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November 30, 2010

Astrosatchel aka Janna Hurtzig

An original member of the Shiny Fuzzy Muddy Collective, Janna is an inspiring and prolific designer and maker. Her collection is a local cultural phenomenon - you can spot and Astrosatchel bag on almost every inner city block if you are looking for them! Go ahead - try it next time you are walking about and taking in the fantastic visual culture of Vancouver!

Born in Ontario, Janna Hurtzig moved to the West Coast in 1994. Completely self taught, she has been handcrafting her creations since 1998. In 2005, production moved from home to a large, cozy studio in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, where it remains today.

Inspired by nature, the Astrosatchel label combines Scandinavian design, Asian pop culture influences and a Canadian cottage feel, to give even the smallest of items a distinct look. Products include purses and tote bags, wallets, diaper bags made from vegan friendly Naugahyde vinyl as well as one of a kind pieces made from recycled textiles. A winter collection including toques and scarves made using recycled cashmere is an annual favorite.

The Astrosatchel aesthetic is clean lined, yet detailed, allowing complex themes to be expressed in simplified manner. Bold and bright colour combinations add a striking layer to the story. Recent additions to the line include a new colour based series of back-to-basic, retro shaped purses and small housewares line featuring kitchen textiles.

Sold in independent boutiques across Canada and the United States, Astrosatchel products have appeared on Much Music, and MTV Canada, and in numerous magazines including Vancouver Fashion and Flare.

Carylann Loeppky

Carylann Loeppky is a self-taught painter & visual artist. She comes from a graphic design background. Studied at Emily Carr University of Art & Design, British Columbia Institute of Technology and Vancouver Vocational Institute. For twelve years she worked in
the Art Department of a major record label where she added video and motion graphics to her inventory of art practices.

Currently her study is painting: oil on canvas and board, creating portraits, abstracts + figurative works. Exploring and combining these techniques with subject matter. Inspired by the old masters; using layering methods as she has developed in her graphic
design work, Carylann incorporates glazing, layering, sanding, and scratching to the painting to blend and soften the appearance: bringing out small details and energy to each piece. Her portraits tend to be quite small, which gives them a unique intimacy and take can take up to one year to complete each piece.



Locomotive Clothing

Locomotive's husband and wife team are Jay and Aaron Matte and they live, create and garden in a sweet little Vancouver area house. They are makers of sweet and unique streetwear, adorners of objects, riders of bicycles, do it yourselfers, visual learners, and lovers of the good life. They also throw great parties and make unique and wearable streetwear with images of things that drive and inspire them. Current obsessions are vintage Canadiana, old school farm equipment, hearts, vampires, music and circus imagery. And they always love trains. They also love a touch of whimsy and adorn their items with everything from classic Penny Farthing bicycles to trains floating on clouds to kids playing jump rope. All graphics are created by them, either digitally or by hand and are hand screen printed, spray painted and appliquéd onto quality cotton tshirts, long sleeves, hoodies, tank tops and onesies for guys, gals and tots.



November 25, 2010

SFM Artists in Eastside Culture Crawl

This coming weekend, Nov 26 | 27 | 28 will mark the 14th Annual Eastside Culture Crawl in Vancouver. SFM11 artists that are showing this coming weekend in the Culture Crawl include:

Arleigh Wood
Janna Hurtzig | Astrosatchel
Laura McKibbon | cul de sac design
Claire Madill | heyday design
Carylann Leoppky
Mary Anne Tateishi
Jen Pleadwell | Thousand Flowers Textiles
Jessie Turner Jewellery Design

It's annual and it's a FREE 3-day visual arts phenomenon. This event involves more than 10,000 people visiting artists in their studios in the area bounded by Main Street to Victoria Drive and from First Avenue north to the waterfront of Vancouver, Canada. The Eastside Culture Crawl Society provides opportunities for the public to engage with member artists through the ongoing creation of events and programming that support the growth of east side artists.

November 24, 2010

Kudos to Media Sposor - Vancouver is Awesome!

