The Quesnel Art Trail is running alongside B.C. Culture Days with over 40 artists setting up their work at businesses throughout the city.
One of those artists is Natasha Lepine whose work will be at the College of New Caledonia, open from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Lepine is an emerging Metis artist who has a strong focus on plein air painting with oils. Plein air is an abbreviation of en plein air, French for in the open air.
"I go outside and I paint what's in front of me. It's something where you have to be speedy in the process because you're trying to capture certain lighting and colours before it changes which is all the time," Lepine told The Observer.
She said she likes to travel and find locations that makes her feel something on an emotional level. "I try to translate that emotion instead of trying to get the landscape exactly as it looks."
Lepine said the process is almost meditative for her and she uses it as a way to practice being mindful and in the moment. She very much enjoys exploring the Cariboo and appreciating some of the natural beauty that can sometimes go unnoticed. She explores forest service roads and quiet places to find hidden gems.
She found one of her favourite spots east of Prince George, past small communities like Giscome at a place called Pass Lake.
"There's a whole mountain range there," she said. "I spent like eight hours there one day in the spring and it was really nice."
She said you wouldn't guess while going through Prince George or driving along the highway that something so beautiful could be found out there. The painting of that scene is not part of the Art Trail as it is currently in a gallery at the Omineca Centre in Prince George.
Two of her plein air pieces are part of the Art Trail. One is of the Cariboo Mountains as the sun was setting.
"I took a lot of time with it so when I was done it, the sun was already down and it was really dark," She said. "I really just liked sitting there and trying to almost memorize the colours and where they went."
The other is near Barlow Creek Ball Park during sunset. She felt a bit of anxiety hanging around the park at night while maintenance people were working to on the field, but she was happy with how it turned out.
She focuses on her plein air painting in summer because snowy and muddy roads make for a difficult drive in her small car.
While she's been an artist for as long as she can remember, she has only been working with oils for a year or so.
"I've always wanted to be an artist, that's always been a career goal of mine," she said. Lepine works as an artist part-time and at Big Country Printers as a day job.
It's her second year having her work on the Art Trail and she is surprised and impressed by how much talented is packed into Quesnel.
"I don't think most people realize how many artists there are in Quesnel and I don't think most people that live here realize even their neighbour could secretly be a brilliant artist," she said. "Dozens are part of the Art Trail alone but there's probably way more that they're like 'I'm not good enough' or whatever which is not true. Anyone can sign up for the Art Trail. Anyone's a good artist if they're putting paint to canvas."
Lepine said she feels the Art Trail is a great way to get different types of art into the community while supporting local businesses. She thinks Quesnel is an art-centric community as long you're willing to look for it.
"A little message for people that are aspiring artists is that your artistic journey is gonna have so many ups and downs. Sometimes those downs are gonna feel like 'why am I even doing this?'" she said. "If you find something that clicks and gives you meaning, just keep doing it. Because that's what matters the most, is how it makes you feel. Not how other people perceive it."
The Art Trail is running from Sept. 21 to Oct. 10. Most of the locations are located within dowtown Quesnel with a few more locations up the hill and on the city's west side.
