Island artist designs shipping box artwork for the holidays

When Purolator first reached out to Island graphic designer Ashley Green, she thought she was being scammed and almost deleted the email.

Green is one of 13 artists from across the country chosen to design artwork for the shipping company's holiday campaign. She designed the P.E.I. box after someone from the company saw her work online.

"He said that he had found my work on Instagram and that he had liked the work that I had done for the P.E.I. Pride Festival 2020 and said he was looking for something in a similar style," Green said.

"It was a little bit, like, shock because it's just a large company. It's not really on my radar as far as work goes."

'All the things that I picture when I think of home'

Green's work is likely familiar to Islanders, whether they know it or not. She is the founder of Local Legends Apparel and has done design work for restaurants, bars, breweries, crafters and makers and many festivals and events. 

Purolator reached out to her in October and the designs were finalized in about a week and a half, which Green said is "super quick" in her world of client dealings.

"It was really important to me to highlight both rural and urban P.E.I.," she said. "I just tried to encompass, like, all the things that I picture when I think of home."

Her design features imagery and symbols that would be familiar to Islanders and visitors alike. 

I just love a nice, quiet winter on P.E.I.— Ashley Green, designer

The box illustrates a winter scene with a fishing village, the Green Gables house, Founders Hall, the Cape Tryon Lighthouse, windmills and animals like the bluejay, fox and a tiny Eckhart the mouse from David Weale's The True Meaning of Crumbfest.

Green is from French River and has lived on P.E.I. most of her life, save for a short stint when she left 12 years ago.

"I couldn't wait to come home," she said."I just think the Island is so special."

She also included elements of Indigenous and Mi'kmaq culture and consulted with L'nuey.

"I reached out to them directly and just made sure that I was doing it in an appropriate way and to make sure that I understood the symbols that I was using," she said. 

"I just think it's really important to highlight that and respect it. They value the land and people so much and I feel like those values are very relevant right now."

For Green, an Island holiday season and winter is about family, nature and spending time together.

"I just remember being a kid and laying in the snow and listening to the silence, and you can hear all of nature and everything's creaking. I just love a nice, quiet winter on P.E.I.," she said.

"It guts me that some people aren't going to be able to come home this year, but I think just celebrate Christmas in your own way once we're able to."

The 12 other artist-designed boxes, representing each province and territory, will be available in early December.

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