Aaniin (Hello!), my name is Erin Gustafson and I am an Anishinaabe visual artist and musician from Fort Frances, ON with cultural ties and registered to Couchiching FN. Art has always been a big part of my life and is often related to the beautiful landscape found in Northwestern Ontario. I frequently experimented with different forms of artistic expression throughout my life, including sketching, acrylic and watercolour painting, embroidery, beadwork, sewing, resin art and other mediums. While I thoroughly enjoy bringing my own artistic visions to life, I equally value the perspective that other people bring to my art. My ideas about art are founded on the individual experience of the viewer or participant and the perspective they bring to the piece; every individual will see or internalize art in a different way, allowing it to bring on a meaning that could never come to be from the perspective of the artist alone. This is especially true when it comes to colouring pages! 

My belief is that creating art is a means of self-expression and can be spiritually healing if approached mindfully. While the end-result can be very satisfying, the work that you do in your art can also be applied to your own self; creating in any capacity teaches you patience, balance, observation, and often causes you to stop and think about each part relating to the whole. These concepts can often be transferred to the own work we do with ourselves in our healing journey, whatever capacity that may be. 

You are encouraged to make the drawings your own in whatever way you can. Feel free to add lines, textures, designs or fill it in as simply as you wish. You’re encouraged to send your creations my way!