Misty Ring: The healing power of art at Community Health Centre — Lakewood

Finding beauty in the everyday

When Misty Ring moved from Kamloops, British Columbia, to Edmonton, Alberta, in 2006, she found herself adjusting to something unexpected: being able to see the horizon.

“It actually took an entire year to get used to seeing the horizon instead of having mountains in the way,” she says.

That shift in perspective would later inspire a body of work that connects people through something everyone shares: the sky. In 2020, Misty began a daily collection of 366 small watercolour skyscape paintings she calls her “dailies.” Though the project wasn’t born out of the pandemic, it took on new meaning as lockdowns began.

“It became a mental wellness reminder to go outside,” she says. “No matter where we are, whether we’re quarantined or not, the sky connects us.”

The journey to Confluence A and B

Part of Misty's skyscape collection, Confluence A and B, is now on display at the Community Health Centre — Lakewood in southeast Edmonton. It emerged from a moment of clarity at the end of an unexpectedly challenging bike ride.

While preparing for a solo show in Calgary, Misty set out on an 84-kilometre ride to find the perfect scene for a large triptych. She forgot her food, ran out of water and discovered that due to a citywide water shortage, all public fountains were shut off. On top of that, one of her gears broke, making it even more difficult to get up the final hill.

“I was worried about fainting,” she says. “It sounds like a terrible story, but the warm and positive feelings I have from it are just amazing.”

At the top of the hill, she found a forgotten dog water station that was still running and filled her bottle. Then, just beyond it, the Elbow River winding toward Glenmore Reservoir came into view. “It just called out to me,” Misty says.

Creating a sanctuary in a health setting

Misty chose Confluence A and B for the Community Health Centre — Lakewood because of its ability to evoke memories and connection beyond a specific time or place. “It doesn’t necessarily need to be paired with Calgary,” she says. “It can just be that time I was out in nature with family and friends.”

The painting has a way of drawing people in, says Misty. “Everyone who has seen it always tells me their memories of being in this place. Whether they were hiking or kayaking, the painting reminds them of something personal and joyful.”

Her intention was to create a sanctuary, an oasis, for anyone walking through the health centre. “I get a little anxious in health settings,” she says. “I wanted to create a space so that no matter what you’re experiencing, or who you are or aren’t experiencing it with, you have that little safe escape.”

She envisioned the piece as something that could meet people where they are. “You can be in a really happy mood, and it can be an oasis,” she says. “But I was also really thinking about the people who need that uplift and that positive message.”

Misty saw the opportunity to not just exhibit a painting at the health centre but also make a personal investment in the healing power of art. “Art and health are so important,” she says. “I felt this piece was really important.”

Looking ahead

Misty continues to explore the intersection of art, nature and wellness. She is now focusing on conservation and ecological storytelling through large-scale animal paintings.

Whether painting skies, rivers or wildlife, Misty’s work invites viewers to pause, reflect and reconnect with nature, with memory and with themselves. In a setting devoted to wellness, her work is more than a nice visual; it is a gentle companion on the journey toward healing.