Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Apr 10/00) - The life of an artist seems extremely glamourous -- fame, wealth, being compared to the likes of Kiawak Ashoona, the late Emily Carr and Pablo Picasso.

But just as it always does, reality sets in and you find yourself passing up that chic art opening because you have to go do your other job -- the one that augments your rather small art salary.

While not exactly the case with Iqaluit artist Janet Ripley Armstrong, she did have to choose a career outside the art world to help put food on her table.

"There are all kinds of artists. Some are able to live just by making art. I'm not at that point," said Armstrong, a resident of Iqaluit since 1983 and in the North since 1970.

"In fact, I make very little. As they say, don't give up your day job."

Considering herself a life-long artisan -- beginning with clothing design at a young age and later advancing to photography -- Armstrong took her own sage words of advice and has been teaching school around the Baffin region for the last 15 years.

That's almost as long as she's been working at her passion -- painting with watercolours.

"Around 1980, I went south for a winter and took a watercolour course at Loyalist College. That was it," said Armstrong.

"I kept doing it and doing it and doing it and I realized that was what I wanted to do," she said.

"I just love the way watercolours move on the paper, the way it works."

Well known for her vibrant and picturesque scenes of Nunavut and some of the territory's characters, Armstrong also spends her days doing crafts, sewing costumes for Iqaluit's theatrical productions, and most recently, working as a consultant of sorts.

"I take on a number of arts-related contracts. I realized that's what I like and it's mostly what I do now," said Armstrong.

Being a consultant means that Armstrong, while constantly searching out new art markets for herself, organizes events like the community's currently running Doll Exhibition, as well as art festivals and various exhibits.

And even though it sounds like fun, it all adds up to a great deal of hard work.

"It's exhausting because nothing happens easily. You have to get to know who all the artists are ... and of course you miss some," she said.

"It just takes a lot of work."

That's not to say, however, that at the end of the day when the show has closed, Armstrong doesn't find great joy in her chosen career path.

"I find it very satisfying."