Here's how Canadian artists are getting into the holidays
The CBC social media team asked artists around the country how they're celebrating this year.
For many Canadians, the holidays are a time to come together with those we love most. Even as the temperature dips and snow blankets the country from coast to coast to coast, we find warmth in the connections to our families, friends and communities.
This year, the CBC social media team asked artists across Canada how they celebrate the holidays. The result was an incredible collection of stories across paper art, wood sculpting, spoken word and more. Whether it's a comic about rest and relaxation after a difficult year or a poem about growing up celebrating Trini Christmas, each of these artists' stories are sure to warm your heart – no matter how frosty it might be outside. We'll be adding more videos and images from artists as they're rolled out on CBC social accounts in coming days.
Check out the videos and learn more about the artists below.
Janice Liu, @janiceliuart
Location: Burnaby, BC
Medium: Comic Artist
Art Concept: Janice's piece focuses on the idea of the holidays as a time for rest and relaxation. Her characters Millie and Blu are featured in this comic where Blu orders Chinese takeout and makes hot cocoa for Millie because Blu thought she could use a break from cooking.
Bio: Janice Liu is a children's comic artist based in Burnaby, BC. Her Chinese-English bilingual graphic novel, Chicken Soup & Goji Berries 中药鸡汤 (Cloudscape Comics) was a 2020 Excellence in Graphic Literature Award finalist and Gene Day Award nominee. Janice specializes in creating digital illustrations inspired by Chinese ink and brush paintings. She is also the owner of the children's art school, Young Artists' Place. You can find her work at janiceliu.com.
Michelle Thevenot, @michellethevenotartwork
Location: Osler, SK
Medium: Wood Carving
Art Concept: Michelle's sculpture draws inspiration from spending the holidays in the forest. She points to spending time with her husband, son, and dog as they travel North to their off-grid camp in the boreal forest.
Bio: Michelle Thevenot is an artist from Saskatchewan, Canada. She creates wildly unique artwork in an eclectic variety of mediums for nature-lovers. Wood sculptures carved with chainsaw and power tools are favourites among collectors and fans. She transforms salvaged logs into decor of local plants and animals, because natural elements help people feel grounded and at home. Michelle's artwork reflects her outdoor lifestyle. She's often adventuring in the forest to gather inspiration. Her artwork is about exploring connections between human nature and wild nature to reveal deeper understanding of ourselves, our environment, and the wildlife we share it with.
More from Michelle Thevenot on CBC Arts:
Sam Heidinger, @catfriendo
Location: Calgary, AB
Medium: Paper Art
Art Concept: Sam made gingerbread houses with her family as a child and this was a special part of celebrating the holidays for her. She will be making a tiny paper gingerbread house.
Bio: Samantha Heidinger is a hand-cut paper artist, living and working in Calgary, AB, Canada. Her work combines traditional paper-cutting with modern illustration inspired by pop-culture, animals, and history. Samantha's distinct style focuses on tiny details, colour, and whimsy. She has worked with a variety of clients including Meta, Cartoon Network, Ray-Ban, and Bandai Namco US to name a few. When not brandishing her craft knife, Samantha can be found reading, trying to keep plants alive, playing video games, and planning her next hike.
More from Sam Heidinger on CBC Arts:
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This month's logo design is a 'cut' above the rest. Meet paper artist Sam Heidinger
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Paper artist Sam Heidinger spends a lot of time with a knife...but we promise for very nice reasons
Des Mckenzie, @desireemckenzie
Location: Toronto, ON
Medium: Spoken Word
Art Concept: Des' poem focuses on her experience growing up having a Trini Christmas. Her poem brings in specific cultural foods and music alongside "Canadian" Christmas offerings to show her perspective.
Bio: Desiree Mckenzie is an award-winning poet, arts educator, national poetry slam champion, voice actor, and photographer from Toronto. Her poetry and voice have been featured in works for CBC's Poetic License series, When Sisters Speak, Clearco Financial's International Women's Day Campaign, Kids Help Phone, and Home Depot. She facilitates a range of community poetry programming for organizations like JAYU, VIBE Arts, Unity Charity, Poetry in Voice, and Shakespeare in Action. In March 2021, she released her debut spoken word EP, Wet Hair, now available on streaming platforms. In December 2022, opened for Rupi Kaur on her world tour stop at Massey Hall.
More from Des McKenzie on CBC Arts:
Mia Ohki, @miaohki
Location: Alberta & BC
Medium: Digital Illustration
Art Concept: For Mia's art piece, she has created an illustration of Japanese New Years at her Obaachan and Ojiichan's house. She points to traditions like a "fantastic feast with a thousand dishes."
Bio: Mia Ohki is an illustrative artist from St. Albert, Alberta, currently living and working in Vancouver, BC. She strives to create relatable portrayals of the feminine, social, and cultural influences in her life. Subject matter frequently centers around Mia's background, and as a Métis-Japanese-Canadian artist, she attempts to show the viewer a unique mixed cultural perspective. Interactions with nature and the personification of nature are also subjects she has enjoyed exploring throughout her practice. More information and fine art prints can be found on her website: miaohki.com
More from Mia Ohki on CBC Arts: