When you take an object – a rock or pebble – from any given place (whether on a trip or vacation), you acquire a memory of that time. And when you look and feel the texture of these pocketed novelties, they exercise the mind on specificity – the exact place where you took it from, the smell, the time of day or why that particular object attracted your attention in the first place.

Toronto-based artist Carly Waito collects and paints mineral specimens of all different shapes, sizes and colour. Waito’s fascination for things geological stems back to her childhood from her first rock collection she brought for show and tell to the ones she picks up on her travels or buys from random vendors.

Waito’s detailed paintings illustrate her curiosity about and affection for the natural world. And when you look at her compositions, she encourages you to view them the way she sees each specimen – inspecting each crystalline structure, shape variation from edge to edge and colour and shade on its many dimensions. Each painting tells a textured memory, a unique story that portrays the specimen’s rarity and natural beauty, which explains why it attracted your eyes in the first place.

Where did your fascination with minerals come from? And why did you decide to make them the subject of your paintings?

I have always collected little things from nature that I find precious or curious. I painted a variety of these things before I became captivated by minerals. They are such perfect examples of what I find inspiring about nature in general.

I remember my sister giving me this umber crystal necklace, which apparently had mystical powers of protection. Besides aesthetic quality, what makes these specimens interesting to you?

I am drawn to them because of their rarity, geometry, their infinite diversity… I’m not a believer in the metaphysical healing influence of minerals, but I still find them to be intensely mysterious and powerful objects. I find that the more I learn about the science behind their origins, the more magical they seem.

Where do you go to find these rocks? And do you have a special place where you store your treasures?

I buy most of my specimens from dealers at mineral shows or on eBay. My dad recently made me a beautiful wooden cabinet with little drawers divided in little sections to house my collection.

Besides rocks, what other curious things did you treasure as a child? What do you treasure now?

As a child, I collected and treasured all sorts of things: rocks, shells, stamps, marbles, old objects inherited from grandparents. I loved tiny special things and as an adult they still inspire the same sense of curiosity and awe.

I stumbled across one of your posts about icebergs, which are sort of like gigantic versions of the specimens you collect, in terms of the varied shapes they take. What qualities/textures attract your eyes and hands? How do you choose which ones to paint?

Usually I am first drawn to a specimen’s beauty or strangeness. Certain qualities are undeniably seductive, like transparency, colour and crisp angular forms. But the more involved I have become in the subject matter, the more nuanced my appreciation has become, and I’m finding myself drawn to more diverse and obscure traits. I’m really interested right now in specimens that look very modest and unassuming to the naked eye – tiny, dark and plain – but that become spectacular when I illuminate and enlarge them.

Every mineral seems isolated and unique. Can you describe your art process and how you capture the individual representation of each item?

I begin by photographing each specimen using my DSLR with a macro lens. I use an intricate set-up of lights and mirrors to capture the qualities of each specimen, such as directing reflected light on certain facets to highlight the specimen’s geometry and surface texture, but allowing deep interior views through other facets, to show its colour and transparency.

I also noticed from your older posts that you use printed images as a guide to your paintings. What are the benefits of this and what are its limitations?

The most minute variation in lighting can completely alter the appearance of a specimen, so the only way to have a consistent and convenient subject for reference is by freezing that moment in a photograph and using a printed image to paint from. I also love the shallow depth of field I can achieve with macro photography.

You also do knitting on the side. What other activities do you enjoy?

I tend to have little phases where I get obsessed with specific projects, like baking bread or knitting tiny sweaters. I also have a vegetable garden in the backyard and I love to read. I have a hard time getting out much, because there are always so many things I want to do at home.

Can you describe the place where you do your work?

I work in the dining room of our apartment, which is the main floor of a house. I have a little table beside the window, surrounded by a lot of house plants. It’s very cozy.

Can you talk about your upcoming exhibition Specimens at Narwhal Art Projects in September?

I’m pretty excited, because this is my first solo show and the largest group of mineral paintings I’ve done. The paintings are a little bigger (but still small) and more detailed than my early ones. The opening is September 8th and the show runs through October 2nd.

- Carly Waito, artist
Photo of Carly by Andrew Waller