A splash of colour: Inuvik artist’s painting of playful narwhals wins directory cover art contest
APRIL 7, 2021
Inuvik, NT — Tracy Blyth is sharing her lively and colourful artwork with everyone in the Northwest Territories. That’s because the Inuvik-based artist’s painting, Stargazers, will be splashed across the front cover of 2021/22 Northwestel phone directory.
Blyth, a former art student and multitalented crafter, says she’s entered the annual art contest several times before but never expected to win this year.
“I mean, I really like my art, but it still surprises me when other people do, because it is kind of a personal taste thing. I’m still super excited. I’ve never had anything like this happen before. I can’t wait to see the phone book when it gets here!”
As the selected NWT directory cover artist, Blyth is awarded a $5,000 prize from Northwestel. The winning artwork is a painting of three colourful narwhals breaking through the ocean surface to view the northern skies above. Inspired northern wildlife, Blyth explains her unique creative process behind building her artworks through layers and layers of paint.
“My acrylic works are generally unplanned. I just keep adding paint on, turn it different ways, and stare at it until it says what it wants to be. I’ll see the image – it just comes out. With the narwhals, they’re not central. They’re offset, and they were orange to begin with. That’s how they just popped out on the panel.”
Growing up on Vancouver Island and becoming a fan of Emily Carr from a young age, Blyth says she’s “obsessed with colour”. A Northwest Territories resident of nearly 20 years, it’s an obsession that lends itself to her artwork as she finds inspiration around her community.
“Here in Inuvik, we have such brilliant colours. Everything is white (through winter) and then you have the northern lights – which light up everything. After you’ve been seeing white for so long, they’re just incredible. The colours up here are spectacular.”
Northwestel has been showcasing the talents of northern artists on its regional phone directory covers for more than 30 years.
“Northwestel is continuing its longstanding support for the arts community by showcasing northern artwork on the covers of phone directories in each of the regions where we operate,” says Northwestel’s President Curtis Shaw. “We are proud to spotlight the work of northern artists each year and share their creativity and talent in homes and businesses across the North.”
Information about picking up Northwestel directories
Directory availability in each community may vary due to the COVID-19 situation. Customers are advised to check with the directory pickup location in their community for availability and practice social distancing when picking up their directory. A list of designated pickup locations in each community is available at nwtel.ca/phone-books.
Northwestel directories can also be viewed online at edirectories.yp.ca.
