A young Nunavut artist's work will be on the cover of Nunavut's phone book for the 2019-2020 year.

Dayle Kubluitok is originally from Rankin Inlet but recently moved to Iqaluit. The artwork she depicted in her design is an iconic scene from the city.

"I still can't believe it, even though I see the full print of the phone book, and they gave me a framed picture of it. It's surprising with all the amazing artists here," Kubluitok said, who started a new graphic design job with Nunavut Arctic College this month.

Kubluitok was waiting for a cab one evening outside the bank when a light pole caught her attention and she started sketching. She drew the scene using a stylus pen and an app on her smartphone. She finished shading the picture using a graphic design tablet at home.

Iqaluit's main intersection, known as the "four corners" is the subject of her drawing, with the northern lights dancing above. This was a first for her, as she usually draws people.

Dayle Kubluitok won the Northwestel Directory Cover Art Competition for the 2019-2020 Nunavut phone book. (David Gunn/CBC)

At the urging of her friends, at the last minute, she entered the Northwestel Directory Cover Art Competition.

Her win was announced March 8 at the Black Heart Café. Kubluitok had known she won for a while before that, and said she struggled to keep it a secret. She did tell her mom after letting out a shout of excitement when she read the email saying she won.

In addition to the recognition, Kubluitok won $3,000.

Northwestel's president Curtis Shaw says Kubluitok's work stands out among the winners of the competition, which has been running for 30 years.

"Dayle's digital rendering ... shows how the next generation of northern artists can use new technology to effectively capture our unique northern landscape," Shaw said in a press release.