Have you always wanted to be an artist?

Sort of! I’ve always wanted to work in a creative field and I’ve always been incredibly inspired by my mother who is a graphic designer and painter. I ended up following in her footsteps as an illustrator and it’s the perfect fit for me to work in an ever-changing career with lots of opportunity to grow. Creativity has always been a huge part of my life and I’m grateful that I have an artistic family to encourage me.

Tell us a bit about your background, and how you got to where you are now

I’ve never been ever sure what I wanted to do. I went from an arts high school to animation school, to environmental studies at university, to travelling to Europe. It wasn’t until I met a friend of a friend and took a tour of a game studio in Berlin that I decided graphic design was my ideal job. After graduating from Graphic Design at Algonquin College, I started working at an advertising agency and have had the opportunity to grow my skills as both a designer and an illustrator. I now work full-time at Banfield Agency and also work with small happy companies on the side.

What type of work do you do for your clients?

I mainly focus on illustration and branding for my freelance clients. Lately I’ve been creating a lot of editorial illustrations for online blogs and print magazines, as well as some event logos and other fun stuff.

Which of those do you enjoy most right now?

Lately I’ve been obsessed with illustration and working on improving my skills! I love creating for projects that benefit my community and the world, so any time I get to illustrate for a positive project I enjoy it.

What type of work do you do for your own enjoyment?

When I’m not working on client projects, I love to draw portraits and try out new styles. I’ve never loved the idea of having a solid style and prefer the fluidity of painting however I feel like in the moment. I love illustrating people.

What work of yours would you like to be remembered for? Or is it something you are working on?

This is a tough question! I would hope to be remembered for the positive energy and interesting subject matter in my work. I create because I love creating and I hope folks can see the love in my work.

What is your creative process?

My creative process consists of lots of talking with the client (it’s important we’re on the same page), some sketching and sharing the options back and forth, and creating final artwork. I love projects with a short timeline where I can do a lot of sketching and then go right into final artwork. It’s important to me that my client and I are both very excited for the project and that we are both envisioning the same final product.

What are you planning to create next?

I’ve always wanted to illustrate a vegan cookbook and have been working on one very slowly! That’s the next thing on my mind.

What is your biggest indulgence?

I love playing video games! I’m very into playing fantasy games on my computer to decompress and get inspired while journeying through worlds other than our own. I also love playing Dungeons & Dragons with my friends.

Where do you find inspiration?

I love connecting with creatives and finding amazing artists via social media. Talking with other folks in this field is incredibly inspiring and can spark new ideas for my work. I also love fashion and sewing my own clothing, which also inspires a lot of my work.

How do you feel about being involved with Wrappr?

I am so proud and excited to be working with Wrappr! The products are all beautiful and it’s so important to me to be working with a positive company that cares about more than just profit. Wrappr cares about the environment, small businesses, community, and young artists. I feel very lucky to work with them.

What are your thoughts on the climate crisis, zero-waste products, things you’re doing to be environmentally friendly, etc.

I think we all need to be aware that our everyday actions can impact this huge world. Yes, most of the environmental issues we see (garbage, animal agriculture, etc.) are caused by large, money-hungry corporations. But we as consumers can choose to boycott a lot of those big companies and instead contribute to our smaller communities. Every single one of us can make a difference to the world, climate change and waste. My household is very focused on living a low-waste lifestyle including shopping locally at a zero-waste grocery store, choosing environmentally friendly products, purchasing clothing secondhand or sewing my own and eating a fully plant-based diet. Living an environmentally friendly lifestyle takes time and effort but gets easier the more you choose to change your life to support the planet.

Website: https://www.kemery.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/earth.sister/