Encouraged when his work won him first prize in a national art competition in his native Italy, as well as second and third prizes for two grade school friends in whose names he had submitted colored drawings, Bortolo Marola knew at an early age that he wanted to be an artist.

  After immigrating to Canada with his family in 1957 he went on to study at the Kootenay School of Art and with the American School of Art in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Later, he studied fine arts at Douglas College and Kwantlen College where he received a Fine Arts Diploma.

  A member of the Federation of Canadian Artists, he has had many successful exhibitions both at home and abroad. His work has been selected for calendar and magazine covers. His paintings are held in both corporate and private collections across Canada, the U.S., Japan, and Italy where he has developed a large following and received much critical acclaim.

  Although his work is focused and recognizable at a representational level, Marola likes to isolate and explore different levels of meaning: his paintings are as much about myths and legends as they are social or emotional statements of the people and places he depicts. Bortolo combines the rich colors that have become his trademark with his predisposition for the human figure and the landscape, creating many unique, original and stirring statements.

  He has been described as a Renaissance man whose work is much like him, civilized, thoughtful and meticulous. He enjoys continuously challenging his own creativity by working in various media. His fascination with light and compositional elements fills his paintings with beauty and passion that is much sought after by both collectors and students alike.