Karelia, the eastern side of Finland was where my Finnish heritage began. Both sets of grandparents migrated to Canada in the early 1900s. I am Canadian born. From 1946-1965, I grew up in a logging community of Longlac in northwest Ontario, Canada where many Finns migrated from Finland in the early 50’s.

My father was my idol who showed me by example that we are all equal. The summers growing up were spent at Pagawachewan Lake 40 miles from Longlac by highway, gravel road and water. My Dad, with some help, built a cabin there. My brother, sister and I spent summers bare foot and fancy free in or on the water.

My first language was Finn until school age but lost that connection through the years when I moved away from Longlac to study my Nursing career in Thunder Bay located at the head of Lake Superior. After marriage, children and further studies in University, we slowly moved west and north to Yukon. I have lived in Yukon, Canada, since 1979.  I reconnected to my Finnish roots with my recent six-week trip to an art-in-residency in Koli, Finland in Northern Karelia, granted by Yukon Advanced Artist Award. A major solo show based on Finnish culture and Kalevala, the Finnish national epic, was shown September to November, 2019 at Yukon Art Centre, Whitehorse.

What is most important to me: my three sons and grandchildren, my Loponen family, my heritage, nature and art. My love for art as a child was encouraged by my parents and by my uncle who studied as an architect. After a number of practical career choices, the creative process always kept me sane, engaged my mind with adventure and challenges. Art became my Muse,  a friend who took me by the hand along a journey, for meaning, for Truths, for life and to find soul. That relationship gave me a sense of place in the tangible and intangible worlds, my sanctuary was with nature.

“Visual art are songs hitting harmonies of heightened essences of soul and heart caught up in a hypnotic dance; a magical moment of the light and colour that lightens up and nourishes  life.” LLoponen