NWT Arts

I started painting with oils and acrylics a few years ago. At first, it was for something to do when I had some extra time on my hands. I gave myself creative leeway to develop my own style and to really feel the freedom of just creating what I wanted. After I added glow-in-the-dark paint to my artwork, my paintings took on a life of their own. People really like when I incorporate it to my northern light paintings. I especially love to add hidden scenes to my paintings so different images appear at nighttime.

I’ve been playing music since I was 6 years old, and have been working in the music industry most of my life. My whole career has been about music one way or another. That’s actually how I came to Yellowknife – with my band – about 15 years ago. We started Welder’s Daughter and got a three-week contract to play at the Gold Range – and our contract has been extending ever since!

There are always projects on the go with my band, so painting is my relaxing time. I often paint when I get back from a show at 2 am. I love to paint when the world is quiet and everyone is asleep, because it helps me unwind. When I paint, I don’t have to answer to anybody; I can just create, sit back and enjoy whatever happens! I always just start with an idea or something that catches my attention. Sometimes, all it takes is an emotion or a feeling to trigger my creativity.

I constantly draw inspiration from what’s around me, especially when I’m spending time outside. My biggest creative influence has been the ever-changing northern skies. When I paint, my goal is to recreate them in a way that makes them look as real as possible. However, I also just love to enjoy the creative process and see where it takes me. I appreciate having the freedom to create something, and being able to stand back and say: “It’s done, I did that!” I am so excited to see what the future holds!