Engaged couple Jud Haynes and Krista Power share a love for each other and a fondness for art.
But the creative duo now have something else in common — they’re both nominated for Visual Artist of the Year at the East Coast Music Awards.
Haynes and Power are visual artists from St. John’s. Despite their similar interests and the fact that they are vying for the same award, they say they are not competitive.
“It’s kind of nice because we’re both self-employed,” Power said in a recent interview with CBC News. “I think we sometimes clash when we need that.”
Aside from the couple’s ECMA nominations, Haynes is also nominated for a Juno Award for his artwork on the latest Kubasonics album. Cuba songs. He has worked with numerous artists including designing posters and album covers for Neil Young, the Arkells and Blue Rodeo.
Power has also worked extensively in the music industry, including her graphic design work for the Newfoundland Arts and Music Festival Lawnya Vawnya. But she says one of her main passions is surface design, which includes creating custom wallpaper and upholstery.
The two work independently with different clients and mediums, but say they often exchange ideas and turn to each other in moments of creative frustration. Haynes says his fiancee is full of great ideas and may trust her advice more than she does his.
“She has better taste than I do,” Haynes said.
Similar but different
Power says her most proud this year is working with Lawnya Vawnya, a client who she says allows her to learn more about the local music scene and benefit from her creative freedom.
Haynes says one project that has particularly caught his eye over the past year is working on branding for Tell Tale Harbour, a musical comedy co-written and starring Newfoundland musician Alan Doyle.
The two like to incorporate aspects of Newfoundland into their work. Haynes incorporated photos of Fogo Island into a Blue Rodeo record sleeve he designed and says he often uses the local geography and climate as inspiration for his work.
“[Clients] come to me when they want something that speaks to that province, which was really fun,” Haynes said.
Power also says Newfoundland culture and landscape inspire some of her pieces, including her wallpaper designs.
But one thing the couple doesn’t share is their passion for podcasts.
Haynes says he enjoys talking to and learning from visual artists who create work for the music industry, so he decided to create a podcast about it, dubbed Art Design Music. He talks to artists including Gerard Huerta, who designed the logo for the band AC/DC.
Power says she doesn’t think she’ll start a podcast on surface design.
“I don’t think I’m a podcaster,” Power said, laughing. “That’s not my mood.”
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