
Heidi Selzler
Artist Story
When I look back at the art I’ve created, I notice a positive theme underlying most of my work, and I really like that. I grew up in the Northwest Territories; from Yellowknife, to Cambridge Bay, and finally settled in Fort Smith. Thinking back to childhood memories, art has always been a lot of fun for me. It’s an escape in a sense and it helps to completely take my mind off of everything else and focus on that one task.
I create with whatever I can get my hands on, just any little crafty thing, I like to try it all. I create baskets and animals by recycling, forming and painting paper and make sculptures using liquid detergent containers, other crafts using milk lids... anything with a shape can be built upon.
One of my unique pieces are river concretions from ancient times, cast in resin. They typically form when a mineral precipitates and cements sediment around a nucleus, which is often organic, such as a leaf, tooth, piece of shell or fossil. Part of my joy is going rock-hunting, and just being out in nature, it really fuels my creative side.
Painting is another type of art that I really love. Just watching new colours twirl and blend together for a new piece is enjoyable in itself. We have truly beautiful skies and sunsets here in Fort Smith, and they seem to last forever in the summer. The aurora here is just amazing too. I’ve watched them since I was a kid but I still marvel at the skies when they’re out – natural light really gives me inspiration.
Heidi lives in the community of Fort Smith, Northwest Territories. She is a self-taught artist and is inspired by nature. She enjoys sharing beauty and inspiring others to create, "it's fun and therapeutic". Heidi also makes homemade soaps with traditional herbs and flowers. You can purchase her work at her website at arts.westernwillow.com
Heidi is also a digital artist, designing websites, making videos and loves doing graphic design and photography.