We received so many gorgeous photographs of Lillooet and the surrounding area! The winner of our contest was Angela Kuprel, with the photo above.

Angela runs a lifestyle blog over at ponderosacountrylife.com, and has been living in Lillooet and doing photography work for six years now.

These days she can be found out hiking or riding on the local trails, or walking with her dog Angus.  She also makes beautiful locally grown gourd lamps, hand tooled leather belts and buckles, and hand-woven pine needle baskets. Angela is a healthy lifestyle advocate, and promotes an active, outdoor life and healthy eating on her website.  For Angela, this includes hikes with Angus every day, where she draws inspiration for her various forms of art.

Angela is at the Farmers’ Market on Fridays – a great place to stop in and see some of her beautiful work.

Here’s a short interview with the local artist!

What kind of art do you sell at the farmers’ market? Do you make other things that you do not sell?

Farmers market:  I started with reclaimed copper bracelets as whenever I wore mine I was asked if I found it helped with arthritic joint pain (and I feel that it does), then added natural soaps, lip balms healing skin creams & bars made with local beeswax & soy candles. (All pictured above.)

The following year I added Ponderosa pine needle baskets & pendants, made from needles harvested around my property, then then 2 years later added led gourd lamps (grown also in Lillooet).

Most recently I added hand tooled leather belts, belt buckles and bracelets which had been on the “back burner” so to speak for many years.


Two years ago one of my baskets (pictured above) won 3rd voted prize at the Apricot fest art show at the Miyazaki house, and last year a woven platter (below) with yarn basket won 1st voted prize!!

I make many other items when I need them, like my wool hunting pants; wool coat made from a shawl I found at the thrift store for my Staffy who has no warm under layer of fur, seat covers for our trucks…the list in never ending!

What we really pride ourselves with, is being able to sustain about 80% of a 150 mile diet. I also make consious efforts to re use materials, such as my crochet grocery bags, and paper bags made from reclaimed packing paper. I have gotten a rubber stamp made and use recalimed paper for business cards instead of printing “new” one.

I’ve waited all my life to be “an artist” and to do art full time!

What is your favourite thing about Lillooet/this region?
The ruggedness, steep rocky mountains, big space to be alone in and of course our sunny dry climate!


What are your top three health tips?
1) Eat healthy (no processed foods!)
2) Exercise daily
3) Mitigate stress

If I could say that all in one line it would be:
Live a balanced life: exercise daily, mitigate stress, eat well and sleep well.

Thanks Angela!