Kerri McPherson

Region: 
Sahtu
Community: 
Tulita

Artist Story

I am a self-taught Sahtu Dene artist. I make paintings of historical landscapes in the Northwest Territories, as well as cultural items and traditional accessories. I can paint mittens, beaded moose skin jackets, moose hides, and traditional hunting items too.

My mother always told me that I have been drawing since I was two years old, when I started drawing on the walls at home! She would open the closet doors and find me hidden in there, colouring.

While I was in school, people saw that I was sketching all the time, so they encouraged me to apply to the Grant MacEwan College at the time, which I did. I was there for a year, but I realized that I wanted to be able to create in my own way and not have to follow so many guidelines.  I enrolled in a History program the next year, and that’s what ultimately lead me to paint historical landscapes.

I mostly work with acrylic paints and various types of pencils. I use mixed mediums very often, to get all the colours that I want. I tend to work with midsize or large canvases. Once I have my reference material, I sketch out all my ideas and choose each colour carefully. When that is done, I will take out every single material that I have so that I can get in the zone when I paint without being distracted. Everything is always out on my desk; it’s part of my artistic process, even though it looks like a mess!

I get my inspiration by following amazing artists on social media. When I see them drawing and painting, I suddenly find myself wanting to create too. I’m always curious about the techniques they use and how they achieve their results.

Creating art for me is like an itch: my hands have to move and I have to put colours together! Making art connects me to my culture too. I don’t know our traditional language and I don’t have the best eye-hand coordination to go out on the land, so I had to find my own ways of participating in my cultural traditions: painting historical sites is my way to do that. I love to share tidbits of Northwest Territories history, and share it with the people who visits the North.

Artist Bio: 

Kerri McPherson lives in Tulita. Starting as a hobby, Kerri gave drawings and paintings to her mother over the years, who displayed each piece at the Tulita airport where she works. Her painting of the Bear Rock landmark in Tulita caught travellers’ attention, which prompted Kerri to make framed prints, keychains, magnets and other souvenirs to sell. She now also sells her artwork through her Facebook page: Kerri McPherson’s Paintings. 

Last Updated: July 3, 2024

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