NWT Arts

I create jewelry from land-based materials that I source while wandering or camping around Yellowknife. I work with found birchbark, and foraged lichen, leaves, flowers and found minerals. I primarily make earrings, but I make necklaces from time to time. I also make jewelry out of resin. These resin pieces look like mini-worlds that I collage together with all kinds of natural elements.

I like to focus on small textures that you might not always see while walking out in nature. I hope that if I bring attention to these littles details and notice the beauty in them, others will too! A lot of my pieces are made with birch bark, because I love to find different ways to treat it, whether it’s scraping it or playing with various finishes to make the texture stand out.

I spend a lot of time outside. It’s a way for me to disconnect from day-to-day stress and it allows me to slow down. While I’m in nature, I go out of my way to collect all sort of small elements that could be used for jewelry. In the Spring, I like to see all the beautiful tiny flowers bloom, and in the Fall, I love to witness all the changing colours surrounding me.

When using bark, I will typically flatten and dry it. I will then either draw shapes by hand, or use stencils to create specific earrings shapes. I spray those pieces with resin before adding the leather backing and the silver hooks.

I am the owner and creative director of Wild Creative, a boutique creative services studio that offers graphic design, branding and illustration services. My clients include other entrepreneurs, small businesses, not for profits, and a mix of both NGO’s and government organizations. With graphic design, everything that I do starts with a person and their ideas. I love to hear their stories and really want to make sure that I bring them to life through my designs.

I have always had this creative energy. I got into graphic design because I wanted to bring art into my daily routine. Getting into jewelry was about having a practice that I could do in my own terms. I love what I do when it comes to graphic designs and working with others to make their work come alive, but I also wanted to be creative for myself.

Making art keeps me feeling inspired and motivated in life. It’s also a very grounding practice that appeals to me deeply. Making jewelry and working with resin is a good way to decompress away from the computer. I find a lot of satisfaction from making something with my hands. It’s a tactile practice that asks me to be present and go with the flow. I love the freedom that comes with that!