Testimonials

 

To whom it may concern.
I met Neil in Maple Ridge at a Garibaldi Art Club meeting. At that time I was impressed by his awesome paintings of tugboats.  The one I wanted had been sold but I did manage to purchase an original painting of a boat on Okanogan Lake.  Then his artistic talents went on to painting various airplanes.  I bought his painting of a spitfire flying through heavy clouds.  I continued to follow him on Facebook as he became involved with depicting western prairie themes such as abandoned farm machinery, old cars and trucks, farmhouses and other farming subjects including horses.  One such horse painting struck home to me …draft horses standing face to face over a hitching rail.  I just had to have it! It is the main feature in my living room and every time I look at it I am so glad that it is mine. I am in awe of the attention to detail that makes it feel like I am looking out a window at real live animals. 
Helen

 

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We met Neil and Cheri at an art show in BC a number of my years ago, and aside from being attracted to the high quality and meticulous detail of his work and to the subjects of his paintings, we were immediately struck by Neil’s passion for his painting.  He loves the story, the memories, and the feelings that each painting evokes-it is far more than just capturing an image, but creating those feelings or emotions.  We see Cheri very much as part of team as they both Neil and Cheri really enjoy the research and development of each painting. They make a great team and are genuinely the best of people. 

 

We later commissioned Neil to paint a scene that is so much a part of our past, with all the memories of a fading life on the prairies. He so completely captured the history and the changing times that one can not help but feel a real connection.  

Dick and Lorraine

 

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We met Neil and Cheri when they lived in Maple Ridge, as he became a member of our local Garibaldi Art Club. Neil is a self-taught artist, and the quality of his beautifully-rendered paintings were truly an inspiration to all of the Club members and to the viewing public at our shows. My husband and I are the very proud owners of several of his paintings. Guests to our home really enjoy all of these pieces; a favourite seems to be one called “Great Blue Heron”. The heron is standing, huddled with cold, on one of the snow-capped pilings in the river, on a bitter winter day. The trees on the far shore are misty with fog and snow, and the viewer cannot help but feel the chill of this wintry atmosphere.

Alberta’s gain (Neil and Cheri!) has been B.C.’s loss, but we are happy to be able to maintain contact with this wonderful couple and to follow their progress. They truly are a formidable team!

Jean and Pat

 

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Melissa and I have a number of Neil's paintings but the two that are most precious to us are commission works that he did of photographs that each of us took while we were living in Canmore. The mountains have special meaning to us and each of us photographed the Ehagay Nakoda massif from a different perspective and in a different season. One photograph imparted serenity and reflection and the other power and strength. We asked Neil to produce commission works that would reflect not only what we saw in those moments but what we felt. Neil produced works that went above and beyond our expectations and we will always treasure these paintings and the emotions that they invoke. We may have left the mountains but now the mountains will never leave us.

All the best, Bruce.

 

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When I first saw “Out of Season” I was transported back to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and viewing the old masters painting there.  I thought the beauty, detail and depth in the painting was phenomenal…It’s been ___ years since I bought this painting and I’m still awestruck….. !!  

 

I really, really love the littler one “Hilltop” that I bought too… So, I don’t want that one to feel left out… It has a special place in the entry of our home in Kamloops and receives all the attention it deserves !!  :)

Nancy

 

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One of the items in our lives that brings us great joy is art. We have been fortunate to have friends who are artists and that is where our collecting started. A number of years ago we met an artist in the USA who was incredibly detailed and was rated as one of the top 50 Russian painters of all time. His work was life like and we have a few of his works in our home. I mention this because we believed that it would be a challenge to find another artist that could produce art that was better.

 

This is where Neil enters the picture so to speak. 

My wife and I met Neil a number of years ago at the Calgary Stampede Western Showcase and were immediately attracted to his remarkable work. He is a genuine and engaging person and it was a pleasure to learn about his life and how he started painting. To describe his work I would use the word "Photographic" because it is so incredibly realistic you believe that it is a photo. His attention to detail is remarkable.  We have been following his work for a number of years and finally purchased a painting this year as a retirement gift to ourselves. Neil and his wonderful wife Cheri personally delivered it to our home. We had bought it online due to the pandemic and that was the first time we would see what we had purchased. I'm trying to describe the huge smile I had on my face viewing the painting in person for the first time. His works are world class and it would be hard to find anyone that could produce better works than Neil. Our newest treasure brings joy to us each time we look at it and it is still a mystery to us how talented Neil is...words don't justify what he is able to produce.

 

We now can call Cheri and Neil friends. They are a wonderful couple and great fun to be with.

Judy and Bob

 

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Dale and I have been collecting original art for over 30 years. We were so excited to meet Neil and Cheri Hamelin the first year they were showcased at the Western Art Exhibit at the Calgary Stampede.  As collectors, we look at an artists’ work overall - it’s not unusual to like a single piece of art but what is important to us is does the body of work appeal to us and is the quality excellent throughout.  

Neil consistently produces paintings that capture a feeling and a level of detail that anyone who appreciates fine art can recognize as pure talent.  We were so impressed with his work that we purchased a few of his works that first meeting. We have since collected more pieces and each time he unveils another work we can imagine owning it.  

Neil’s work is timeless, and is placed prominently on display in our home among other great artists.  Guests to our home are consistently impressed with the beauty of Neil’s work and the jaw dropping response is fun to watch. We are proud to showcase his work and inspire new collectors.  

He delights with new subject matter regularly and it seems whether it’s machinery, landscape, seascape, animals or portraiture there is no limit to where his talents take him.

We are so excited for both Neil and Cheri, as she is an important contributor to the success they have achieved. We look forward to seeing where Neil’s work and interests take him but wherever it goes there is no doubt it will be outstanding.  

We feel very fortunate to have been made aware of  this masterful artist and we know that the future holds many opportunities for Neil and Cheri Hamelin and much excitement for future art collectors and aficionados.

Sincerely, 

Leslie