Jenn Ashton is a force, a blur and at the same time one of the most peaceful people you will ever meet. She is a Squamish First Nation artist, author, filmmaker, researcher and deacon in the Anglican church. Her formal studies have included everything from women in early modern medicine and the detailed effects of colonisation on Indigenous Peoples in Canada to computer science and graphic design. She will tell you she doesn’t believe in labels, sees herself as naive, and just a person who loves to explore everything as a connected web of reality where we all sit, but many people call her a polymath.
Her life and unique perspective are revealed in her written and visual work, her garden, and the way she lives. She will show you the beauty of a garlic scape in the morning dew, and debate the benefits of Haibun in the afternoon, while she sews prayer squares for her church. We’re always excited to see what she will do next!
This is the artwork (Teen Angst) used on the cover of my new book, Growing My Way Home. It is special to me because it is one of the more detailed and heartfelt paintings I have ever done. The book, which I have been writing since I was a young teen, has just been released, and it is part of my daily life now, as I come to terms with some difficult parts of my childhood being made public.This is certainly how I see myself, and how anybody would view me from around 5 am to noon, my regular writing hours. The more artistic part of my day happens around 9 pm, where I can sit down to paint and finish something in 5 minutes, or start a project that may never get finished.This is me with my two previous rescue Rat Terriers in my messy studio, which used to be our kitchen. We admit to being very eat-in-front-of-the-TV people, thank goodness. When I began painting in 2015, I wanted to try everything, every medium, substrate and idea that popped into my dreams. I try to be a bit tidier now, especially because our latest rescue, Moses, also likes to test what food is and what is not.My daily life is also filled with shenanigans with my partner of 20+ years, Chris. Being a musician, he thinks with his creative side, which fits me perfectly.One of my favourite things to paint is my historical family. I feel it brings them closer to me, and I can understand them as I sketch the lines on their faces and imagine what they were thinking. I am very fortunate to know a lot about my First Nations family, as they were involved in the early history of Vancouver, and many of their experiences have also been documented. They are as much a part of my daily life as anything else, and I never forget where I come from.Many of my paintings are of dogs it seems. Even though I don’t plan a painting, unless I am working on a commission (usually of a client’s dog!), more often than not it will end up being a dog, bull, selfie or family member. I always go in with no expectation, and then something will emerge. It is the same with writing; unless I am writing for a specific publication, I will just free-write and then carve away at it during the editing process to create a story or capture a memory.My ordination into the diaconate was maybe one of the best days of my life. Little did I know that the expression of my life fit into the diaconal mould perfectly, and it felt like a homecoming to be recognised this way, especially after three years of hard work in the discernment process. I very much see my work here as helping to decolonise our church systems and places, and make it a truly welcoming place for all.When I began painting after taking a short online class in 2015, I said, “I can’t paint faces,” and then set out to change that. This is a collection of every face I painted over a few years. It is called “All of us, Everywhere” and, to me, is a picture of family and how we are all connected.
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Which ’hood are you in?
xwesam / Stelḵáya, Roberts Creek
What do you do?
I am an artist and writer.
What are you currently working on?
I am currently working on my next books, one of which is an Indigenous guide to diaconal discernment.
Emilea Semancik was born in North Vancouver. Emilea has always always wanted to work as a freelance writer and currently writes for the Vancouver Guardian. Taking influence from journalism culture surrounding the great and late Anthony Bourdain, she is a recipe author working towards publishing her own series of books. You can find her food blog on Instagram:
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