NWT Arts

My work is digital art that has been hand-drawn on my iPad with an Apple Pencil. I love to draw landscapes, forgotten or remote buildings, and various types of animals. My journey into art started late in life in 2014, when I started making acrylic paintings as a hobby. It wasn’t until the pandemic started in 2020 that I made the switch to digital art and have been consumed by this art style ever since.

When creating my work, I am drawn to places, whose aesthetics or memories have resonated with me. I also enjoy making art of locations I would love to travel to one day. When drawing, I strive to create pieces that will spark an interest from whoever sees them. When drawing pictures of Yellowknife locations, I try to give my audience new, bolder versions of any art they have seen before.

I also love the ocean, so the images of water are a common theme in my art. I also love exploring and using bold or unique colours in every piece I make. I love blue, red, and purple, so those palettes are often staples of what I make. I also like to challenge myself to incorporate tones of colours I’m not super crazy about (green, yellow, pink), in order to find a greater appreciation of what these tones can contribute to future pieces.

When I am outside, I love to take pictures of various objects/buildings that inspire me. I like to go with the flow when I draw, so if I’m not feeling whatever piece I’m working on, I will take a break from it and return to it when I am ready again. Depending on a piece, I usually spend anywhere from 2-8 hours to make something I am proud of. Being in the right mindset when drawing is always crucial for me; the last thing I ever want to do is force myself to draw and make it feel like work.

My artwork has definitely evolved over time, particularly when it comes to the level of detail I can infuse into a piece. In the past, I would try my best when drawing and hope for the best, but now that I have been doing this for some time, I am generally able to know exactly what essence I want my picture to possess. I am now much less beholden to the photo I work from and way more comfortable with drawing a picture in my own style.

Art has become a major form of expression in my life; it’s an important way for me to discover who I am and what is most important to me. Drawing is something that has become something that’s always there to fall back on, especially when I find it hard to get inspiration from my other hobbies of writing and photography. Making my art makes me feel relaxed, accomplished, happy, and proud. Knowing someone connects with my finished product is extremely rewarding and serves as the major catalyst for why I draw every day.