In the spotlight

What’s your story? Where are you based, and what early experiences shaped you as an artist?
 

My full name is Mette Alanne Moman but I go by the pen name Metskiie. I'm based in Alberta, Canada and I was highly influenced by my whole family, which is full of avid readers, artists and storytellers. My cousins are both incredibly talented artists and both my parents have a strong creative side that always encouraged me to create from a young age. 

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Your style is so distinctive, sketchbook-like and emotional. How did you find your voice?
 

My style was developed during covid, which was a hard time for everyone and I was feeling especially lonely in my apartment during lockdown and needed a creative project to keep myself occupied. I have always wanted to share my art online but never fully committed to it until then when I felt I had the time and space! It was also a time when everyone was online and I just felt like nobody was watching my every move which was really freeing!

 

The style sort of formed through trial and error of posting what felt right for myself and what others connected to. Through time it just evolved as I learned and grew as an artist. I began drawing digitally and doing realistic art, as I used to do as a kid, but I never felt as connected to it as doing it in a cartoon style with watercolour. I am a very emotional person, so having an outlet became both therapeutic and incredibly rewarding.

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You’ve called your work “an existential crisis in watercolour.” Which artists are your biggest inspirations, and how have they influenced your style?
 

My biggest inspirations in all forms of art came from (of course) Tim Burtons, and Neil Gaiman's artistic style. I absolutely adore movies such as Coraline, Corpse Bride and Edward scissor hands. Those were the initial inspiration of just wanting to encompass the feeling those movies gave me into art!
 

Artists I really love on Instagram specifically are Shagey, Sancarts, Rosymollet, bekindbells and laurentsai to name a couple!

 

Looking back, which project or piece has felt the most meaningful to you, and why?

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One of my first, most impactful projects was being chosen by Emma Chamberlain to be one of Chamberlain Coffees Artist of the Month. At the time, I was still a fairly small account and it felt like such a huge milestone. I had been hoping for that opportunity for about a year but since there is no application process and they just pick you, it felt a bit out of reach which is why it was so unreal when I got them DM. 

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Your limited-edition prints with Olivia Rodrigo were a huge moment. What was that like, and did it feel real when it happened?
 

That was honestly one of the most surreal moments of my life! It felt like the barrier between everyday people (like me) and huge global artists like Olivia disappeared for a moment. I just am still so shocked to this day about how social media is able to bring people together in that way.

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When I first got the dm from LivHQ I genuinely thought it was a scam text but I gave my email just in case. It didn't fully sink in until I received the official email from them a day or two later saying that Olivia had seen my work and loved my style!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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​​​​​​​​After seeing the success of your Olivia collab, what would your dream collaboration look like, and with whom, dead or alive?
 

After that collaboration it felt like anything could happen really. If I had to choose a dream collaboration it would probably be with Lizzie McAlpine (I love her work), or Taylor Swift!

 

You’ve published a watercolor art book and released merchandise. Tell us more about this book.
 

I released a coloring book and also worked with a writer on a comic book called OnLudlow. The comic book was really huge as I have never drawn digitally in a comic book form and felt like I had no idea what I was doing. It really strengthened me as an artist and I actually went to LA for the release of the book which I have never done before. The writer I worked with is Emily Rose David. 

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If you weren’t in the creative industry, what might you be doing instead, and why?

I am actually in the final year of getting my Bachelor of Commerce at university which is how I plan to support myself while I continue to navigate the creative world! My mom really influenced me to understand the importance of financial literacy and so I plan on pursuing that in the future. However I have always dreamed of having a published novel/graphic novel of my own which I also want to pursue!

 

Thinking back, what advice would you give your younger self starting out in the creative world?
 

I would definitely tell myself to stress less about the outcome of uncertain events and trust that everything will work out. I was far too concerned with metrics of my art (how many views each post got, how many comments, how many sales). I look back on how little all of that mattered and the only real concern I needed was that I was making art that I was proud of and not what I thought people wanted to see. 

 

What’s fueling your creativity these days? What’s next for you?
 

I've actually had a bit of creative burnout after this semester but I was really inspired while I was on an exchange in Denmark and am excited to work on some bigger artistic projects of my own. I would love to create another colouring book, possibly illustrate some Zines and enjoy this time between finishing school and starting full time work.