NWT Arts

I’m a self-taught artist who loves to draw, paint, bead and sew. 

I mainly make beaded earrings, keychains, lanyards and rings using sheen or delica beads with 24k or sterling silver findings. I really like the look of bright vibrant colours that pop on a darker pellon or stroud background. I also use seal skin and sheared beaver fur as earring edges. 

I bead both traditional and contemporary patterns. For smaller pieces, I will stick to traditional flowers, but when I work on bigger pieces I usually freehand my own designs. I draw ideas and pick out colours in advance before starting any new project, but the plan always tends to change as I bead!

When I was a kid, I remember that my grandma would sew a lot. It became a tradition to just sit with her to watch what she was making. Looking back, I can see that it was her way of sharing her traditional knowledge. She showed us her beadwork, taught us how to work with hides, and how to properly cut fish. 

My family always believed it was important to pass on those traditions to the next generation, which I am grateful for. Practicing traditional sewing at this time in my life brings me back to memories of my grandmother. I have kept some of her patterns as well as some of her beaded items that I cherish greatly. Those items bring me back to all those times I sat next to her.

My mom was my biggest inspiration, and she still is, even though she passed away in 2024. She used to help me by cutting stroud, transferring patterns or making cardholders with me. We would always talk about patterns and I am now grateful that I can use some of hers for my artwork.

When I got into beadwork, I started healing. I fully dove into my creativity to break some cycles I didn’t want to be a part of anymore and I haven’t looked back. Beadwork grounds me. I love to play with colours and see everything come together, with time and patience.

I now have a big family of my own. I can see that my kids are interested in art when they see me work on my projects. My second youngest already sits with me to thread beads to make little necklaces! My days get very busy, but at the end of the night when all my kids are asleep, I get to take out my beading table and dive into my art.