For Jazzmin Spencer, every painting begins long before a brush touches paper.
The Slave Lake artist finds inspiration while running through Alberta’s trails, driving rural highways, or simply taking in the changing colours of the sky.
Each landscape she paints carries a memory, turning ordinary moments into works of art.

“I get inspired when I go running,” says Spencer. “Whenever I run and see a place I love, I take a picture of it and paint it when I get home.”
The Filipino artist recently returned from the Edmonton Art Walk which took place from July 10 to 12, where she showcased her watercolour paintings alongside other artists.

But Spencer says that she also showcases her artwork locally in Slave Lake, by participating in Art in the Park in September.

Although she first attended the Edmonton event in 2024, Spencer says the experience continues to shape her growth as an artist. There, she met fellow Filipino artists who welcomed her into their community and encouraged her to pursue painting more seriously after seeing her early watercolour sketches.

Learning through community

Spencer who has been painting for 10 years now, started while she was still living in the Philippines. What started as visual journaling eventually grew into a passion she continues to develop.

She credits fellow artists, including mentor Noel Rile, for helping refine her watercolour techniques.

“Every time I had a question about watercolour, he would teach me,” Spencer says. “He would look at my work and tell me what colours to add to make it pop.”

Painting with a purpose

Nature has become Spencer’s signature subject.
Many of her paintings feature Alberta landscapes, including Edmonton’s McKinnon Ravine, Chicakoo Lake and Terwillegar Park. Others capture northern Alberta’s changing seasons, colourful skies and roadside wildflowers.

“Every piece has a story,” she says.

Spencer intentionally experiments with bold colours, such as pink trees and purple skies, creating landscapes that reflect both memory and emotion rather than strict realism.

She says painting from her own experiences allows each piece to remain personal and original.

Although she occasionally draws inspiration from photographs and online references, Spencer says she carefully transforms each composition into something uniquely her own.

What’s there in the future?

While Spencer enjoys participating in art walks, she says she has no interest in rushing from market to market. Instead, she prefers spending time at home with her family, gardening and creating art when inspiration strikes.

Her long-term goal is to produce much larger paintings while continuing to improve her skills.

“I don’t want to be limited to small pieces,” she says. “Even if I only bring three large paintings to an art show, I’d be happy.”
If she could describe her artwork in a single word, Spencer says it would be “grateful.”

She says that gratitude comes from building a peaceful life surrounded by supportive family, meaningful work and the freedom to create.

“I’ve finally achieved what I want in life,” she says. “I’m just so grateful to have a life with no chaos.”

Spencer will continue sharing her work with the community this summer and fall. She will be face painting for children at Beachfest in August, showcase her art at the Smith Fall Fair on Sept. 5.

She will participate in the Slave Lake Arts Council’s Art in the Park.

She is also working with the Arts Council to coordinate dates for future art classes, where she hopes to teach basic drawing and painting techniques to aspiring artists.

Julia Magsombol

Lakeside Leader