It’s inside her “pop-up art shop” on Second Avenue that Emma Barr is displaying and selling her artwork this Christmas season.

The shop features her signature landscape paintings for sale along with prints and works that showcase a unique new style that brings art with colour and light therapy to those taking in the pieces.

It’s a series of prototypes she sees as not only helping people through light and colour therapy, but also in potentially bringing new jobs to the Yukon.

She is still working on a name for the pieces that feature LED colour lighting shining through the pieces of coloured artwork created through layers of tissue-paper and a soft art paper that’s similar to tissue paper.

She had been thinking of a name for the pieces that would be something along the lines of Happy Lights. As she did more research, she learned there is already a vitamin D light by the same name.

While light simulators have been around for many years, bringing a dose of vitamin D to those who are in need of more light through the darker winter months, Barr’s work combines that light with colour and art, making it something that can be displayed on a wall.

As she continues working on perfecting the prototypes she’s creating, Barr also is working to come up with a name and pursuing a patent and business plans that could see a small factory operating in the Yukon to produce the units.

Demonstrating how the pieces work, Barr pointed out some of the models can be synced to music, the lights changing in time to the tunes. The pieces can also be set up without music to have the lights change at their own pace.

“These are all prototypes,” she said of each of the pieces inside her shop, noting that when the lights are turned off, the pieces work well as artwork on the wall.

It’s an idea that’s been a long time in the making, going back to Barr’s days as a student at the Kootenay School of the Arts in Nelson, B.C.

For a project there, she made a totem that featured lighting.

While she wanted to work with lighting more and produce the pieces she is making now, at that time, LED lighting was just too expensive, at about $100 per diode compared to the $30 or $40 current price for a full strip of LED lights that are used in the pieces.

The pieces serve as a way to bring light and colour therapy to those who may need it, she said, recalling her own journey with depression and the need for individuals to find different ways of dealing with issues they face.

Colour, light and aroma therapies can help many, she said, noting she encourages people to explore finding what works for them.

Those purchasing the prototypes are also receiving a colour therapy chart which details what each colour is associated with (blue, for example, is associated with calm and serenity) as well as a small vial of essential oils to help them explore aromatherapy.

“It took a long time to get a hold of my life again,” she said, pointing out that she had to make a number of lifestyle changes in finding her own ways to deal with depression.

Others, she said, may simply enjoy the piece as a unique decorative piece for a wall.

As word spreads about them, Barr is fielding more and more calls about them from across the country, and has sold a few as well.

“People are freaking out about it,” she said, emphasizing her desire to produce them on a larger scale through a local factory that could be set up employing up to 12 people turning out about 8,000 units every year or two.

“Anybody can be trained,” she said of producing the pieces. “It has huge potential.”

Along with her art work, Barr is working on getting the financing in place (and already has a couple of potential investors).

She is looking at funds that may be available to get started, conducting market research on potential demand and pursuing the legal aspects of it as well in the hopes of perfecting the pieces and getting a small factory operation in place for next year.

“The planning is everything,” she said.

Barr’s pop-up shop will close Monday, though her work can also be viewed and ordered through her website at www.emmabarrfineart.com