She was working at her easel when a dragon emerged.
Artist Monika Blichar was at her Upper Lonsdale studio when she first glimpsed him. He wasn鈥檛 an angry, covetous, smoke-snorting dragon. The scaly fellow forming on Blichar鈥檚 canvas was named Murray. And Murray suffered from the most embarrassing disorder that can afflict a dragon: he couldn鈥檛 breathe fire.
The character was born in the mind of Blichar鈥檚 high school friend Cristina Petersen. The two were on an art retreat when Petersen started discussing a story she wanted to write.
It would be the story of a misfit going to astronomical lengths to fit in, Petersen decided.
鈥淗e has no fire, sadly. So he decides to go to the sun and get some fire,鈥� Petersen explains in a video released to raise funds for the book.
But while Murray succeeds in his quest for fire, he soon discovers the cost to his newly-molten breath: the sun is colder and the Earth is a darker, gloomier place.
The story was written to offer young readers a tale of acceptance, courage, and respect for the Earth, Petersen says.听
It would be a simple, a mutual friend told them. Petersen would write the story and Blichar would illustrate.
Blichar liked the idea and she liked the story. But what would Murray look like?
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 really have it in my head when she told me the story,鈥� she says, speaking from her Upper Lonsdale studio. 鈥淚t was just something that happened while I was painting.鈥�
She learned that Murray had big green eyes, a shock of Einstein-white hair and two fangs hanging over his lower lip like a child鈥檚 overbite.
Blichar completed 17 paintings for the book. But while the artistic process was smooth, publication had its challenges.
Petersen and Blichar opted to crowdfund the children鈥檚 book, eventually selling enough advance-copies to finance publication.
The book is available online through Indigo and Amazon and the duo are working on getting Murray into brick and mortar bookstores.
The book鈥檚 release marks a milestone for Blichar, who鈥檇 been training for a career in the arts since her cramming note paper with doodles during her school days in Red Deer, Alta.
鈥淢y parents never encouraged me to do art,鈥� Blichar recalls. 鈥淭hey just kind of let me figure out what I wanted to do.鈥�
Originally from Poland, Blichar鈥檚 parents each embarked on careers as entrepreneurs after immigrating to Canada with their one-year-old daughter.
Blichar鈥檚 mother was a real estate agent and her father ran a commercial cleaning company. Neither was artistically inclined but both parents offered invaluable training for an artist who would eventually need to pitch projects, establish clientele and promote her work.
鈥淚 had to translate a lot when I was younger, so I think hanging out in my dad鈥檚 office helped me start my own business,鈥� Blichar says. 鈥淭hat was my playtime. I would go downstairs and hang out in his office and pretend I was the boss.鈥�
After graduating university with a teaching certificate, Blichar says she spent about 10 years working in public and private schools.
鈥淚 tried to do the sensible thing,鈥� she says with a laugh.
Her work was consistent but there was a daily lack of joy, she explains. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 getting up and going like, 鈥榊es! This is my life.鈥欌��
During that decade as a teacher, Blichar had been drawing, painting and designing clothes, meeting customers, co-ordinating the Art World Expo and selling her wares at pop-up markets. In 2018, she left her serious career.
鈥淚 finally was like, OK, I鈥檓 just going to do art.鈥�
Influenced by pop art and surrealism, Blichar currently offers paintings and greeting cards with subjects ranging from Paris to comic books to a rotary telephone. She also offers a host of leggings adorned with black cats, playing cards, eyes, lips and faces. Her boutique gallery is also stocked with local coffee and hot sauce, she says.
鈥淚t just kind of morphed,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 created a job for myself.鈥�
She didn鈥檛 expect to make a living with her paintbrush, she says with a laugh, but she鈥檚 glad she can.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that I would do it as an adult,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 more like: 鈥楪et a serious job,鈥� right?鈥�
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