninsula, soaking in wild hot springs and falling in love with the diversity of habitats and the plants and animals that call them home. She developed a deep wellness practice, through yoga, time in nature, and giving back to her community, working as a mental health support worker in the Downtown East Side of Vancouver.

With a passion for whole health and seeing the connections between creativity, nature, and wellness, the powerful potential of hands of care, she earned a diploma in massage therapy in 2012. For over a decade, she split her time between a thriving medical massage practice, environmental advocacy, and art, participating in group shows, juried exhibitions, and online publications, receiving several awards for her artistic contributions. As a committed naturalist and environmentalist, she has actively participated in grassroots initiatives to promote ecologically driven changes in local policies as well as cultivating a green lifestyle close to the land. Her children's book are an extension of this work, sharing her passion for learning about and being in nature with younger generations.

She now resides in Maine with her husband, two dogs, and daughter, where they created and tend a permaculture food forest and gardens on their wild and beautiful acreage.

Curriculum Vitae

Publications

2025, The Creative Well Weekly Planner, Bard Owl Books

2025, Who Lives Here? In the Northeast Woods, Bard Owl Books

Solo Exhibitions

2025, Nature Immersion, Forage Market, Lewiston ME

Selected Group Exhibitions

2025, Art in the Square, BRAF Gallery, Boothbay, ME

2025, Caravan Market, Portland, ME

2024, Artists Choice, York Art Association Gallery, York, ME

2024, Art in the Park, York Art Association Gallery, ME

2024, Nocturne Juried Exhibit, Maine Art Gallery, Wiscasset, ME

2024, Unfolding Horizons, Deer Isle Artists Association Gallery, Deer Isle, ME

2020, Gateway International Painting Competition, www.paintingcontest.org

2020, All Planet Earth, Contemporary Art Gallery Online, www.CAGonline.gallery

2019, National Juried Exhibit, Oxford Arts Alliance, Oxford, PA

2019, Equine Art, Washington Thoroughbred Association, Emerald Downs, WA

2019, Summer Road Trip, Pacific Northwest Art School Gallery, Coupeville, WA

2015, Artbeat, Vancouver, BC

2009, Timeraiser, Vancouver, BC

Education

Emily Carr University, Bachelor of Fine Art, 2007

Awards

2020, Gateway International Painting Competition, Finalist for Best in Show

2019, Equine Art, Best in Show

2019, Equine Art, Poster Award

Professional Associations

Union of Maine Visual Artists, Maine, USA, 2024-present

Boothbay Region Art Foundation, Maine, USA, 2025-present

York Art Association, York Harbor, Maine, 2024-2025

Private Collections

Vancouver, BC

Victoria, BC

Salt Spring Island, BC

Toronto, ON

Now available: Signed deluxe copies of Who Lives Here on this website!

Deluxe hardcover NOW available for purchase at Sherman's on the Maine coast!!

Soon to be released...

'What Sound Does a Bumblebee Make?'

I'm working on the illustrations now! I've done the trout, bee, crow, and cardinal! But I have many more to go!!

Inspired by my 18 month old and her love of making animal sounds, (the first being bumblebees!) I am creating a new illustrated children's book about the WILD sounds you can hear in New England! Hoping to be released for summer 2026!!