For those who didn’t get a chance to swing by, it was Alida Ryan’s first-ever art show last weekend (Nov. 6 and 7) at the Mermaid and Moon Boutique.
The Yellowknifer was ecstatic.
“It’s really exciting,” said Ryan. “As noon kind of approached, it was just in-and-out, in-and-out,” said Ryan.
For Ryan, around 15 to 20 of her pieces ended up selling.
“The red dots, indicating that the artwork has sold, (started) to appear on lots and lots of artwork,” said Ryan. “It just like, makes me very happy.”
As well, a painted caribou antler, which was a on silent auction to raise money for art supplies for the Foster Family Coalition of the NWT, sold for $155 overall with the winner being Erin Devine.
Though the sales were thrilling, peoples reactions (especially those of kids) also had Ryan smiling.
“I really do like the children that have come in and just love the colors, or they say “how did you make this one?” and I explain it to them “like a spatula you make like with cookie batter, and then you take paint and I made this out of it.”
“They’re just like, the reactions and the way they see the world. They love the colours. They love the technique and a very like unfiltered view,” continued Ryan.
Ryan also touched on her creative process and what she had to do to help get her to this point as an artist.
“It really comes in waves and, you can do art every day, if you have the time and energy, but (during) my demanding life at the moment, not necessarily,” said Ryan.
“So when it does come, I’ll kind of hunker down in my art space I’ve created in my house and let any energy, positive, negative, good, bad, and let them out on the colors, shining textures, mediums, wood or up-cycling from the thrift store into making new art and not just letting things like go to waste.”
