(ANNews) 鈥� The striking art on the cover of this month鈥檚 Alberta Native News is by Jesse Gouchey, a Metis Visual artist born and raised in Red Deer, Alberta. His work consists mainly of mural painting, animation, fashion design, and film-making. 鈥淚 do all kinds of different art,鈥� Gouchey said. The wolf in the cover image is a detail from a painting on a skate board.
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The Metis Artist has been working in the arts industry full-time for fifteen years, though art has always been a part of his life. 鈥淢y siblings and I used to draw when we were kids and I just kept going with it. It was always something that I did. I just had that mind where I liked to create stuff 鈥� it was always the main goal.鈥�
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鈥淏asically my whole life is based around art. I鈥檓 pretty fortunate to be able to do that 鈥� just able to kind of float around and create projects where ever they present themselves,鈥� said Gouchey.
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鈥淥pportunities happen, I do the best I can with them, and I just keep it going.鈥�
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Before art however, Gouchey spent a fair amount of time in the energy industry by working 鈥渁 bunch of oilfield jobs 鈥� being from Red Deer 鈥� and I didn鈥檛 like that at all,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o, I got away from it, moved to Calgary, and started doing art shows, painting murals, working on animation projects and things like that.鈥�
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鈥淥nce I got to the city, the art world really opened up for me,鈥� said Gouchey.
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He then spoke of his mentors and credited Darcy Liscecki as an early supporter and 鈥渙ne of the best painters I鈥檝e ever known. He definitely helped me realize that I had the talent and skill to pursue art.鈥� He also mentioned Brian 鈥淏unny鈥� Batista, who 鈥渦sed to do the Aboriginal youth animation project. He鈥檚 just a super powerhouse in the Calgary art scene,鈥� said Gouchey.
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As for how COVID-19 has been affecting his work, Gouchey said he was already working from home when the pandemic hit. However, it allowed him to create some new projects that he wouldn鈥檛 be normally be making. 鈥淚 had an art show last year and it鈥檚 been good. I鈥檝e been painting steadily one way or another; either through murals or canvas work at home.鈥�
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He has also been teaching workshops online, 鈥淚鈥檝e got some bleach workshops 鈥� with another one going on right away here too.鈥�
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鈥淚 went and painted murals all summer, all over BC. I鈥檝e been kind of doing my own thing 鈥� COVID hasn鈥檛 slowed me down too much,鈥� said Gouchey 鈥� although, he hasn鈥檛 been able to do his normal teaching work with schools and Indigenous communities. 鈥淚t has affected me 鈥� I haven鈥檛 had as much going on.鈥�
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鈥淏ut y鈥檏now, always look for the best in what life throws at you.鈥�
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When speaking about his teaching and his work with young people, Gouchey said, 鈥淚 encourage youth and I normally have chances to have a voice with the youth due to the work that I do. I鈥檓 constantly encouraging people to create 鈥� especially if they don鈥檛 see it as a legitimate career path.鈥�
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鈥淚t is a struggle and it鈥檚 a hustle.鈥�
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鈥淵ou have to constantly be doing a lot of work that isn鈥檛 art-based, like paperwork and grant-writing. But I think all and all, it鈥檚 pretty nice to make your own hours and follow your dreams. If an opportunity presents to take it seriously then I would always encourage it.鈥�
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The piece which introduced me to Jesse Gouchey was a mural he painted of the late hip-hop artist, MF DOOM. Jesse and I geeked over MF DOOM before speaking about the mural, 鈥渉e鈥檚 my all-time favourite musician. Just as an artist in general and he just totally inspired me to be original and do my own thing. I was always into his persona and everything he was about. When I found out he died I thought, 鈥榦h, man, I need to do another mural.鈥濃��
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The mural itself was done over five days in a place called Tower Beach in BC. 鈥淚 was pretty stoked about that one 鈥� I figured it came out really good. It was five days at the beach, kind of by myself, eagles flying above me 鈥� I鈥檓 new to Vancouver so it was beautiful to be on the ocean and watch the sunset every day,鈥� said Gouchey.
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Gouchey also owns a fashion brand under the name Muskwa Clothing. This brand happened organically, said Gouchey, who began the project by creating T-shirt designs with bleach and then received tons of support on social media. 鈥淚 just did a whole bunch of shirts 鈥� went bleach crazy there for a bit 鈥� and made just a whole pile of clothes and had a huge order for them. I had people asking for all kinds of stuff, mainly nature-based designs.鈥�
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Gouchey then said he was invited to a fashion show where he made a whole clothing line. 鈥淚t was a show through Mount Royal University called Otahpiaaki fashion week. I did that two years in a row and even made a mural for them.鈥�
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鈥淭hey were just one of a kind shirts before I started printing my designs,鈥� said Gouchey. 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 done much with it in a long time. I鈥檓 still bleaching shirts here and there, but I鈥檝e got things set in motion to get it going again. I didn鈥檛 do too well with it, I鈥檓 not much of a salesman, but I鈥檓 definitely going to be doing that again.鈥�
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Jacob Cardinal is LJI reporter for Alberta Native News.
