Doug Taplin's artistic journey began on a ranch along the South Saskatchewan River, where the beauty of nature served as both playground and muse. Growing up amidst the vast Canadian prairies, he developed a profound reverence for the land and its mysteries. Drawn to the evolution of painting—from the first cave markings to contemporary expressions—Doug's work seeks to capture the primal gaze of our ancestors and their instinctive connection to the earth. Inspired by the simplicity of ancient visual languages, he strives to preserve their raw power while giving them a modern voice. When Doug Taplin begins a new body of work, he starts with a central theme or idea and develops a series of paintings that explore it through visual language. Most of his work starts with a drawing. His process is intuitive—he responds to the paint as it takes shape, guiding it toward representation without over-rendering. Rather than painting every detail, he uses brushstrokes that suggest form, like creating hair with loose strokes rather than painting each strand. Though his paintings may seem effortless, each one often has two or three layers beneath the surface. Doug primarily works in oil on canvas, using a limited palette to maintain cohesion and simplicity. He finds elegance in restraint and the power of simplicity. Minimalism defines his approach in every aspect—form, composition, and especially color. His palette is deliberately stripped down to four hues: white, black, ochre, and red. These elemental tones create a sense of purity and intensity, echoing the artistry of early humans. Through his work, he invites viewers to reconnect with something primal within themselves, to remember our fundamental bond with the natural world.