Zena Rogak has been drawing and painting animals from an early age. Born and raised on the west coast of Canada, she has a biology degree from the University of Victoria and graduated from Emily Carr College of Art and Design with a major in painting and printmaking.
She lives on a small farm on Gabriola surrounded by animals including assorted chickens, a Flemish giant rabbit, a horse, a miniature donkey, a parrot, two sheep and an assertive turkey. This menagerie is the primary source of inspiration for her work.
Inspiration struck when stumbling across an old boat tucked away in an unused boat shed. Sunlight streamed through cracks in its siding, highlighting the dust in the air while casting streams of light and shadows over the worn wood and peeling paint of this sleeping beauty. Who built it, why was it built? How has necessity defined its shape and function?
As a boatbuilder and as a career, I have chosen to preserve old wooden boats. I'm fascinated by their historic value, an intrigue that draws me into a careful study of their build and design. Many of the boat images I create come from the inspiration of working on the vessels themselves, or of the historic role they played in the past.
Intrigued by the myriad of hulls shapes, styles and construction, I find true beauty, and then joy of artistic license, by using light and colour to capture the essence of the boat in my paintings.
Galleries of my art, woodworking courses, and boat restoration projects at tonygrove.com and thegroveschool.ca.
Indian Summer Leather Design’s soft leather bags are cherished by women who love practical and versatile designs that suit their active lifestyles—without compromising fashion. These stunning bags are available in an array of vibrant colours and unique shapes, and are guaranteed to turn heads.
Designer and owner Anita Jackel-Deggan’s passion for leather began early in life. When she was a little girl, she would sneak into her hometown tannery in Hailer, Germany and collect leather scraps from the dump to glue into little change purses. She later studied fashion design in Pforzheim, Germany, and completed an apprenticeship with a well-known leather designer, Pia Petrini, in Berlin.
When Anita immigrated to Vancouver, Canada, in 1994, the first thing she did was send for her heavy duty walking foot Pfaff sewing machine, which she’s been using ever since to make her beautiful soft leather bags.
Indian Summer Leather Designs combine Anita’s European background with a touch of Canadian West Coast flair. All bags are created in British Columbia by a small dedicated team that includes Anita’s partner, Brian, who helps with sales and admin.
For more visit their website www.indiansummerleather.com
or find them on Facebook IndianSummerLeatherDesign
Yvonne Noyon designs and creates sterling silver and copper jewellery, featuring hand stamped words and quotes on unique designs meant to inspire and empower.
She began 15 years ago creating beaded jewellery and intricate beaded amulet bags, her work then evolved by adding sterling silver elements, and hand stamped wording. Her inspiration comes from organic shapes and elements, especially spirals, incorporating semi-precious stones and Swarovski crystals with silver into a multitude of unique, meaningful designs that bring a sense of joy and pleasure.
Her creations have also been displayed for sale at local markets and craft fairs and at her own studio, SpiritSong Designs, which has been part of the Gabriola Thanksgiving Studio Tour since 2004.
You can find her work also at www.spiritsongdesign.com
I am foremost a painter in oils and sometimes egg tempera, drawing through a variety of media including collage is another aspect of my work. I consider myself to be a narrative artist – a story-teller – and my style and subject matter hover somewhere between observation, memory and imagination. Subject matter is inspired by family and other histories, personal experience, domestic routine and place.
I like the contrast between working in traditional painting styles and experimental serendipitous drawings and collage; working from observation and painting from memory and imagination. These different ways of working compliment each other and my personality expressing some of my wide interests and curiosity in visual art.
I will be showing a variety of small collages and drawings at the Pier Gallery for the 2015 season.
For more of my work, events, blog and other exhibitions: antoinetteherivel.ca
I’ve lived near saltwater my entire life, and my seashore and landscape quilts celebrate the wonders of Gabriola Island, the Salish Sea, and coastal British Columbia.
Each of my quilts is original and unique, whether it is a simple medallion, an art quilt exploration, a complicated star or spiral, or a landscape or pictorial quilt. Each is sewn spontaneously, without following a pattern or copying someone else's design. I am a self-taught quilter so I have puzzled out my own ways of doing things. I made my first quilt many years ago, shortly after moving from Seattle, Washington to Nanaimo, B.C.
At present, my focus is split between quilt commissions and art quilts. With commissions, I strive to interpret what my client wants expressed in the quilt. In my art quilts, my own visions and emotions guide me in the making of quilts that are often quite personal.
I also make activist quilts in opposition to pipelines and increased oil tanker traffic in BC coastal waters, because an oil spill would obliterate the vibrant sea life that inspires my art.
I’m the author of “The Careless Quilter: Decide-As-You-Sew, Design-As-You-Go Quiltmaking” and have contributed a chapter to a group memoir called “Gumboot Girls: Adventure, Love, and Survival on British Columbia’s North Coast”.
