Artist Profile: Marie Wyatt

Marie not only designs jewelry but lovely pieces of art too. I was initially drawn to her pieces containing birds, I can't seem to get enough of birds these days! For a fanciful piece of your own visit her etsy site.

Without any further ado, Marie Wyatt of Frost Collections:




1. Where is your business based out of?

Beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia


2. Where are you from originally?

A little Scottish town called Fergus, Ontario. About an hour west of Toronto.


3. How long have you been an artist and/or business owner?

My business partner and I have been running Frost Collections for 2.5 years, but I've been an artist my entire life. I think I was born with a pencil in my hand. Since I was a kid I've been drawing non-stop. For the last ten years I've been working professionally as an animator.


4. Where do you get your creative inspiration?

Nature. I've always been a very outdoorsy person and living in BC I never have to look very far to be inspired. I also take much of my inspiration from the places I've traveled to. Europe was an amazing experience - it's so steeped in culture and art history, it was impossible not to come away from that inspired.


5. What does your creative process entail?

Much of the time, my creative process begins with a photograph. Sometimes I use that photo as reference for a drawing, inspiration for a color palette or the photo itself becomes the framework for the piece. In our fine silver jewelry and encaustic art, it all starts with the photograph.


6. Would you say your environment (where you live, work, play) influences your creative process? If so, how?

Where I live and work has a huge impact on my creative process. It affects my mood, it affects my inspiration, my motivation, my time and space...it's all intertwined. What it comes down to is that I have to be happy with where I am (physically and mentally) in order to create. I know some artists who feed off depression and sadness to create amazing work, but the tortured artist syndrome doesn't work for me.


7. Who are your creative mentors?

I'm lucky to have been surrounded by so many talented and creative people, it's really hard to choose. But if I'm going to, I'd say my first mentor was my grandfather. Papa, like my father and like my great grandfather, was a potter and an artist. He taught me how to draw and nurtured my love for art from a very young age. I wouldn't be where I am without him. My other mentor has to be my friend, Linda. She's a modern day renaissance woman, a whirlwind of talent and a constant inspiration to me. She introduced me to the art of jewelry making and has been a great source of advice and support through the years.


8. Tell us about the one project you would say you are most proud of.

I'm most proud of my business as a whole. What it took for my business partner and I to put this together while both juggling full time careers has been a huge effort and I'm really happy with the direction it's taking.


9. What do you enjoy doing when you're not creating?

I love spending time with my friends. I'm equally content to enjoy a good vegetation session at home with my husband and two cats.


10. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I'd like to plant myself on a beach in the Greek Islands, maybe run a little B&B while my husband and I work on our respective art projects. I'd be just as satisfied with a cabin on the BC coast, out of the rat race and surrounded by nature. Whatever I end up doing, I hope by that time I'll be happy as I am now.