Art Spot: Shasta Grant

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In a few sentences, please tell us about yourself.
I am an artist, mother, and university student. My family moved to Wolfville from Cape Breton when I was 13 and I grew up here. Now I am raising my eight-year-old son here. I am also currently pursuing a degree in community development and environmental sustainability studies at Acadia.

What is your artistic medium? How did you come to this style?
I work mainly with acrylics. I began taking art lessons as a teenager and was introduced to other mediums, but quickly fell in love with the versatility of paint and how it can be blended to build depth. I love how acrylics dry quickly and can be easily layered and transformed; I haven’t stopped using them since! My style of art has been rooted in a love for three things: how light behaves in relation to a subject, the graceful lines to be found in nature, and expression of feelings through colour. I find nature so mysterious and try to communicate that through painting. My style continues to evolve around these values.

Where do you work & where can we find your work?
Right now I work from my home in Wolfville. A collection of my paintings can currently be found at the Wolfville Library until September 6. My work can also usually be found on my website (shastagrantart.com). I welcome any inquiries or questions through the contact page or by email. I also share updates on Instagram and Facebook.

At what point did you define yourself as an artist? At what time of day do you work on your art?
I probably first considered myself an artist when I began to sell my paintings. Since then, though, what has really made me think of myself as one is the fact that practicing art is important and rewarding to me whether I am earning money from it or not. I never tire of it and consider the drive to create art to be a gift. I work on art whenever I can find time, although it is not always easy as a parent or student. So, for now I paint mostly at night and in the summer.

Why art? Why your art? Why the Annapolis Valley?
I have always enjoyed the act of creating, whether it’s through dance, sewing, writing, or painting, but painting has been the outlet I have gravitated to most. I also feel that art is a powerful tool for connecting people to issues that matter, both because it has the power to access emotions and to cultivate a sense of purpose, as I have experienced firsthand. Exploring this at a community level is something I hope to do through my studies, in addition to continuing my own art journey. The Annapolis Valley is an enormously inspiring place to live; besides the fact that I love living close to my family, I find endless sources of painting inspiration from the changing weather and its effect on our beautiful landscapes.

Shasta Grant’s paintings are on display at the Wolfville Memorial Library, 21 Elm Avenue, until September 6.

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