I Use All the Colours (A Creative Life in Nature)

Weaving together forty-five years of artistic practice, I Use All the Colours follows the creative journey of Joyce Majiski. As one of Northern Canada’s most prolific visual artists, Majiski has built an unconventional life in the boreal forest, honing her skills outside the formal confines of art school training and infusing her art with the knowledge and perspective she gained in her careers as a biologist and wilderness guide, as well as her extensive international travel and artistic residencies in eleven countries.

I Use All the Colours reflects Majiski’s interconnected view of the world, in which art and science are not isolated disciplines but rather layers in the expansive, complex, and intricate network of forces that comprise the natural world. From intimate, realistic drawings of nature to semi-abstract paintings of migrating animals to large-scale, mixed-media installations, such as Song of the Whale, which force the viewer to confront humans’ impact on the environment, the incredible array of works in this captivating book reveals a rich conversation between the artist and the natural world.

More than a polished exhibition of finished works, this book delves deep into Majiski’s complicated process, featuring behind-the-scenes glimpses into her studio, visual inspirations, and works-in-progress. A foreword by Dr. Sara Diamond, former President and Vice Chancellor of OCAD University, and illuminating essays by fellow artists and art historians Lisa Christensen, Alice Angus, Zea Morvitz, and Ellen Bielawski offer insight into Majiski’s extraordinary body of work.