Painting portrait of PM’s wife inspirational, artist says

A Tofino artist who painted Sophie Gregoire Trudeau in an exalted warrior yoga pose says meeting Canada’s first couple last week was a proud moment in her life.

Deanna Lankin, a resident of Tofino for the past 12 years, says she received a call Monday from artist Christy Feaver alerting her that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Gregoire Trudeau might visit Lankin’s boutique shop — the House of Alaia — the following day.

Lankin said she had heard that Gregoire Trudeau is a fan of her jewelry designs and was coming in to shop. She said the thought of meeting her “hero” inspired her to stay up all night painting Gregoire Trudeau. The finished piece is called Heart Awakening.

“I’d had an idea to paint one of Chris Pouget’s amazing yoga photos that morning ... when I looked at the picture again I realized that it was shot on the beach that the Trudeaus are staying at in Tofino and that Sophie is a yoga instructor,” she wrote in a Facebook post.

Lankin has collaborated with Pouget, a local photographer, on several projects. She used one of his photographs of a model doing yoga and then painted it instead to look like Gregoire Trudeau.

“So I did it. Like a crazy, manic, geekin’ out artist … I stayed up until 4 a.m. and painted her doing yoga on Chesterman’s (Beach).”

In an interview, Lankin said she is inspired by Gregoire Trudeau because she is such a strong woman, and that the warrior pose symbolizes her balance between strength and openness.

“In the exalted warrior pose your heart is open. So you are strong and fierce, while at the same time being open and vulnerable,” said Lankin.

“I hope it reminds her who she is, and how much she helps and inspires people.”

When Gregoire Trudeau came into the shop the following day, she saw the painting briefly before her driver whisked her off to an engagement.

Then her security guard came in later and asked if the prime minister had seen it and she replied “no” but gave him a card.

Lankin said she went to bed and visualized them both coming in for “a very long time.”

The next day they came in to the shop and purchased the painting.

But before they left, they posed for the camera. In the photo, snapped by Pouget, Justin Trudeau is holding the painting while his wife strikes the same warrior yoga pose as in the painting.

Lankin said the photograph represents one of the proudest moments of her life.