April S. White was born on the Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii), off the North West coast of British Columbia, Canada, just a short boat trip from Alaska. This small group of islands has produced more talented artists than anywhere else in Canada. In Haida Gwaii, art is a life time and isn't a past time. In 1792, Captain Vancouver George reported seeing many enormous wooden human statues in this area. That same year, Etienne Marchand, a French expedition leader, marveled at the "everywhere sculpture, paintings everywhere, among a nation of hunters." April has several relatives living in these islands and all of them practice indigenous art -- sculpting, painting, carving masks using spruce root and cedar bark in weaving, totem poles, steaming bentwood boxes, jewelry making, and creating art out of the unique stones in the islands, Argillite.
Early in her career, April honed her skill in painting and refined her abilities while she was practicing geology. This was after she graduated from the University of British Columbia. After a few years in the bush working as a geologist April realized that she was enigmatically possessed by painting---more so watercolors, for their versatility and portability. It was after graduation, that she finally had time to realize that she had always been drawn to art. It took a while until she fully realized how strong the pull of art might be. In the 1980s, April made the decision to put down her geology work, and picked up her paint brushes for good.
