Yvonne has always been guided spiritually and intuitively through her life. Having watched and

absorbed many of traditional skills from her parents and relatives as she grew up, becoming a native

artist was an inner calling for her. She wanted to contribute to the revitalization, preservation and

promotion of native culture after so many native traditions and practices had been banned and lost.

After working for many years in the field of business, Yvonne decided to start a home-based business

selling her art when she had children, as a way to be able to spend more time with them as they

grew up. Being a native artist was her calling that led her to slowly grow her business into a full-time

endeavour and transition from her former business career to dedicate all her time and energy to

creating native artwork. She has been nurturing her business for over 40 years.

Yvonne is a woman of many diverse talents - she is an adult educator, leads workshops, classes and

seminars, is a spiritualist and an artist. She produces and sells a wide variety of native creations from

small beadwork items to high-end custom clothing. One of her early projects in 1983 involved

creating a video about how to tan a hide – a project that was developed for the Royal Alberta

Museum and the University of Alberta as part of an exhibit that travelled throughout the province

for many years. In 1994 the family moved to Calgary, where they continue to reside today.

Since opening her business, Yvonne has focused on strategically investing her time and effort in

continuing to teach and attending art shows, tradeshows and higher-end markets that allow her to

connect with her ideal customer who values the high quality of the work she produces. Connecting

with the right customers has been a process of testing different opportunities to identify those that

align best with her business vision and goals. This focused approach and Yvonne’s strong business

background has helped cement her place in the art world and extended the reputation of

Moonstone Creation across Canada.