Artist on Display
Sylvie Peltier (aka Esspé)
Canadian painter Sylvie Peltier grew up in the province of Quebec. At the age of 13, she discovered a poster inviting her to “Learn English in Vancouver.” Amazed by the ocean and mountains depicted, she decided then that she would live in British Columbia as an adult.
After studying agricultural economics (McGill, Montreal) and environmental economics (Dalhousie, Halifax), she went on to study film and television (UBC, Vancouver). In 1996, she founded Red Letter Films, a television documentary production company which she still operates with her husband.
With a lifelong passion for art and design, she began to post her drawings on social media and started painting classes in 2014. She participated in her first group and solo exhibitions in 2018. She also organized an art studio tour in her community in 2021 and 2022, the South Rock Art Tour.
In 2023, she moved to Qualicum Beach, on Vancouver Island. It was there that she finally devoted herself to her life as an artist. She offers painting classes in her waterfront studio and welcomes the public by appointment.
An active member of the Federation of Canadian Artists since 2021, she participates in local art events from Comox to Nanaimo. She is a member of local artists’ groups including the Art Buddies Collective, with whom she regularly participates in exhibitions. She is also planning two solo exhibitions: one at the McMillan Arts Centre, in May 2025, and the other at The Old School House Arts Centre (TOSH), in January 2026.
Her works, designed to evoke positive emotions such as surprise and wonder, are also printed on clothing, stationery and home decor.
Sylvie Peltier has lived in British Columbia for over 30 years, and has been wielding her brush for the past 10 years under the artist name Esspé, the phonetic expression of the initials of her name. Her joyful, abstract works are inspired by the natural world around her.