When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, some people turned to making sourdough. Others picked up gardening or learned to play piano.
While some people went big, Havana Jackson went small.
In 2020, the Winnipegger dove into nail art. Her hobby turned into a passion and then an Instagram-based business.
“I always hated the bigger canvases. I never really was able to finish them, so I was like, maybe if I try nails, it’s a smaller thing that I can focus on and ultimately I can finish them quicker than the average canvas,” said Jackson, a self-taught, free-hand artist.
“It’s also a way of expressing myself.”
She created a nail art version of Van Gogh’s masterpiece The Starry Night, calling it, “by far my favourite mani that I’ve ever done” on her Instagram page.
Nail art takes patience and good vision, said Jackson. She paints her custom press-on nails five at a time, taking two to six hours, depending on the complexity, to finish a set.
“I try a bunch of different art. I recreate logos. I do some realism, more basic manicures. I do more complex ones. I’m sort of all over the map when it comes to art,” she said.
Jackson said she challenges herself to create more complex designs including candy logos and movie designs like A Nightmare on Elm Street and Jurassic Park.
She also created Taylor Swift designs in honour of that songwriter’s albums.
“It’s definitely a bit of a learning curve, working on a tiny thing you have to focus on for hours,” she said. “It can be a little challenging on my eyes.”
Winnipeg has no short of nail talent right now.
Artists at Pretty Young Thing, clawsbysums, Cool Kind Nails, playmatenails and American Nails, among others, offer themed and seasonal finger nail designs, as well as sculptural nails. Many of the designs are bold and playful, tapping into movie, cartoon, holiday and sports themes.
Meanwhile, Jackson and her nail art are the subject of a new three-minute documentary by students in the Create program at Sisler High School, a post-high school program that trains students in the creative digital arts, including filmmaking.
Create students Ben Crowe, Tyler Ullyot and Annabella Katiniaris, all 18, produced the new short video.
Meet the filmmakers
Ben Crowe has had a passion for filmmaking since starting as a five-year-old. He is interested in many areas of film production, including cinematography, shooting, editing and directing. In his free time, he likes to watch movies and his favourite YouTube creators, many of which serve as inspiration for future projects.
Annabella Katiniaris has had an interest in movie-making since they were little. They love filming and editing, and also have a love for graphic design. They love nature and being with the people they care about, and want to use their time on the planet to learn, create, feel, help others and discover the secrets of the universe — if they have the time.
Tyler Ullyot has been interested in being a filmmaker since Grade 9, when he took a digital media class just for fun. He enjoys making videos for YouTube or shooting and editing short films with friends, and always tries to challenge himself by learning new techniques and programs to help prepare him for the industry. In his free time, he enjoys watching movies, photography, biking and playing hockey.
More about Project POV: Sisler Create
CBC Manitoba’s Project POV: Sisler Create is a storytelling collaboration that partners filmmaking students with CBC Manitoba journalists to produce short docs. You can see past projects here.
The Winnipeg School Division’s Create program is hosted at Sisler High School and trains post-high students in the creative digital arts.
During fall 2024, CBC journalists taught storytelling to filmmaking students and led producing workshops at Sisler.
Create focuses on education and career pathways into the creative industries. Students can take courses in animation, film, game design, visual effects, graphic design and interactive digital media.
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