Small business spotlight: Northwood Originals  

Danyel Wheeldon, owner of Northwood Originals, has a better take on putting pen to paper. Instead of painting on a traditional canvas, Wheeldon is a 23-year-old full-time artist who specializes in creating paintings on wood.  

Danyel Wheeldon, owner of Northwood Originals posing with one of her pet portraits of a dog on a big piece of wood. Credit: Danyel Wheeldon  

Living in a rural part of northeastern Ontario, Wheeldon began Northwood Originals in 2020 while pursuing her college degree.  

“I started my business in 2020 as a way to supplement some income while I was still going through college. Since I live in quite a small town, there are only so many types of jobs you can get. Nothing ever really spoke to me as much as art did, so with the moral support of my partner and parents, I continued running my business full time after graduating from college,” said Wheeldon.  

Other than the lack of variety of jobs, the only obstacle Wheeldon had to overcome was how to become an officially licensed business.  

A winter-blanketed pine tree painted by Northwood Originals. Credit: Danyel Wheeldon  

Starting Northwood Originals came easily for Wheeldon, who would source her supplies locally. Wheeldon’s gathering of her ‘canvases’ is the true definition of tree-hugging.  

“My paints and brushes I like are coming from Canadian-run stores, Curry’s, Deserres, etc. The wood that I paint on is sourced by myself. People are always climbing trees, and I’m happy to scour around the scrap piles. I cut and sand them all myself or outsource locally,” said Wheeldon.  

A truly naturalistic painting of a fox, a rabbit and plants. Credit: Danyel Wheeldon  

While Northwood Originals does not have a targeted demographic, Wheeldon adds that it’s easy to serve her customers, who are mostly women.  

“I would say a lot of my demographic is women, around ages 25​ [to] ​40. I find a lot of folks like my pieces for gifting, it’s something personal and unique, while also providing a large range of pricing for different budgets,” said Wheeldon.  

Wheeldon posing with a unique wood carving, illustrating two painted dog heads. Credit: Danyel Wheeldon  

Wheeldon explained why it is so important to support small businesses.  

“I think it’s crucial to shop at and support small businesses because it’s so personal. You can come across my page, buy a low ticket item and still know that the $10 you just spent will be going directly to supporting myself and my partner. It’s much harder to feel personal about buying a mass-produced item from your local Walmart. I also feel so good when I buy small, I am directly supporting somebody’s dream to earn their funds a little differently than your average job. It’s encouraging more creative people in the world,” said Wheeldon.  

For those looking to shop for one of products at Northwood Originals, look out for when their commissions are open on Instagram and Facebook, and soon, on their very own website.