NWT Arts

I do a lot of sewing these days. Whenever I’m able to get my hands on some hide, seal skin and rabbit fur, I sew! I post my finished products online and that’s usually how people buy or order them from me. I make a lot of mitts, because people seem to like how I make them. My mom taught me that when I’m sewing I have to make nice strong quality stitches.

Growing up, I watched my mother sew all the time. Her name is Agnese Nanogak Goose and she was a great artist. She traveled around the world and went to many places because of her art. Throughout her life, she gave me some tips and I gained a lot of knowledge from watching her. I am so glad she taught me how to sew and make art when I was a little girl.

I particularly loved watching my mom draw. Every time my mom was drawing, I would just have to sit next to her to watch and ask questions. I loved to see how she drew the people of her culture. She told me never to copy anyone else’s art, and she told me about many legends that were passed down to her. She said I should try to draw some of those legends, like the story of Sedna, so I did. I made about 8 prints when I first started drawing, which are now at the Winnipeg Art Centre.

My main inspiration comes from having watched my mother through the years. I was really close to her.  I’ve seen her do a lot of sewing for my dad’s hunting clothes, including beautiful parkas. She even made a few dancing parkas, and one day I want to design my own. It’s a big dream of mine, along with making beaded jewelry in my own style. I’d love to work with birch bark, with my art on it. I envision all those beautiful projects in my head.

I have a daughter, who was fortunate enough to meet my mom. She misses her a lot too, because they would spend a lot of time together. We would go out on the land, spending time at my mom’s camp. My mom would do her work, gathering drift wood and making smoked char. My daughter was always with her, and now she’s working with wildlife because she loves the outdoors so much.

I always think back to those days spent near the Arctic Ocean. The waves were so comforting. We would stay there until the first snowfall. It was so pretty, to see the turmoil of the waves mixed with the snow and the cold. Now, I like to draw mountains way up on the horizon, because I used to gaze at that kind of scenery. It gave me a sense of relaxation and peace, just like making art makes me feel now.