Geneva Haley is a multidisciplinary artist and tattooer based in Calgary, whose practice is rooted in the prairies she grew up in. Her work spans illustration, painting, and tattooing, often drawing from rural ecology, overlooked species, and the quiet wonder of everyday landscapes. She has collaborated with institutions including the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, creating illustrations that bridge science, place, and storytelling.
Alongside her role at Hemlock Tattoo Studio, Geneva runs Pastureland, a space for her personal art and environmental projects. Whether on skin, paper, or boots, her approach is grounded in care, observation, and a deep connection to land.
gravitypope and Blundstone have partnered with Geneva on a live boot tattooing event this coming Saturday, September 20th, at gravitypope Edmonton. Her distinctive linework and ecological motifs find a new canvas, celebrating creativity, craftsmanship, and the stories objects can hold.
gravitypope and Blundstone recently caught up with her to chat about her favourite things, inspirations, ecology, and more.
Director/Cinematographer @seanedwards @ramblefilms
Post Production @james_barry @ramblefilms
Music by @wildlife_corridor
Who are you and what do you do?
Hey, I'm Geneva Haley, aka Pastureland. I'm an illustrator, tattooer, and artist. Most of my work revolves around local ecology, overlooked species, and stories where the land plays a significant role.
What does a typical day in your studio look like?
I am either at Hemlock tattoo in Calgary, which I co-own with my best friends, tattooing, and having long conversations, forcing our clients to listen to lute music and trying not to talk about horses too much. Or I am in my home studio, where I sometimes start the day very early, taking care of a variety of animals, large and small, and then spend most of the day researching, drawing, and doing a range of tedious tasks on the computer. On both kinds of days, I try my best to finish on time so I can play outside, or I go insane.
Do you have a favourite medium to work in right now, or does it change week to week?
Almost always just straight black ink, in one form or another. It's never boring to me, even if it sounds that way!
If you could only draw one subject for the rest of your life — pastures, dinosaurs, or wildlife — which would you pick?
Not to be dramatic and annoying, they're all the same thing. Dinosaurs are the pastures, and the pastures are the wildlife. But not to be an edgelord... probably ungulates!
Do you listen to music or podcasts while you work? Any favourites lately?
Always. I'm an avid Libby user, so I rip through a lot of audiobooks, especially natural history. My favourite podcast lately is No Dogs in Space, and because of them, I have been in an intense adult-resurrected Stooges phase for the last 2 months.
What do you love most about living and working in Alberta?
Our geology. Alberta holds some of the most diverse landscapes on Earth. Travel 2 hours in any direction, and you're on a different planet.I also love our community.I get why some people have to leave, but the folks who stay put so much heart into making this place what it is. They inspire me all the time. Smaller communities mean everyone shows up for everything: theatres, festivals, concerts, galleries. We all support each other as best we can to keep things alive. I don’t think a lot of places have that kind of overlap, it rocks.
Is there a particular landscape or place here that always inspires you?
Native grasslands forever. They're the most endangered ecosystem in Canada, and among the most endangered in North America. They store enormous amounts of carbon, produce oxygen, and build some of the richest soils on Earth. They have been unfairly dismissed as 'flat nothing,' but grassland demands that you slow down to the speed of the land and tune in with all your senses. It rewards by revealing itself only to those who pay attention...TLDR: Grassland isn't boring, you're boring!!
Where's your favourite place to see wildlife?
Well, it's a secret?Jk Honestly, about 40 minutes southeast of Medicine Hat at dawn or dusk. Get yourself a coffee, pummel down a dirt road, and sit still by a tree or a slough for a little while as quietly as you can. You might see pronghorns, meadowlarks, moose, rattlesnakes, pheasants, eagles, or the odd designer cow, which is also a thrill for me, at least.
If someone were visiting Alberta for the first time, what's one place you'd send them?
The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology. I admit bias.
Do you have a favourite local café, bar, or restaurant you always recommend?
Rain Dog, Magpie, and The Palomino. (Apparently, I have an accidental animal theme going, whoops.)
What's a good day off in your world?
- A huge coffee in bed with both cats.
- A long trail ride on a horse with just the right amount of spice.
- Reading under quaking aspen trees, going "shhhhhhhh".
- Dinner on plastic chairs in a friend's backyard with a dog under the table.
- Ending the night with a movie in the theatre with a Dr. Pepper the size of my head.
Any small businesses or shops you think more people should know about?
Folktale Hair, Sunday Shop, Clinic Studio, Neon Taste Records, Everybody Stronger, Diamond Day Gardens, Good Gals Vintage, Prairie Rose Tallow, and Shelflife Books (duh).
Who are some artists or creatives in your circle you're excited about right now?
The Access Arts Centre is the coolest art space in Calgary. The artists there are making some of the most exciting work I’ve seen in years. Do not miss one of their shows, seriously. The crew at Burnt Toast Studio are constantly putting out fantastic work. And lately I’ve had my friend Mariel Buckley’s new single Vending Machines on repeat.
What's the last great book, show, or film you got into?
A Grandmother Begins the Story by Michelle Porter, the book AND the film The Power of the Dog... and then, like everybody else on the planet, I am counting down the days for Severance season three.
Do you collect anything?
Feathers, fossils, and parking tickets <3
If you weren't making art, what do you think you'd be doing instead?
Idealistically: field biology.Realistically: really bad guitar player.
What pair of Blundstones are you wearing, and what do you love about them?
Black square-toed! They fit into any western-inspired look, and I can tattoo in them all day without my heels killing me. Most of all, I like how if you take care of them, they’ll last like a decade. They don’t push you to buy more boots- they teach you to care for the pair you already have. I wish more companies thought that sustainably.
