In between her other things, Teneal Schick fits in some art.
It was way back in Grade 3 when Teneal knew she loved creating art.
“I loved drawing, I drew on all my notebooks in school, that was just how it was,” she said.
Throughout high school she took art classes and took two art classes in both semesters of her Grade 12 year.
“I didn’t want to do anything else.”
She said it was the best year of school for her and she had Miss Wright as an art teacher. Since then, she has been self-taught, figuring it out as she goes along.
Now, Teneal is 25 years old, and focuses on hyper-realistic art in colour pencils, acrylic paints and digital drawing using a tablet.
She uses the digital medium to create stickers from her art, noting the crisp lines translate well to the stickers.
Even though she had been doing art since Grade 3, Teneal had not presented her art for sale until 2018.
She said her aunt and her mom both encouraged her to try selling her pieces.
“Usually artists are very introverted and I don’t like being pushed out there,” she explained. But despite being wary of the exposure, she sold her first piece to her uncle and has since grown her art side-business.
She started a Facebook page to promote her art, Teneal Schicks Art, and then entered the Downtown Williams Lake Art Walk in 2022.
This is her second year in the art walk, and the event fits well into her already busy schedule.
Teneal has been working full time at Sta-Well Health Foods now for two years. Teneal’s mom, Jennifer Schick runs the store, taking it over after Bruce Mattson, Teneal’s grandfather passed away. Mattson had the store since 1977.
But in addition to the job at the family business, she also works for Total Ice Training Centre. Teneal teaches the learn-to-skate program for new young skaters, keeps score for hockey games, coaches and other jobs around the hockey rink and training centre.
She also plays hockey. Teneal started out in hockey at eight or nine years old and still loves it.
Teneal plays in the men’s three-on-three league, and said her team plays four times a week during the winter.
So the summer art walk event works well for her more seasonal work with Total Ice and her hockey schedule.
“The summertime is actually the best time for me to do everything,” she said.
During the less hectic summer, she can get things organized and produce enough art to show during the art walk.
It also helps that Sta-Well Health Foods hosts her art, which allows her to oversee it and also to hear people’s reactions.
She said it can be hard to hear people compliment her art, because she is an introvert, but it has been incredible to have the support.
Teneal has now done commissioned pieces, including pet portraits, and sells custom-made cards and stickers as well.
This year, for the art walk, she painted a number of pieces on wood rounds, which have more texture and a different feel than a painting on canvas, as well as being less expensive.
“Because I’m so busy with everything else, art has kind of been pushed back a little bit, but with the art walk I have been able to see other people too,” she said, noting it has brought her art out into the community.
The Downtown Williams Lake Art Walk is an annual event which pairs businesses with artists.
A business hosts the art of an artist during the art walk, and art patrons walk the tour using a map and guidebook, available at any of the businesses, which provide information in each artist.
Art walkers collect stamps at each location and are eligible for prizes via a draw once the event finished. The art walk goes until Sept. 6.
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