Vancouver is Awesome has just offered to be a media sponsor for our upcoming SFM 11 show! Many greatly appreciated thank yous to Bob Kronbauer, Managing Editor + Executive Director and the crew at V.I.A.! Vancouver Is Awesome Inc is a community-based, incorporated not-for-profit organization dedicated to spreading a positive message about the city of Vancouver and the arts and culture within it. Founded, edited and maintained by folks who live in the city and who truly love Vancouver and the many communities it fosters, V.I.A. delivers lighthearted yet thoughtful news through their blog, Facebook, Twitter, and in their print annual as well as a weekly piece on 100.5 The Peak. They also work beyond the media, producing events and partnering with other organizations and companies and generally making Vancouver a better city for its citizens to enjoy. 

On Monday, Nov 22 they kicked off a donor drive supporting their organization. They've got over $7000 in raffle prizes to give away to their donors, and 60 support letters from different organizations and businesses they've worked with over the last year. Click here to read more about why it would be a good idea to support V.I.A. and to follow their fundraiser-ometer!

November 23, 2010

Hammypie


Meet Harmony and Eunice - these two make Hammypie! Harmony works as a local print media and graphic designer in Vancouver and Eunice has recently gone back to school for nursing. Ever since the ripe age of five, it was clear that Harmony was made for the arts. From making intricate jewelry pieces to handmade cards to mobiles, it feels like Harmony has done it all! Eunice, on the other hand, only recently discovered that she too has an artsy side. It all started when Harmony taught Eunice to knit 4 years ago. Since then, Eunice has fallen in love with knitting, exploring different yarns, and finding the most unique buttons ever.

Unsatisfied in her search for well designed calendars which can be welcomed in any home, Harmony went on to create the 2010 calendar collection. These calendars are whimsical, eco-friendly, created and printed in Vancouver. Harmony's work has been highly influenced by her daily life, travels and whimsical imagination.

Eunice's knitwear consists of cowls and circle, infinity scarves. She loves mixing materials with different textures, using wool as her staple. From choosing the yarn to sewing on that very last button, there isn't a part of knitting that Eunice doesn't thoroughly enjoy.

New to the SFM show this year, we are looking forward to seeing Hammypie's collection as we are eternal fans of good design and well-conceived ideas.

Gailan Ngan

Gailan Ngan's ceramics present a contemporary, conceptual twist to the age-old art of pottery. Combining a keen interest in visual art and experimentation with a steadfast respect for everyday practicality, these beautiful, minimal pots are the product of an artist's enquiring mind into the mysteries of form and space.

Originally from Hornby Island, BC, Gailan began her ongoing fascination with the possibilities of ceramics at an early age, first as a studio assistant- and eventual apprentice- to her father, Wayne Ngan. She founded her own studio, Cornershop, in the Strathcona neighbourhood of Vancouver in 1997, and graduated from Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in 2002.  In 2010 Gailan moved her studio to Hornby Island.

Welcoming her back to Vancouver, our crew is happy to have Gailan showing with us this year. Though we always have a few artists each year practicing in the same medium (ie - clay) we strive to have a diverse representation of the material and form. Gailan's work definitely resides in it's own niche amongst the other clay works you will find at Heritage Hall this year!

Phaulet

Born and raised in Colombia and living in Vancouver since 2003 with her husband and two kids, Paula González brings together the colors and beauty of antiques and vintage illustrations  refineing them with a subtle touch of sophistication and grace.

The passion for beauty in all aspects has taken Paula González to create Phaulet: a Double sided resin jewellery line made by hand where resin and old illustrations combine to create very unique and unconventional art-pieces to wear. Every piece has been created inspired by stories!
 
We were struck by how unique Paula's blend of materials were in her Phaulet line of jewellery - each piece is a vintage mixed media collage - and a reversible one at that!


November 12, 2010

Jasna Sokolovic

Jasna is a good friend of the SFM show and has shown with us a number of times over the years. She is an artist with a broad background which provides her with an ever-expanding palette of creative tools to work with. Her ceramic works, whether they are functional or non-functional, tell a story like a letter to a friend does. They are intimate and personal and when you are observing them you may feel like you are the only person in the room with them.

'Speak Love to Me' by Jasna Sokolovic

Detail of 'Speak Love to Me' by Jasna Sokolovic

Jasna working on ceramic tile in her studio.

With a foundation in architecture, Jasna moved to Canada from Yugoslavia in 1994, where she earned her BFA Degree from Emily Carr Institute of Art & Design in 2000.

