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INUVIK
The colours swirl and take unexpected forms on the canvas as metallic tones catch the light. Artist Patricia Baker worked on the piece during the Canadian North Great Northern Arts Festival earlier this week.

This is artist Patricia Baker's fourth visit to the Great Northern Arts Festival. - Danielle Sachs/NNSL photo

Baker describes her image as the view from an airplane while some viewers see an algae bloom or an oil spill.

That's the beauty of abstract art, Baker said.

"You see what you want," she added.

The Inuvik artist has only been painting for about five years. She has attended the Inuvik festival for four out of those five.

Baker uses acrylics mixed with different media, giving the pieces texture and hints of metallic here and there.

It's a lot of experimentation, she said.

At the festival, Baker has been co-leading workshops with her sister, Myrna Button. The pair help participants and encourage them to try their own experimentation.

"It's all very accidental," said Baker. "I like to say I'm famous for watching paint dry."

Instead of using paintbrushes, Baker often pours paint directly on the canvas. Some paint is mixed with water, such as in the bright fuchsia piece she was working on earlier this week. There were pieces spread around the tables in her work area, all in different stages of completion.

It can take 24 hours to dry before the next layer is poured on.

Instead of being inspired by landscapes and still life, Baker draws inspiration from colour and texture.

"I love textures," she said.

But she said she also finds inspiration in the cosmos.

"I really enjoy shows about astronomy and pictures of galaxies, along with earthly organic things," Baker said.

"Whether I can actually achieve that look is another thing," she said. "You never really know how it's going to turn out."

Baker brought three completed pieces to the festival, but she said it's the workshop and collaborative process that makes this time in Inuvik stand out.

"You can go to galleries and sales where there are endless rows of canvases," she said. "But there's nothing quite like this."

The festival began on July 13 and runs until July 22.

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