Batik artist Lynn Blaikie was born in southern Ontario. She moved to the Yukon Territory at the age of 18. It was in the small mining community of Elsa that she first discovered batik: a flash of color in a long, dark winter. A nine-month mining strike gave her the opportunity to fall in love with the huge vats of liquid color that she used to create her first works of art. Lynn Blaikie’s exposure to other batik artists has been limited in the Far North; however, Ella Lynn feels that somehow her isolation has been an advantage. Many years of private discovery and development have resulted in a unique personal style. Employing both traditional dyeing methods such as inks and pens, she brings to her art a joie de vivre and an exuberance that celebrates life, living and nature. Lynn’s career options include her own art and teaching batik programs and workshops for children, youth and adults.

Thank you Lynn for taking the time to speak with us.

APIs: We’ve read your biography and read about how you discovered batik during a miners’ strike, but was there any sign or inclination towards becoming an artist before that…when you were a kid, for example?

LB: As a child, I was always drawing, carving, weaving, creating and doing any kind of arts and crafts I could. My parents bought me all kinds of arts and crafts books and spent most of my free time trying out everything in the book. I used to sell my crafts at any possible event, local festivals, even church bazaars when I was very young. I was woodworking for a while, got a saw and drill for my 21st birthday. I’m happiest with a creative project on the go.

APIs: Why batik and not oils, pastels or another medium?

LB: I was not confident in my ability to draw and batik was the medium I found that allowed me to focus on the tactile and technical aspect of the art. Being able to draw wasn’t really in the criteria. I had never taken art in school after 9th grade because I didn’t like having to draw or produce a finished piece of art that someone else would say was good or not good based on their idea of ​​perfection. Batik allowed me to create with my hands, brain and from my soul. I enjoy creating with watercolors and acrylics, but my first love is batik.

APIs: Did he develop the style we are familiar with from the beginning, or did his early work vary greatly from past to present?

LB: My style was evident from the beginning. The images I draw have become more technically real as practice has improved my figure drawing, but the feel of the work remains the same as it was in the beginning. I draw what I feel, not what I see. That’s why I don’t paint locations like a landscape artist would.

APIs: Which artists have influenced you and how?

LB: I don’t know if any particular artist has influenced my art. My art developed when my children were young, I worked running a daycare. If anything, my influence came from the eyes and hearts of children. I learned my art form through trial and error between working and raising my children. I didn’t know any other batik artists and there was no time to research the history of the art, certainly no internet at the time.

APIs: What other interests do you have (besides painting)?

LB: I love gardening and working in my greenhouse. I am a practical person who lives on a piece of land. I’m always fixing up a new garden, building a porch under the horse barn, remodeling a bathroom, or just cutting firewood for the winter.

APIs: How have you handled the business side of being an artist?

LB: Fortunately, I seem to be able to do most of the commercial aspect of my art. I am a conceptual thinker, so I can see where I want to go and what I want to do. My weakness is in completing the detailed side of the business. When possible, I work with others who are strong in this area. When I’m forced to deal with the details myself, it definitely bogs me down creatively.

APIs: There’s an old saying: “In ______ presentation is everything!” How do you usually present his work at trade shows, galleries, etc. and is the “presentation everything”? that is, how much would you say the presentation of your work contributes to its sale?

LB: Presentation is vital. An emerging artist who is professional and confident in presenting himself and his work will instill confidence in a buyer. Promotional materials, a good biography, signage and presenting his art in the best way are very important.

APIs: Do you use mats and frames to present your work and, if so, in what way?

LB: I always offer both framed and unframed work when doing a showing of any kind. I want the walls to make a statement. Any work that is not framed if the original is matted and packaged or I have it available for viewing on demand if the work is “raw” As I work in cotton I find that I can keep the originals in a tube and unroll them for people to see . Showing the raw work to a buyer is a very personal interaction and a natural connection is made. However, I never just bring unfinished or unframed works to an exhibition; the first impression has to be polished. The exception to this is if I am doing a wholesale trade show for my reproductive work. Since I only wholesale my unframed LEPs, I display them unframed. I find that if I frame the work, people expect to receive it that way. You may have 1 or 2 of them framed so the store knows how good they will look.

APIs: What inspires you to paint and how do you stay motivated when the going gets tough in the studio?

LB: Things never get tough in the studio; inspiration for my art is rarely a struggle. The thing that costs me the most is time. I can get stuck organizing an upcoming fair or sale, ordering rugs, walls, etc. I spend more time on my computer than I would like. I usually feel like working on my art. I find that I really need to force myself to fill in all the details of the business in order to have the freedom to create.

APIs: What advice would you give an artist just starting out on how to market and/or present their work to the world?

LB: If there is a marketing and presentation workshop available for them, take it! Talk to other artists; just give them a call, many would be willing to share their experience. If possible, attend as many art sales, trade shows, etc. as possible and look at the way the work is presented. Ask permission to photograph the artist so you have a reference of what they thought worked. And remember; Be professional in your appearance and presentation. Brochures and informational materials are also very important. If you want to work on having your work in a particular gallery, call and make an appointment and bring them something professionally presented for them to look at and leave behind.

APIs: Are there any interesting pieces/projects/commissions you have worked on over the last few years that you can share with us?

LB: I loved being one of the artists selling and demonstrating at the 2007 Canadian Winter Games held last winter here in Whitehorse. I was commissioned to do the hostess gifts for the VVIP’s that attended. The Great Northern Arts Festival in Inuvik was also a highlight, 10 days of demonstrations, workshops and gallery sales and networking with other artists from the circumpolar north. I hope to attend the Arctic Winter Games in Yellowknife next spring as part of the cultural program. I also had a dream come true for myself with the publication of my first children’s book “Beyond the Northern Lights”. It was published as a hardcover gift book by Fitzhenry and Whiteside of Toronto, Ontario, who did an excellent job. It is marketed as an art book and a children’s storybook and has already gained some recognition. It is available in bookstores and through Island Art Publishers.

APIs: Any parting comment?

LB: I feel very lucky to be able to wake up every day and really want to be in my studio. Quality of life is very important to me. Choosing to have art as a career hasn’t always been easy, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.