Who is Sage Desroches?
I am a Canadian artist, born in BC and currently based in Calgary, Alberta. I graduated with a BFA from Alberta University of the Arts in 2024. Currently I am attending St. Mary's University for a teaching degree.
What materials do
you use?
I paint primarily with acrylic. Over the years I've tried watercolour, gouache, and oil but I keep returning to acrylic. I do love oils for their blending ability and depth of colour, but I'm too impatient to handle how long it dries. I've also fallen in love with linocut printmaking, especially the carving process. I feel a connection to humanities printing history and enjoy experimenting with the process.
What inspires you?
Honestly, so much it feels hard to boil it down for a short description. Mostly I'm inspired by every day life, the beautiful moments, the mundane routines, the hardships. Social media tends to showcase a curated reality of happiness and beautiful things, pushing people to ignore or belittle anything that doesn't fit into that perfect world. Additionally, those of use who are stuck in a rat race of constant work for little reward may find it difficult to see beauty in the mundane. I want to transform the moments we might overlook into something beautiful. I hope that by highlighting these everyday things, people can have a chance to slow down and pause within their own life to experience the beauty of little moments.
This lands original inhabitants where the peoples of Treaty 7, which include the Blackfoot Confederacy (comprised of the Siksika, the Piikani, and the Kainai First Nations), the Tsuut’ina First Nation, and the Stoney Nakoda (including Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Goodstoney First Nations). Calgary is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta (Districts 5 and 6).
My highest respects to those who lived on the land I occupy today.
When did you decide to be an artist?
Originally I started my university journey thinking I would teach English, but I had a couple elective slots that I filled with art courses. I absolutely fell in love. I had always been artistic as a young person, drawing in a sketchbook all the time. Since I didn't want to write another long-winded essay ever again, I made the switch. But really, art making has been a way for me to express my thoughts about myself, others, and the world through symbolism. I feel like I switched from a verbal and written language, to a visual one.
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