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

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

"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 theWesterly 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," Watsonrecalls. "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 dayslater 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.

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 starsymbolizes 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 efficientpassage 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 amazinghow much detail they got in there," said Watson, who is known for being the Tofino Time magazine's illustrator queen of the colouring page.

To read the complete article, see:
West Coast artist Claire Watson designscoin for Royal Canadian Mint (https://www.westerlynews.ca/community/west-coast-artist-claire-watson-designs-coin-for-royal-canadian-mint/)

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 RoyalCanadian 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 withthis 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 thusfar.

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 andships... 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 mygreat great great uncle worked on and survived the sinking of the Titanic! I grew up hearing many maritime stories, and was surrounded by shippingparaphernalia so I certainly felt a familiarity with it.

To read the complete article, see:
http://clairewatson.com/studioclairewatsoncom//first-coin-design-for-the-royal-canadian-mint