These skates were donated to the BC Sports Hall of Fame for auction at a fundraising event benefiting the Hero In You youth education program. The initial concept was to auction skates painted by local celebrities, artists, and community/business leaders. The artist laid the skates on her floor and stared at them, tapping her nose, thinking about skates. The images that kept coming up were figure skaters such as Elvis Stojko, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, and the beautiful way that they transform themselves on the ice and the characters they portray. She could no longer just paint on the skates but needed to transform them. The beauty of the butterfly emerged, encompassing all that she felt about skating in its transformative qualities. In Northwest Coast First Nations interpretations, butterflies often represent grace and beauty.

Butterfly skates

Date: 2008

Client: Private Client

Approximate Dimensions: 28” x 18” x 6”

Materials: Pre-fabricated ice skates, wood, fabric