This artwork was created to visually represent Turtle Island, the name many Indigenous Peoples use to refer to the land now known as North America. The illustration blends natural elements—mountains, forests, rivers, and animals—harmoniously rising from the back of a turtle, symbolizing life, land, and interconnection.
The style combines flat vector shapes with textured gradients and flowing linework, evoking a warm, organic, and storybook-inspired aesthetic. Soft earth tones and fluid movement echo the oral tradition and natural rhythms embedded in Indigenous worldviews.
The client would like to use the illustration on a range of products, so I created mockups for tote bags, phone cases, t-shirts, and art prints to help visualize its versatility across different formats.
Expanding the Truth Before Reconciliation is an interactive e-learning course developed in collaboration with Unlearn and Indigenous educator Nick Bertrand. Through reflective storytelling and a timeline of truths, the module helps learners deepen their understanding of settler colonialism, racism, and the historic and ongoing oppression of Indigenous Peoples in the land now called Canada.
Participants explore unlearn designs as visual provocations, supported by narration, interactive questioning, and accessible resources. As the course designer, I worked on the visual layout, user experience, and animation of key elements to create a respectful, trauma-informed learning space. The course encourages further learning and reflection, emphasizing that reconciliation must begin with a full understanding of the truth.
A portion of each course sale supports the Geronimo’s Dream Project.
Character Expression Sheet – Nick Bertrand Avatar
As part of the Expanding the Truth Before Reconciliation e-course, I created a custom vector avatar of guest instructor Nick Bertrand. This expression sheet showcases a range of emotional states used to visually support Nick’s narration and bring empathy, clarity, and personality to the learning experience.