Jasna has participated in gallery shows throughout Canada and United States. Her work was recently selected for the 5th World Ceramic Biennale in Korea. Also in 2009, she received the Winfred Shantz award for ceramics. She has participated in artist residencies in Denmark, the Banff Centre, and most recently in Mexico.

Jasna’s work is featured in the Lark Books Transfer Imagery on Clay, 500 Tiles, Surface Design for Ceramics, and 500 Vases.

She works in a variety of artistic fields, using clay as a basis to explore gallery installations, fashion and interior design.

November 11, 2010

Arleigh Wood

At first glance Arleigh's mixed media paintings are beautiful collaged photographs embellished with texture and sometimes found objects. If you are lucky enough to be able to spend time in the presence of her work or live with her artwork in your personal space they become so much more than that. They are layered portraits of memory or early morning dreaming -part whimsy, part nostalgia and all poetry - full of personal iconography leaving the viewer feeling like they've been to the places she depicts. Her unique approach and use of digital photography has gained her attention at home and abroad. Wood is an original member of the Shiny Fuzzy Muddy Collective contributing much of her personal time and energy in the last years to the success of SFM shows. Thanks, Arleigh!

Arleigh in her studio during Eastside Culture Crawl 2009

Arleigh Wood studied at Concordia University in Montreal and the University of Hertfordshire in St Albans UK, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours. Wood has participated extensively in national and international exhibitions. Her work is in private and corporate collection and has been featured hotels and in various interior design magazines including Canadian House and Home. Wood’s paintings have also been used in films and television shows like the “Designer Guys”. When she is not working in her Vancouver studio, Wood enjoys fast-paced urban explorations and peaceful natural escapes.

Hand & Shadow

We are happy to welcome Georgie and her creative expressions of found under the name of Hand & Shadow to the show this year. Her inspirations are intriguing and poignant and we look forward to seeing it all at SFM 11.

If you linger on the smallest details, have found and carried around a feather or bone, or saved your molars long after they were removed, you’re likely to fall for Georgie Russell’s Hand & Shadow.

Lace Tee by Hand & Shadow
The natural world in both it’s blossom and decay exist in tandem – drawing you closer than ever before to the neck of a howling beast or the cracks of a human skull.  There is a beauty revealed here. Teeth are mistaken for lace or pearls and hair flows and curls like fine ribbons.

The designs of Hand & Shadow pay attention to all the small things, not missing a stray hair or cracked tooth. All garments are printed by hand in East Vancouver.  This allows the uniqueness of each print to show in the variance of colour, texture and placement.  They are made in small volumes using sustainable, sweatshop free products where possible. The inks used are bleach based leaving each garment soft to the touch and will not crack or fade.

Georgie is a little bit scientist and a little bit seamstress in all that she makes.  Her work appreciates a beauty that is real and a little rough, even frightening at times, but all the while accessible in the beauty one can’t help but want to linger, just a little longer on.

November 10, 2010

Holly Cruise

We are really excited to have Holly joining us again this year! She is a woman of many interests and talents as you will discover by reading on. Oh, and if you were wondering who designs our great graphics you've found her right here!

Glass Pendant by Holly Cruise
Holly Cruise started working with glass in 1995 as an apprentice at UrbanGlass: The New York Experimental Glass Workshop. While there, she worked with many reputable artists as an artist's assistant and teaching assistant, and took part in the work study program.

In 1997 Holly moved on to New Orleans, Louisiana, where she worked in a production glassblowing studio. Holly settled down in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1999. From 2000-2004, she worked for New-Small & Sterling Studio Glass on Granville Island. At the same time, she began to pursue flameworking, making beautiful glass jewelry out of her studio at the Glass Onion.

Holly has had a successful career as a graphic designer, and is currently working on a new product line of prints, cards, jewelry & clothing incorporating her finely drawn illustrations. Holly works from her home in Vancouver when she is not chasing after her most amazing creations, her two little boys, Dexter & Spike.

November 9, 2010

LU Prints

LUprints designer and screen printer, Ulla Clark, creates prints and patterns for LUprints textile collections, as well as hand prints many of the items in the line. The companies' screenprinting workshop is based out of Pemberton BC, where it is surrounded by forests and mountains, both a constant inspiration for the nature oriented aesthetic of the line. Her Scandinavian heritage reflects LUprints' design philosophy to create beautiful, yet functional pieces meant for everyday living.

