Summer News and an Exciting Launch!

August 01, 2023 in News + Events, Illustration

JUST LAUNCHED August 1st!

Extremely excited to share some news with you all, as I have been waiting patiently until launch day so I can! Next time you reach for a loonie in your wallet, look carefully! Some of you may have known that since 2019 I have designed three commemorative coins for the Royal Canadian Mint, and now there is a forth! This one however is extra special as it is a GENERAL CIRCULATION COIN. What does that mean? It means, it is going to be cruising around Canada in your change as of release day TODAY!

Who is represented on this Coin?

Elizabeth MacGill (1905-1980) was the first female aeronautical engineer in Canada and made significant contributions to aircraft design during World War II. As a stress analyst at the Canadian Car and Foundry, she played a vital role in designing the Hawker Hurricane, a fighter aircraft used by the Royal Canadian Air Force. Her expertise ensured the aircraft's structural integrity and improved its performance.

Later, as the chief aeronautical engineer, MacGill led the development of the Maple Leaf Trainer (Fairchild Cornell), a primary trainer aircraft for RCAF pilots. She contributed to its design, including aerodynamics, control systems, and safety features, ensuring its suitability for training purposes.

MacGill's achievements challenged gender norms and paved the way for women in engineering. Her work on the Hawker Hurricane and the Maple Leaf Trainer showcased her technical prowess and dedication to advancing Canadian aviation. She remains an inspiration for future generations, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity and diverse perspectives in the field of aeronautical engineering. More information about her story can be found on the Royal Canadian Mint website.

I really enjoy designing coins for the Royal Canadian Mint. It is quite a challenging process as the images need to be vetted for accuracy so there is a lot of back and forth with my fabulous RCM art director as we iron out tiny details, but once they are all finalized it is so worth it as it always pushes me a little beyond my comfort zone and seeing my work represented on coins is pretty incredible!

How can you get your hands on one?

Well… you check your change. These are circulation coins and will be out and about paying for your coffees and left for tips! If you don’t want to go on the treasure hunt, then you CAN order them at the Royal Canadian Mint website. If you DO find it… make sure you send me a photo on instagram or tag me @clairevictoria.art

PAST COINS I HAVE DONE…

Coming UP: August 4, 5 and 6th in Comox BC

As you come into Filberg Park, I will be up on the left at booth number #5! Be sure to come and say hi!

NEW In The Shop

Many have asked so I have decided to do a limited run of 16” x 20” Archival Prints of Long Beach Break. You will see them up at Filberg and on my shop page, but only for a little while!

Long Beach Break - Limited Edition Prints

CA$140.00

Quantity:

Add To Cart

Artist Claire Watson holds ‘60 Years of Prominence: The St. Lawrence Seaway’, her first silver coin designed for the Royal Canadian Mint. (Nora O’Malley / Westerly News)

PRESS: West Coast artist Claire Watson designs coin for Royal Canadian Mint

July 15, 2019 in Press

““I was quite blown away that I won it.””

NORA O'MALLEY Jul. 13, 2019 6:00 a.m. COMMUNITY

Tofino illustrator and artist Claire Watson designed a pure silver coin for the Royal Canadian Mint to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Saint Lawrence Seaway.

The special edition coin, says Watson, was a venture outside her creative comfort zone, which ultimately led to one of her greatest accomplishments to date.

“I remember getting really excited five years ago when I won the Whale Festival poster. This coin is a bit of an interesting step up,” Watson told the Westerly News from her floating home, a wooden sailboat called ‘Razmur’.

Last winter, a creative director from the Royal Canadian Mint reached out to Watson to see if she would like to be added to their pool of artists.

“Then, two months later, I got another call asking if I wanted to participate in the contest to submit designs for the Saint Lawrence Seaway,” Watson recalls. “To do the [initial] sketch was pretty simple. I did everything on my iPad with Procreate and a pen. I submitted my design and got a call a few days later saying that I had won it.”

Apparently, notes Watson, it is rare for a first-time contender to be selected.

“I was quite blown away that I won it,” she said.

Located on the east coast of Canada, the Saint Lawrence Seaway is a series of locks, canals, and channels that connects Canadian and American vessels to the Atlantic Ocean. The Seaway opened in 1959 and was hailed one of the greatest engineering feats of the 20th century.

“The Saint Lawrence Seaway is a vital waterway, serving as a key part of the North American logistics chain and as an important gateway for trade with over 50 nations across the globe,” wrote Terence Bowles, President and CEO of The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation.

