One of the things that drive me to create is my passion to promote the native plants of Canada

What do you make

I specialize in pencil crayons, markers and acrylic art.

Is this a part time or full time pursuit

Part time

Where’s home, and what do you like about it

I live on the east side of the Rockies in a small town called Hinton. I absolutely love the close proximity to the mountains and living in the foothills.

What’s your origin story? How did you get started with this work?

I decided to start my art business right in the midst of the 2020 pandemic. After four months of working from home, I realized that creating art soothed me. I created FB and IG social media pages and began sharing my art. 

November was a challenging month for me. I was told that my position was to be abolished, meaning I was about to lose my job. I decided that I would try to ease this anxiety by drawing once daily. By the end of the month, not only did I complete 30 drawings, but I also launched a website for my art (www.shadeofbiology.com).

What I have learned from the past year is that that we do not have control of where life takes us, but we can decide how we spend our free time. In my free time, I create art.

What pushes and/or inspires you to be creative?

One of the things that drive me to create is my passion to promote the native plants of Canada. Not enough recognition is given to our country's beautiful flora and I feel that by featuring them in my art, I am raising awareness for them. In order to protect our native species, we must first know what they are.

I also create my art intending to give a portion of my proceeds to charity. I pray that the 25% donation from my proceeds goes and helps those most in need.

Another goal that I have is to make art accessible to everyone. Because of this, I have been experimenting with different ways to make my art more affordable. So far, I have created stickers, cards and prints. I hope to expand this in the future.

How can people purchase your work?

For the best prices, you can purchase my work online through my website at www.ShadeofBiology.com. If you would like to request a commission piece or would like to feature any of my products in your store, please email me at ShadeofBiology@gmail.com. Some art pieces are also displayed at The Old Grind coffee shop in Hinton, AB.