Crowsnest Pass artist Nichole Yanota is set to delight us with her expressive artwork on display at The Arts Station from Thursday March 26th until April 28th.  Yanota says “my interests are enjoying the beauty of the outdoors, and communicating my experiences through art”.  And this she most certainly does, with her most recent pencil & ink collection.

But she hasn’t always been influenced by just these parts.  Growing up in the foothills of the Sonoran Desert, she was strongly influenced by the brilliance of the natural world from a young age.  She began drawing as a way of recording emotions and experiences, and soon realized it was also a voice for expressing ideals.  After studying art briefly in college, she went on to attend an artist’s school where she focused on figure drawing.

And since moving to Canada two years ago, she’s been able to focus her energy into her first two shows – last year’s ‘Heart & Hand’ and her forthcoming show ‘Blackbird garden’.

This collection explores the theme of nature’s connection to the human spirit, and reflects on the potential equanimity of humankind.   Quoting Henry Moore, she says, “The secret of life is to have a task, something you devote your entire life to, something you bring everything to, every minute of the day for the rest of your life. And the most important thing is, it must be something you cannot possibly do”.

But we disagree.  From what we’ve seen of her new collection, we think she’s struck gold.  Delicate lines, expressive figures and bold colors – her work leads your eye around every last detail of her compositions, not letting you miss a trick.

So prepare to be mesmerized.  Her exhibition is opening on Thursday March 26th at 7pm and is on display until April 28th at The Fernie Arts Station.  For more info – 250.423.4842.