Watson’s design provides a water-level view of the Saint Lawrence Seaway, where a ship moves through one of 15 lock systems. A split maple leaf and star symbolizes the Seaway as a partnership between Canada and the United States and the anchor is a special tribute to all who oversee the safe and efficient passage of marine traffic through our waters.

“The Montreal skyline is tucked in there really small. Originally, my design had more landscape in the background, but then I changed it more. It’s amazing how much detail they got in there,” said Watson, who is known for being the Tofino Time magazine’s illustrator queen of the colouring page.

Titled ‘60 years of Prominence: The St. Lawrence Seaway’, the collector’s edition coin can be purchased on mint.ca for $219.95. At the time this article went to press, Watson’s first silver coin was 81 per cent sold out of its 2,000 mintage.

“What do I do from here?” Watson ponders. “I have no idea what the next step is.”

PRESS: TOFINO ARTIST GETS MINTED

June 01, 2019 in Press

(Tofino Time Magazine, June 2019)

Claire Watson is a Tofino artist and freelance Illustrator who’s work you may see around town in the form of poster art, bin coverings, local business’s graphics and logos, signs, and of course the colouring pages in Tofino Time magazine. Her work has a very distinctive west coast feel, and her client list has been steadily growing to include such companies as Patagonia, HSBC, BC Ferries, Canadian Surf Nationals, and as of last month - the Royal Canadian Mint.

The special edition coin, titled “60 Years of Prominence: The St. Lawrence Seaway,” was created to commemorate the anniversary of the St. Lawrence Seaway. It is 2oz of 99.99% pure silver and features a head-on view of a ship moving through the St. Lambert lock with the Montréal skyline visible in the distance. The combination maple leaf and star on the bow of the ship represents a binational partnership between Canada and the USA. The anchor chain enveloping the coin represents strength and longevity, and gives the coin its unique shape. With a mintage of only 2,000 coins, it is already over 70% sold out at mint.ca.

“I can’t tell you how proud I feel to have designed my first coin for the Royal Canadian Mint. ,” said Claire. “Not in a million years (as a small town west coast island girl) did I ever think this would ever happen. The final product may be small in physical size, but it is definitely one of the BIGGEST highlights of my career thus far.”

If you are familiar with Claire’s art, you will know her subject matter is usually much more nature oriented, so the minted coin project posed an interesting challenge. The design had to be vetted for accuracy by experts during the process, but having not spent time around the St. Lawrence Claire needed to work closely with an art director from the Mint to provide as much reference as he could.

“It was a really cool learning process and I am certainly happy with the result,” Claire continued. “I do have a long history around boats and ships, so that definitely helped a lot. I grew up around or on the water most of my life and my family has a long seafaring history. My parents worked for the Merchant Navy and on Cruise Ships, and my great-great Uncle worked on (and survived) the sinking of the Titanic! I grew up hearing many maritime stories, and was surrounded by shipping paraphernalia, so I certainly felt a familiarity with the subject matter.”

Freelance work keeps Claire pretty busy, but she’s working to create more time for her own art. You'll find her every Saturday (weather permitting) at the Tofino Market throughout the summer, and you can learn more about her work at www.clairewatson.com and @clairewatsonart on all social media channels.

“I’d like to thank the community of Tofino for supporting my work, and an extra shout out to Tofino Time. The colouring pages have not only given me a monthly challenge, but they have also been building my portfolio resulting in new projects such as this one!”

First Coin Design for the Royal Canadian Mint!

May 07, 2019 in News + Events, Illustration, Projects

Soooo, guess what? Yeah thats right… I’ve been MINTED! I can’t tell you how proud and honoured I feel to have designed my first COIN for the Royal Canadian Mint. Not in a million years (as a small town west coast island girl) did I ever think this would happen, and I’ve been bursting at the seams with this little secret for the past YEAR. The final product may be small in physical size, but it is definitely one of the BIGGEST highlights to my career thus far.

As you know my usual subject matter is much more nature oriented, but this was a really interesting challenge to do. I have a full history around boats and ships… everything from growing up around or on the water most of my life, to my parents being involved with the Merchant Navy and Cruise Ships, and even my great great great uncle worked on and survived the sinking of the Titanic! I grew up hearing many maritime stories, and was surrounded by shipping paraphernalia so I certainly felt a familiarity with it.

This totally unique shaped, special edition, 2oz pure silver, commemorative coin is designed to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the St.Lawrence Seaway (you can even see my tiny initials at the bottom right). It was definitely difficult trying to envision what my drawing would actually look like as an engraved coin during the process, but the engravers did such an incredible job and brought it to life! THANK YOU so much to the Royal Canadian Mint for including me in their collections. There are only 2,000 made so I’m ordering mine right now. Haha!!