'I hope I was able to do it some justice': Artist works to perfect style in portraying Sask. prairies

The Saskatchewan Legislative Building was host to an art show, portraying life on the prairies.

The show was the work of Saskatchewan visual artist Tana Cugnet, who lives on a farm outside Weyburn.

“That’s where we’re from. When you drive down the roads in southeast Saskatchewan you see pump jacks, you see canola crops, you see grain elevators,” Cugnet explained.

“It’s a lot of what’s around us and I think those are just the images that I’m drawn to.”

The show marks Cugnet's first exhibit outside of her hometown. She told CTV News that she’s always working on her style and her process while building confidence in her work.

“I work in acrylic paint which is very forgiving. That’s probably the best quality I like about it is that sometimes if you mess up you can paint it over,” she said.

“Just started trying to work on different techniques and trial and error and a little bit of YouTube.”

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Her prairie themed creations are in demand for private art collections. She was intrigued by a recent request to create a painting from a photograph.

“It’s of the Battle Creek area in Cypress Hills. I was even more intrigued by who has been asking me to paint it.”

The request was from former Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall who wanted the photo taken by his daughter turned into a painting.

Wall was at the legislative building this week for the unveiling of his official portrait and later stopped by the gallery for a first look at the work he had commissioned.

“Tana has killed it. It’s fantastic. I love it,” Wall told CTV News.

“I hope I was able to do it some justice,” Cugnet said.

The encounter proved to be another boost in confidence for an emerging artist on the Saskatchewan prairies.