Printmaking, painting, collages, you name it, Rachel Boese does it. The Winnipeg artist’s passion lies in visual imagery, however she strives to better the craft education community.

“I attended a really academic high school,” Boese says. “As a result, one of the things I’m quite passionate about is education in art and inspiring people at that age, because I never had that. Despite it being my best class I was never told to go into art school.”

Most people fiddle around with arts and crafts as children and Boese is no exception. 

“I’ve done art always since I was a little kid. My mom always jokes that I used to play with paper before I could draw,” says Boese, who has studied at both Emily Carr University of Art + Design in Vancouver and the University of Manitoba.

“It [making art] makes me happy. It’s nice to make even a small amount of money off of something that makes you happy. If you can find any way to financially support yourself while pursuing something you’re passionate about, it will make your life a lot better in the long run.”

Currently Boese teaches art out of her home studio to any age interested. She is reaching out to the City of Winnipeg’s Leisure Guide to run arts workshops in the future. 

“I don’t have any interest in teaching academically, but just teaching to get people excited, however that may be,” Boese says.

1) House photo

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“That’s my grandmother’s old house that she grew up in. It was originally a Hudson’s Bay trading post. It now lives in Grand Prairie [Alberta] as part of a museum.”

2) Table

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“I lived with my best friend for awhile and we had this in our kitchen in our house for awhile. She moved to the Cayman Islands just over a year ago. So I moved it into my house and it’s my painting table so it’s really special to me.”

3) Helen

“This is my cat Helen. She’s one of my favorite things in my house for sure.”

4) Generation X

“It’s the first full length published book by Douglas Coupland. It’s a first edition, damaged first edition, but it’s a first edition and it’s my prized possession. I found it in a little old bookstore in Vancouver. My goal is to get it autographed one day.”

5) Indoor garden

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“It’s really cheerful. My parents gave me this for Christmas. It’s wonderful and happy during the winter.”

6) Can pantry

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“I started canning last year for the first time, so I’m really proud of the can collection I’m starting.”

7) Camera

“I have other cameras but my girlfriend gave me this camera and gave me a special strap for it, so it’s my personal camera. She got in Winnipeg at this garage sale on Wellington from this old lady.”

Published in Volume 68, Number 23 of The Uniter (March 12, 2014)