Kim Roach of Prince Edward Island can’t really say what makes her art decidedly “Atlantic” or “Islander.” Maybe it’s the mixed message her scrupulously hand-drawn pastels of flower-strewn fields under blue-white skies send into the universe – both delicate and earthy; substantial, yet somehow susceptible. “You’re a big deal” and “Living in a dream state” the slogans say on some of her posters and prints she’s made from them.
Or maybe it’s the good company they keep among all the other pieces she and her photographer sister Rachel curate, on behalf of island artists, as the co-proprietors of Oh Hey PEI. Here, on their website, they purvey “modern photos of island lighthouses and landscapes, pottery, candles inspired by local sights, sounds and smells, locally designed jewelry ... hand-lettered cards and postcards ... that are equal parts happy and sappy.”
Roach, who was raised in Rustico and lives in Stratford with her husband Dwane and their two pugs, says, “Growing up in a fishing village feels like such a part of who I am. I also feel like the connection to the community is very strong. People rally around each other... I know I don’t know everyone on the island, but there’s a sense that as an islander you do. The landscapes on this island have inspired so many creatives.”
Sure, but is it art? It’s a question that’s nagged many Atlantic province creators who have felt the need to justify what they do from their salt swept homes along the East Coast. If you’re so good, they hear, why aren’t you in Toronto or New York?
“I once tried to live in Ottawa, and that lasted about a month,” Roach laughs. “Now, I can’t imagine being in a city. I like the slower pace and the changing seasons, every single one. All of the island feels so special, every kilometre of it.
I know these are cliche things to say, but sometimes when the wind is just right I can smell the ocean water from my yard.”
That’s not to say she hasn’t endured bouts of self-doubt. The youngest of three in a family of creative types, she says she’s always been introverted, a “pretty quiet type.” Her mother can “figure out how to make anything.” Her dad, who grew up in a musical family, loved to draw. Kim often read past her bedtime, and sketched and coloured.
“I think, somehow, I always wanted to be in a creative field, but lack of confidence held me back,” she says. “I like to be behind the scenes, so art seemed so out in the open. In reality it’s the complete opposite, it’s very internal... I actually first started making wedding invitations and doing fun creative shoots with my sister and other creatives around 2010, and from there it really opened up into hand lettering and vector art and creating digital prints in photoshop and illustrator and experimenting with screen printing.”
After working in the non-profit sector for years, she took the plunge into full artistic self-employment with Rachel in 2019. “My sister is my proof that you can make a living in art from here,” she says “She’s been a full time photographer for a long time, and I’ve watched her business grow. Now, owning one with her gives us such an opportunity to continue in this direction. We’ve had this dream of working together for so long, sometimes it feels surreal to be in it.”
Maybe that’s it: the surreal dream state of creating homegrown art like no other; of finding the courage to believe in your vision and yourself wherever you choose to live. “I couldn’t be away from here. A piece that I lettered once stated ‘I hear the ocean in my heart.’ I have a million sunsets on my phone but being on the East Coast, standing in a field, seeing the coast around me, hearing the water, feeling the wind in the early morning or right before sunset. That’s pure inspiration.”