Hi there! I’m Val, the creative energy and expert behind Pixels and Relish. I bring a whole lot of passion, creative inspiration, and branding experience into my business. On the surface, I am a Certified Graphic Designer with over 16-years of experience in the industry. At the core, design, creativity, and art fills my heart every day. It spills over into everything I do and allows me to be true to who I am — both at and outside of work. It’s the simple things in life that keep me creatively charged. I often find design inspiration in patterns, fashion, music, home décor, and most importantly, the aroma of a fresh cup of coffee.
The journey of Pixels and Relish stems from childhood. While my friends dreamt of becoming astronauts and superstars, I illustrated greeting cards and imaginary comic books. With my fancy box of Prisma pencil crayons, I laid out creative children’s books alongside my trusty typewriter. Before I reached kindergarten, my mom was nourishing my creativity by teaching me her artistic techniques. She taught me how to build flipbooks, illustrate cartoons, sculpt characters, and, most importantly, never suppress my out-of-the-box thinking. These childhood passions never left and led me to attend Grant MacEwan University’s Graphic Design & Illustration course. My university studies equipped me with skills in drawing, layout design, and conceptualization techniques.
Throughout my first few roles in design, I acquired essential, hands-on experience in various industries. I led the Expansion 2012 campaign for the Edmonton International Airport and mastered publication design during my time at Friesenpress. I then fell in love with the world of branding while working as a graphic designer for the University of Alberta.
The creative freedom that the entrepreneurial world offers and the opportunity to set companies up for success pulled me into opening my own branding and design business. In May 2018, I opened the doors to Pixels & Relish, and since then, I’ve never looked back. It has taken me on such a beautiful journey and provided me with the opportunity to learn and grow along the way.
I am forever grateful for each individual that I get to design for. If working together sounds like an adventure you want to join me on, please reach out. Let’s create together!
