www.ArtistAnitaKlein.ca

Born in Vancouver and raised in a then rural Richmond, B.C., Anita was encouraged from an early age to develop her natural doodling tendencies into a career in art. “My mom had her paintings around the house and art supplies were always my first choice for Christmas and birthday gifts.”

Until the horse bug bit. After many years of hanging around barns, taking riding lessons and begging for a horse of her own Anita was able to buy her own horse and enjoyed trail riding and showing horses for many years, a highlight being chosen as Miss Horsemanship and runner up to the Cloverdale Rodeo Queen back in the day.

She received her formal fine art education at the Emily Carr College of Art, then attended Kwantlen College earning an Associate Degree in Design before beginning her career as a graphic artist, designing a variety of projects including electric and neon signage, murals and ephemera.

Anita now works from her studio in Cloverdale, BC, focused on her fine art and illustration work. Vibrant and often whimsical, Anita’s artwork reflects the bright colors of her soul. Working in a variety of mediums her work is recognized by it’s lushness of colour and bold sense of drama, subjects for her art are varied but her love of horses, nature and the western life remain a constant in her paintings and drawings. An integrity and honesty is captured in each piece that inspires a sense of exploration and wonder in her viewers and collectors.

Anita's humorous work features sassy and colourful cowgirls, their critters and the crazy things that can happen when they get together.

Her work has been used on the official posters of the Williams Lake Stampede and the Kamloops Cowboy Festival and was named 2015 Cartoonist of the Year by the Academy of Western Artists.

Anita is a member of Cowboy Cartoonists International and an active member of the Federation of Canadian Artists.

She is published internationally by the Leanin' Tree Greetings Company based in Boulder, Colorado.