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

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

IAP: We read his bio and read how he discovered Batik during a mining strike, but was there any sign or inclination towards him becoming an artist before that … when he was a kid, for example?

LB: When I was a kid, I always drew, carved, knitted, created, and did whatever kind of arts and crafts I could. My parents bought me all kinds of arts and crafts books and spent most of my leisure hours trying everything in the book. I used to sell my crafts at any possible event, local festivals, even church bazaars when I was very young. For a while I was doing carpentry, I got a saw and a drill for my 21st birthday. I am most happy with a creative project in motion.

IAP: Why Batik and not oils, pastels or other 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 art. Being able to draw was not really in the criteria. I had never studied art in school after the ninth grade because I didn’t like having to draw or produce a finished work of art that someone else would say is good or not 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.

IAP: Did you develop the style that we are familiar with at first, or did your initial work vary greatly from past to present?

LB: My style was evident from the beginning. The images I draw have become technically more realistic as practice has improved my figure drawing, but the feel of the work remains the same as it was at the beginning. I draw what I feel, not what I see. That’s why I don’t do location painting like a landscaper would.

IAP: What artists have influenced you and how?

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

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

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

IAP: How have you handled the business aspect of being an artist?

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

IAP: There is the old saying: “In the presentation ______ is everything!” How do you usually present your work at fairs, galleries, etc.? and the “presentation is everything”? In other words, 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 bio, signage, and presenting your art in the best light is very important.

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

LB: I always offer framed and unframed work when doing a show of any kind. I want the walls to make a statement. Any work that is not framed if the original is matted and packaged, I have available to view upon request if the work is “raw”. While working on cotton, I find that I can put the originals in a tube and unroll them for people to see. Showing rough work to a buyer is a very personal interaction and a natural connection is made. Never, however, do I just bring unfinished or unframed work 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. As I only wholesale my unframed LEPs, I show them unframed. I find that if I mark the work, people expect to receive them that way. You may have 1 or 2 of them framed so the store knows how good they will look.

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

LB: Things never get difficult in the studio; Inspiration for my art is rarely a struggle. What I struggle with the most is time. I can get bogged down organizing an upcoming trade show or sale, ordering rugs, walls, etc. I spend more time on my computer than I would like. I usually can’t wait to start working on my art. I find that I really need to push myself to fill in all the details of the business to be free to create.

IAP: 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’s a marketing and presentation workshop available to 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, fairs, etc. as possible and observe the way the work is presented. Ask permission to photograph the artist so that you have a reference to what you thought worked. And remember; Be professional in your appearance and presentation. Brochures and handouts are also very important. If you want to work have your work in a particular gallery, phone and make an appointment and bring them something professionally presented for them to look at and leave behind.

IAP: Is there an interesting piece / project / commission that you have worked on in recent years that you can share with us?

LB: I loved being one of the artists who sold and demonstrated at the 2007 Canadian Winter Games held here in Whitehorse last winter. I was commissioned to make the host gifts for the VVIPs who attended. The Great Northern Arts Festival in Inuvik was also a highlight, 10 days of demonstrations, workshops and gallery sales and connecting with other artists from the circumpolar north. I look forward to attending the Arctic Winter Games in Yellowknife next spring as part of the cultural program. I also had a dream come true for me 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 a beautiful job. It is marketed as an art book as well as a children’s story book and has already won some accolades. It is available at bookstores and through Island Art Publishers.

IAP: Any parting comments?

LB: I feel very lucky to be able to get up every day and really want to be in my studio. Quality of life is very important to me. The choice to have art as a career has not always been easy, but I would not trade it for the world.