Ulla Clark of Lu Prints in her printing studio. Check out that press!
Lu Prints Studio
LUprints will also be taking part in Circle Craft in Vancouver Nov.17-21 at the new Convention Centre where it will be showcasing its' textile and tableware line, as well as a new collection of women's wear, LU in Love, designed and created by Frances Dickinson (aka Frances Felt).

Some of the excellent print designs by Lu Prints!
LU in Love - collaboration between Lu Prints + FrancesFelt



Table Tray and Napkin by Lu Prints

November 7, 2010

Dahlia Drive

 From the North Shore OUTLOOK, Vancouver, B.C., May 2010 -

One North Vancouver designer says she’s noticing a growing environmental interest among consumers. Wendy Van Riesen's line, Dahlia Drive, recycles previously worn slips and men’s shirts. She paints designs onto paper and then presses them onto the clothing. The process not only uses a small amount of water — she can complete 10 slips in one washer load — but the printing paper can be reused.

“I do see part of my job as educating,” she says.

Van Riesen recently completed a line of T-shirts for the Vancouver Art Gallery’s Leonardo da Vinci exhibit, one of which was bought by the president of Finland.

"It’s always the design that first attracts the customer, but the environmentally friendly aspect is a winning bonus," Van Riesen says. Although she was originally drawn to used slips because of the stories and character which accompanies the clothing, "working with what you’re given also keeps the environment in mind." Van Riesen says.

"Dahlia Drive’s slogan is ‘Resurrecting the fashion wasteland’." she notes.

Dahlia Drive gathers discarded women's slips, fabrics, men's shirts and reworks them with colour, images and textures to create one of a kind fashion for the unique individual. Each found piece is considered on its own merit: type of fabric,pre-existing stains or tears, how it responds to dye.  Depending on thesequalities, the piece may be buried in the garden with rusty things to over-stain previous stains or patched with pieces of fabric to strengthen a tear.  Then each piece is dyed and screen printed with an image of bones, plants, animals, grid textures and/or lace patterns to add another layer of history to the garment. New to its repertoire, some slips are hand painted first onto paper and then transferred onto the garment through heat.

Most fashion pieces are created from pre-patterned 2 dimensional yardages cut and sewn to the finished sculptured form.  I start with the sculpture. The garment becomes a continuous landscape for its own story, the wearer'sstory and mine. The canvas of a recycled slip, for example, has its own
history; broken threads, stains from luncheon dates, torn lace from years of leg crossing.  They provide an intimate landscape of the female form. These landscapes inspire me to layer, infuse and embellish a new story onto their map; not to eradicate the previous history, but to stand on its shoulders as
part of its evolution. Ultimately, someone wears it and fills it physically, adding another layer to the story.


Example of printing on fabric with natural rusting process by Dahlia Drive.

Sample of fabric with rust print by Dahlia Drive.






November 4, 2010

Jessie Turner

With our line up of artists now confirmed we want to start sharing information about the people that you will be able to meet at the show this year! Jessie Turner is a Vancouver based jewellery designer who literally puts her heart into her work. The Georgia Straight recently published an article featuring her work and notably designated her as one of the city's top two jewellery designers. Right on, Jessie!

Having shown with us in the past, but not last year, we are happy to have Jessie back at SFM this year!

Jessie Turner has been a jewellery designer since 1998, specializing in natural and contemporary forms in silver and gold.  Jessie's collections are inspired by the natural beauty around us, and by the ways we manifest and express our interpretations of that beauty. Her travels in Asia, Europe, Central America, and Canada, and exploration of these places through their art, culture and architecture profoundly influence her designs. Originally from British Columbia's west coast Jessie now resides in Vancouver.

"All things worn by people can have purpose and meaning that fulfills lives in some way, creating balance, both within and between, the individual, the community and the natural world.  In my work I hope to bring this alive by playfully exploring traditional and contemporary ideas of design. I create jewellery and art, encouraging people's individuality and connection to truth, nature and beauty."

November 1, 2010

Check out this year's Line Up!!!

We've confirmed our line up for the year! Please see all of the greatness we are expecting at the SFM 11 Show under the SFM 11 heading in the column to your right! To satisfy your curiosities you can click on most names and find more info on each artist at their personal websites. Don't forget about our Facebook Page either to see regular updates!