Two local artists are exploring their voices this month at the Jasper Yellowhead Museum and Archives, with a collection of unique sculptures and paintings.

Finding our Voices opened on April 1 and will continue at the museum for the month of April. Paintings from Jasperite Marla Pollock and sculptor Sharon Anderson of Valemount will be on display. Both artists branched out for the month-long exhibit, and tried something that was very new to them. 

Pollock said she varied from small canvases to life-sized platforms that she has never done before – the results were Ukrainian influenced, often dark and creepy-crawly splashes of colour. The 19 paintings have been in the works since September.

“They’re quite intricate,” Pollock said. 

The artist didn’t base her work on any particular influence, but instead painted the ups and downs of her daily life over the past few months.

“It’s like a journal,” Pollock said.

The new works being displayed at the museum are extremely detailed and intricate, even aggressive, as Pollock describes them. They have a recurring image of spiders crawling through them, and use bright and sometimes monochromatic colour schemes. Pollock gave a nod to her Ukrainian heritage with the dots in each piece, that she says are likened to traditional beadwork. 

Pollock has been painting her entire life, having taken art at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and the Emily Carr University of Art and Design. She started her artistic career in print making, and would create her own fabrics to be sold at art festivals. She followed that up with a few solo shows.

Besides her own artwork, Pollock creates for others as a floral designer and creative consultant for Elysion Florals. There, Pollock gets to use her creativity on a daily basis. After this exhibit, Pollock hopes to branch out into clay, and possibly back into fabric painting – a passion she has never lost. She hopes to take a few classes in Jasper, or possibly with Anderson. 

Pollock’s paintings were created over the winter months in her basement studio, where she would sneak to almost every day to complete her pieces. Life has stabilized a bit for the artist, who says her son is now 14 and busy with hockey and other commitments. It has allowed her more time to create. 

“At this time of my life, I can slot that in everyday,” she said.

Pollock said she and Anderson began to notice their artwork blended together, even though they are created through different mediums. This led to the two women deciding to host a joint show. 

“We realized both our works are very compatible with each other,” Pollock said. 

Anderson had been hoping to host a show in April to celebrate Earth Day, and Finding our Voices was born. The characteristics between the two are markedly different, yet they follow a similar theme of feminism and respecting the Earth. Pollock said each piece makes a statement and encourages women to be loud about their feelings and opinions. 

“We need to step up and speak our heart,” she said. “To not be creative or speak up is not always good for our mental health or our communities.”

The artists differ in their reasons for creating art. Pollock said she needs to paint, while Anderson does so to explore her spirituality. 

“I just paint because I’m a compulsive painter,” Pollock said. “Her interests are deeply spiritual.”

Anderson’s sculptures are made of clay, which she says requires all four of the earth’s elements to create – earth, water, fire and air. She chooses a difficult method of firing called Raku to complete her pieces. 

“I love the organic and warmth produced using Raku method of firing... [there’s] always the chance that a valuable piece can be lost,” said Anderson in her artist’s statement. “Believe me, we have ‘lost’ a lot of pieces to the whims of the fire; but I love the excitement of the process and the anticipation of wonderful results.”

An Earth Day celebration is set for April 22 at the museum that is open to families and people of all ages. Pollock said the idea is to bring together like-minded people on the day that is set to celebrate the planet we call home. 

“It’s basically coming together as a group, honouring everyone who honours the Earth,” she said.