Lucky for me, Caitlin Press was open to my input on the cover of A Room in the Forest. I knew I wanted to feature an artist from Haida Gwaii, but who? I had so many in mind when I started looking. Artists like Judy Hilgemann, Vernal Bogran Swift, Bonita Saunders, Debra Gardiner, Betsy Cardell, Lexi Forbes and more. Of course, I love the work of Haida artists like Tyson Brown, Michael Nicol Yahgulaanas, Cory Savard, Christian White, Jaalen Edenshaw, Robert, Reg and Ben Davidson too, but I didn’t want to give the impression that this book was a Haida story. I looked through so many artist websites and the catalogue of the 2024 All Island Art Show found at haidagwaiimuseum.ca was amazing (the 2025 All Island Art Show is open now too). I enjoyed seeing the latest works by so many familiar names and encountering new artists as well.
After all that searching, Caitlin publisher Vici Johnstone and I settled on one of Maryanne Wettlaufer’s paintings. Maryanne expressed surprise when I asked her if we could use her Nadu Cedar image and wondered what made me think of her. I was so happy to see her post on Facebook after she received the finished book. . . . “That time an author asked if she could use your art for her book cover… Yes! …and it is so fun as I begin to read and immediately understand why this piece spoke to you.”
Maryanne Wettlaufer’s oil painting, Nadu Cedar, is where patches of colourful bog give way to forest giants shaped by relentless bouts of prevailing southwest winds. Wettlaufer has lived on Haida Gwaii since 2006, but grew up on a farm in southwestern Ontario. She went to the Ontario College of Art and her work has been influenced by adventures into nature, the Group of Seven and Emily Carr.
Her website says it all: My lifelong approach to art-making has always been led by a desire to adventure into nature. These explorations allow me to confront infinite unexpected moments in the natural world, transforming wild supernatural into pure inspiration for my paintings.
Other contenders (click images for more info):
Salal
Janet Rigg
Mycelium forest
Sheila Karrow
I’ll be on Haida Gwaii for two readings next week: May 13 at 6:30 pm at the Eric Ross Room in Daajing Giids and May 15, same time, at the Masset Playhouse (formerly the Green Church).