More at: www.kristinmillerquilts.com
Subjects are diverse but capturing the warmth and play of light on local natural beauty is my most important mandate. - Melinda Wilde
Capturing the beauty of British Columbia in vivid creative watercolours, Melinda Wilde displays various styles of painting within the medium. You will probably have already seen some of her local public art: the electrical box at the ferry terminal, a hydro pole (ferns and frogs) on the ferry hill, the mural inside the Agricultural Hall and the mural in the Gabriola Elementary School library.
Melinda has been involved in many artistic ventures, from private and public murals to Professional Development seminars, the B.C. Ferries Artist and Speaker program, community “Art Start” workshops and after-school art programs. Her works are in private collections in Australia, Europe, Asia and throughout Canada and the U.S.
Painting and teaching watercolours for over 25 years, Melinda has a growing following of students in her spring and fall semester classes on Gabriola and in Nanaimo. Summer seminars are also available, check the website for info: www.melindawilde.com
Our House Art Studio (737 Ross Way) is where you can find more of Melinda Wilde’s art. Art cards, calendars, magnets, reproductions and original watercolours and acrylics, painted on more than just the canvas!
Richly layered, complex, contemporary and evocative landscapes in a wide range of sizes.
I did not start painting until 2011 – and it changed me ... and my life – I believe I’m the luckiest person in the world because I have found my passion and it speaks through me everyday!
Please visit my website: www.gwenspinks.com
“.... it’s only when we step into our light & shine and believe in ourselves that our art comes through to it's full expression” gs -
Since 2002, Scott Shane (founder and principle artist at Tied up & Dyed) has been developing his art form and creating quality innovative tie dye textiles on a small beautiful island off the coast of British Columbia, Canada.
Over this time we have tried, tested and accomplished many methods of resist work and hand dying to create fresh, vibrant hues and patterns to ‘dye’ for. As the path of art and life go, the evolution continues...
Each piece is tied and dyed with care by hand in our small island studio. Tie dye is a big part of Gabriola, the “Isle of the Arts” culture here, so please visit our hip, colourful boutique/working studio and get yourself Tied Up & Dyed. We can also be found at the Gabriola Farmers Market at the AGI Hall on Saturdays from 10-1 from mid-May to mid-September.
633 Wildwood Cres. We're open year-round by appointment.
250-247-9803
tiedupanddyed@gmail.com
Peace and thanks.
I learned the art of traditional silversmithing from my mother, a master silversmith for over 40 years, and have had a lifetime of absorbing knowledge through watching and helping in her studios. I chose a career in Graphic Design, which would eventually become the backbone of my silversmithing career, allowing me to develop distinct jewellery designs and to create the look and feel of my marketing and promotional material - the two areas work hand in hand in creating my line of work and the foundation of my professional image. My work is inspired by clean lines, symmetry, and beautiful simplicity in nature and art. I truly admire quality craftsmanship and attention to detail and I work to infuse these sensibilities into my pieces. I approach silversmithing as creating wearable art, or small sculptures for the body - practical, unembellished, yet beautifully crafted and timeless in design.
Paprika on Gabriola: the Pier Gallery, and in the brand new Paprika Gallery/Studio (480 North Rd).
Find and shop online as well: www.paprikadesign.ca, as well as many galleries and boutiques across Canada.
"Let the Beauty you love be what you do. There are a thousand ways to kiss the earth." ~ Rumi
Awaken your Senses with our Island Inspirations at La Belle Vie Studio. We invite you to experience our Gabriola Herbal Teas, Tinctures, Healing salves, Room Sprays and Lavender Facial Mist. We also have Island Alpaca and Sheep wool & Socks, artistic hand-felted Tea Cozys, Inspirational hand-crafted Pottery, and award-winning photography by Josée Velsen. Inspirational, Unique, Handcrafted Herbals,
"It is with much Gratitude that I am here learning every day, something new about this adventure we call Life. ~ Josee
More at: labelleviestudio.ca
Upon moving to my new home on Gabriola Island, my dream was to finally build a studio which I could work in and open up to the public. So after many months of hard work, I made that dream a reality and 9 years later I am happy to say my gallery has seen thousands of friends and customers from around the world.
This space is now my show space and gallery which displays all of my newest works and books and everything Dianna. I am now open year round for people to see my illustrations and works in progress. Visits are scheduled by appointment only, except for the Thanksgiving weekend, when I will be open for 3 full days as part of the Gabriola Island Thanksgiving Studio/Gallery Tour. I look forward to meeting you!
Modern Bohemian came out of Christine Blecher's love for pillows. She is a designer and artisan who passionately believes that our homes should reflect ourselves and the journey of our lives. All of her pillows, aprons, etc are handmade from textiles or fabrics that have been up-cycled in some way.
For instance they may have been a piece of curtain fabric, a vintage blanket or an item of clothing such as a linen dress or shirt. Some of her pillows are made from designer fabric samples that were being discarded for the newer models.
Christine believes in the Japanese phrase Wabi-Sabi or “perfect imperfection”, whereby a look is pulled together combining pieces that show their age and wea and reveal uirky and personal mementos of a life well-ived.
You can find Christine among her pillows at www.modernbohemian.ca and her studio (2447 Islands View Drive) is open by appointment.
