I can't believe how many portraits I've painted over the past 7 years (I've counted 377)...what an honour & privilege it has been to be entrusted with these paintings & personal stories.
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The Woman's Work Project portraits & stories  will be exhibited at Sparrow Artspace in the summer...I will be sure to share an invitation once everything has been arranged.
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Extraordinary (Canadian) Women was shown at the Airdrie Public Library & featured on the cover of What Women Create (Where Women Create) magazine.
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The Grandmothers Project was featured at the Leighton Art Centre & CBC Radio & Heritage Park & What Women Create (Where Women Create) magazine & is also heading to Trico Senior Living for #InternationalWomensDay.
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The Nasty Women Project was exhibited at Inglewood Fine Arts in Calgary and featured in Galleries West magazine.
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My portrait of Murdoch Mysteries' Dr. Julia Ogden of the Wunderland Project was included in the Murdoch Mysteries Museum Exhibit in Toronto this fall.
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The Heroes Project was exhibited at Bluerock Gallery & the airdrielife magazine Amazing Airdrie Women Awards.
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I know I can't do what I love without the amazing women in my life. Thank you really isn't enough, but my gratitude boundless. ❤️

Another portrait project complete! Now to wire, document & varnish to prepare for an exhibition at Sparrow ArtSpace as part of my Artist Residency in Calgary this summer. The images can all be viewed under my portfolio here. I hope that many of the women included who are near will be able to pop in and maybe share their stories in person with me. Thank you all so much!!

For several years I've been creating books as a portfolio of each of my series on Blurb. I've also created an Artist's Handbook that covers how I have created a career as an artist (you can also read several of the articles - ie. how to write an artist's statement - in Free Artist's Resources under my Portfolio page). I love having these books to look through regularly as a great reminder of what I have accomplished and also as inspiration for future projects. I create a new one each time I'm nearing the finish line on a body of work...they are also great to bring to my exhibition openings.

"First and foremost I am a mama but my daughter is an 18 year old supernova that very much has her own life now.
 
Professionally I am an IT business and process architect. It is my job to interpret and contextualize organizational goals and create strategies to transform the business. I do this by taking a holistic, multidimensional view of the organizational capabilities and technology and create roadmaps to bridge the gap between the current state and the desired state. Then I help put together a cross functional, cross organizational team to execute a project that will accomplish the vision. I am a project managing, strategy interpreting, future modeling, team aligning, big picture thinking, technology evangelizing, storytelling, alchemist.
 
I have been with my current company, an aviation training company, for a little over 13 years and before that I was doing the same thing in wireless telecom for about 12 years. I have worked on projects that range from implementing new HR or expense systems to managing a proof-of-concept telemetry project and completing a network redundancy initiative. On the more exciting side I have overseen the implementation of an industry changing new training methodology, and worked on a couple ultra reality, advanced simulation technology initiatives.
 
In my spare time I am usually with my partner Geocaching, hiking, exploring abandoned things, or doing drone photography. If we aren’t together, I am usually listening to podcasts or audio books and tending my chaos garden, or taking care of the resident wildlife. At night I usually work on writing, making multi-media art to give away, researching DNA or advocating for the disabled or misattribuited parentage communities. I love my job but I am I am multifaceted beyond what I do Monday to Friday, 8-5." ~ Melissa Young

I'm so thrilled to see my work on the 7th The Naked Leaf tea tin. It is the best shop with the most incredible teas...my favourite is Cream of Earl Grey but, honestly, every one I've tried has been amazing! And now they have two locations in Calgary, in Kensington & Marda Loop, which also happen to be 2 of my favourite neighborhoods in the city. I love opening my tea cupboard in the morning to see these every day.

I went back to visit the 'Coast-to-Coast' mural at Luxstone Senior Living and can't believe that it's still in pristine shape after almost 2 years. That makes me so happy. It is always so important to prepare a surface properly so having it professionally sprayed with primer that is made for metal by a local builder was fantastic...and getting that service donated, along with the final varnish was absolutely wonderful. It was so nice to work on this community collaborative project during a very difficult time in our world, especially for the seniors. And I'm so glad that they have this lovely image to look at our their windows and as a great stage backdrop during summer concerts.

"I wish I could say that my full-time work was art, (my dream), however, the reality is that I am an elementary educator, teaching grade six homeroom, as well as five elementary art classes at my school.  I have been a teacher, since completing my second degree in Education, for over 11 years.
 
Art is, when I find or create time for it, my passion, hobby, the thing that gives me purpose.  A good friend of mine and I created a local art club, Sketch Around YEG club, that began in the fall f 2018.  This group is open to anyone, artists of any caliber, background, or medium.  We meet monthly at local YEG sites to sketch together and share art ideas and tips, as well as our love for all things art.  We’re not so much about critiquing one another as we are there to encourage and support each other in our quests for creativity.  Our club, the things I’ve learned about the practice and process of art, and the friendships that have come out of our monthly meetings have been a light in my life, and something I am deeply grateful for." ~ Nikki 

How would you like to PRESENT your work? There are several things to consider:
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1.WHAT: In what kind of space do you want to share your work? What would you like it to look like?
2.HOW: Group or solo exhibits? Hang it yourself or have a someone else display it (ie. Professional/Gallery)?
3.WHEN: Would you like an opening and/or closing reception? Is there a day of the week or time of day you prefer?
4.WHERE: Pop-ups in shops? Art or craft markets? Public or private spaces? A combination of these?

An art kit for every season...

1. My smallest kit is actually a moleskine pencil case with an elastic band on the back to hook onto a journal/sketchbook. I picked it up in Halifax last fall and it fits my Platinum Preppy 0.03 fountain pen with red ink, a Faber-Castell poppy red pencil crayon, a pencil sharpener, Pentel mini waterbrush and small Altoids tins filled with Daniel Smith hansa yellow light, crinacridone rose red and indanthrone blue watercolours.
2. My medium kit is a waxed Peg & Awl maple red Sendak Mini filled with Jane Davenport watercolours & pen filled with D'Atramentis permanent poppy red ink, larger waterbrush, white Posca acrylic marker, white Signa Uni-Ball archival pen, small watercolour brushes, a collabpsible water dish, mechanical pencil, erasor, sharpener and a Faber-Castell red pencil crayon.
3. My largest kit is the 6x8 Judson's Plein Air ThumBox (they make them a little differently now) and it has amazing storage. I use it as an easel and have now filled it with watercolour brushes, water dish and White Nights watercolours since I can no longer use acrylics due to environmental allergies in my home. I've had it for fifteen years still absolutely love it! Though I use all three kits all of the time, it is definitely my go-to in my studio.

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"​Every woman in a male dominated field has shattered a glass ceiling. Therefore, we are all fragmenters, making the ceiling more brittle for the next woman. The podcast where I speak to a plethora of women in male dominated fields. They vary in field, experience and are from all around the world! The discussions will have a modern twist with the language of the field and topics of life, hobbies but especially, building up women in the work place.
 
I interview successful business women in male dominated fields. Our focus is celebrating the successes of women and why we are necessary to grow and expand all fields. These are candid conversations so we talk business but also life, family and swear a bit. What do you expect? It's the tongue of our people." ~ Deanna McKellip