June 2026 marked the completion of an ten-month mentorship program with Linda Duvall which I participated in through CARFAC Sask. As part of the group mentorship program, Linda made two visits to each artist’s rural studio. We also had several online group calls. It was great to get to meet other artists from around the province; I was happy to be accepted to the group given that I am not that far outside of Saskatoon! The distance does add up, however… it’s always a balance of how much driving one *can* do versus how much driving one *wants* to do.

Linda’s queries about my work and thought process were invaluable and helped me broaden my horizons on what might be possible in an art career. I was also intrigued by the collaborative aspects of Linda’s work. As mentioned on her website, her work “often feature(s) invitations for individuals or groups to participate in specific tasks involving conversation or expression.” So, as part of the mentorship, I asked Linda if I could come in to Saskatoon to spend an afternoon with her in her studio. While there, I took photos of Linda at work and drew a portrait.

Linda chooses not to post photos of her face online, so we took a final photo of Linda substituting my drawing for her face in the photo.