Pictou County artist encourages others to find awe in nature

Jennifer Coveyduc lead an art workshop for youth at the Creative Pictou County studio in Pictou on August 15. MATTHEW BAMBRICK Matthew BambrickArticle contentPICTOU – A local artist and Creative Pictou County have given the people of Pictou County a glimpse into their creativity.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentJennifer Coveyduc is a 55-year-old artist from Pictou, owner of Fringeweed Designs, and the Vice Chair of Creative Pictou County. From Aug. 10 to 15, Coveyduc took up residence at the Creative Pictou County studio at the DeCoste Performing Arts Centre in Pictou, allowing the public to visit them during the week to view their work, offer their thoughts and opinions, all while she actively worked on her next pieces.Article contentArticle contentArticle contentCoveyduc is a fibre and mixed-media artist whose work is deeply rooted in her relationship with the natural world, as she works across multiple mediums including felting, weaving, embroidery, crochet, stitching, paper, and reclaimed materials.Article contentAccording to Coveyduc, every artwork she does starts as an experiment with materials, as finishing a piece isn’t so much the goal, but about discovering something new and better along the way.Article content“Sometimes one material can say something that another can’t, and I love discovering what happens when they begin to speak to each other,” said Coveyduc.Article content“My work is about inviting people to slow down and look differently. To notice not just the thing they’re looking at, but the relationships within it, and our relationship to it,” Coveyduc said.Article content“My process usually begins with noticing something, whether it be something I found on a walk, something growing on a piece of wood, or even an idea that I’ve had for a long time,” she adds. “We share this planet with so many other living organisms, and it’s a symbiotic relationship that affects us all. By learning about those relationships, we can begin to understand how important that natural world is to us all. Paying attention is an act of care, and if my work can create a moment where somebody sees something ordinary with a little more wonder, then I feel like I’ve accomplished something meaningful.”Article contentArticle content Jennifer Coveyduc is the artist behind Fringeweed Designs, a nature-focused series of artworks across many different mediums. MATTHEW BAMBRICK Matthew BambrickArticle contentCoveyduc also ran a ‘Build Your Own Mossarium’ workshop on Aug. 15, where participants created their own miniature living woodland ecosystem to take home and nurture out of provided materials.Article contentNature surrounds everything Coveyduc does as an artist, and according to her, the medium is not as important to her as sharing her message about our environment.Article content“It’s a running theme through everything I do,” she said.Article content“When I look back at my childhood, I spent a lot of time in the woods or near the ocean. The more curiosity you have as a child, the more you learn about different things as you build a relationship with those memories. I want to use those memories to help build that relationship for other people, because those are the things I fall back on,” said Coveyduc.Article content“It’s not just about us, as we share this planet with all these other organisms. In order to preserve nature, we have to understand it and learn from it. So I focus on that because we are losing that more and more each day. We are losing more of our ecosystem as time passes, and to watch that happen really makes me want to create positive change through my art.”