NWT Arts

I have been painting periodically throughout my life but started dedicating more of my time to this practice around 2015. I’ve always been a very creative person and I love to keep my hands busy. Whenever problems arise in my life, making art has always been a way for me to cope, and it eventually blossomed into something much greater than I ever thought it could be.

I currently paint abstract landscapes that are mostly emotion-based. I like to focus on how a painting will relay a feeling instead of trying to make it look perfect. Since moving to Yellowknife, I’ve enjoyed painting northern sceneries because they are very different than what I am used to: the textures, the northern lights, and the expansive sky are all so interesting to work with. There are so many feelings that can be translated into art with these landscapes as inspiration.

When I paint, I feel calm, at peace, and like nothing can bother me. I started focusing on my art because of my mental health. I was searching for a feeling that I wasn’t really getting just by existing and living out in the world. I started to paint what I wanted to feel, which helped me get through my most challenging days. For that reason, I ended up painting a lot of really simple, soothing and serene scenes.

What I love the most about painting is that I get to create my own little world. Afterwards, I get to share those little bits of myself and what’s going on in my head with anybody who wants to look at my art. When I complete a painting I feel overwhelmed by joy, which fuels my desire to share. Many people have told me that they are able to feel what I was trying to portray in my paintings, and that it’s very apparent that this is a therapeutic practice for me. I am grateful that my passion has helped me heal and that it might also be helping others in the process.