"I have painted in some form or another all of my life. It is a process where I feel most at home and where my curiosity is always piqued.

In each painting I explore the evocation of mood through texture and colour.  With blatant overlapping strokes and under mixed colours I aim to reflect the unrefined, richly textured landscape that is my backyard."

BIOGRAPHY

Tara Higgins has a full background in the arts.  At Clark University in the States she received her BA in theatre set design and scenic painting. She has had the privilege to study under K.B Hancock, a world-renowned landscape painter and to have been mentored by the reputed Canadian artist Angela Morgan.

Now residing in BC and Tara is strongly connected to the natural world around her; this connection is reflected deeply in her work. Her bold brush strokes and an intuitive sense of colour in her paintings become striking impressions of iconic Canadian Landscapes.

Tara Higgins’ work has appeared internationally in magazines, newspapers and television and is hung in private and corporate collections across the globe.

 "The pots I make are an exploration of how sculptural form, function and simplicity can exist in the everyday, utilitarian object.  The soft slab, hand building process is a direct reference to the construction of old-timey, worn tin ware. Surface created through wood firing helps evoke a sense of nostalgia, creating a dialogue of memory between user and maker through everyday use."  

BIOGRAPHY

Heather began her study of clay as a metal student at Kootenay School of the Arts in Nelson, BC.  This study and constant reference to metal continues in her hand-built soft slab, wood fired ceramics.

She is interested in the development of relationship created by placement and repetition, and the use of functional ceramics to create sculptural works.  Heather has participated in residencies, given workshops and lectures and has exhibited her work across Canada and the United States. 

"My work utilizes a mid-century modern aesthetic combined with a contemporary twist, and so is focused on making functional art pieces that make a statement. Hand-making each item with individual care and focus, I aim for our products to add a sophisticated and eye-catching polish to any space."

BIOGRAPHY

The artist behind the designs at Dougherty Glassworks is Cameron Dougherty. As the founder and namesake, he has a true passion for glassblowing. Originally from California’s central valley, Cameron now lives and works in Vancouver BC with his wife and their dog.

Studying and working with glass has allowed Cameron to work in studios up and down the entire west coast of North America. However, the initial spark behind his lifelong journey with glass came over 12 years ago, while he was earning his degree in Business Information Systems at California State University Chico. After graduating he enrolled at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina, followed by a 5 year apprenticeship in California.

Along with his own artistic development, Cameron is passionate about the growth and development of the glass blowing community. He enjoys training new students and apprentices and cultivating a love for glass in others.

“I’m making art but I’m also making something that’s practical that people take into their homes and use day after day. I feel like having craft in you home elevates it and makes your coffee taste better!”

BIOGRAPHY

"I aim to bring the allure of bold shapes and striking forms to the everyday. Designing every season's collection begins by hand with paper and brass maquettes. Each piece undergoes many stages of testing and material exploration and all of the designs are developed with the wearer in mind."

BIOGRAPHY

Vanassa Chan, founder & designer of PURSUITS, draws her inspiration from design, architecture, and fashion. She earned her bachelor's degree in interior design in the United Kingdom and worked for years as a designer in Canada before launching PURSUITS in 2014. Her background in interior architecture has deeply influenced her jewelry designs, and traces of her past career can be seen in the playful way she approaches composition and geometry. Her passion and desire to create pushes her to experiment with new materials: exploring combinations of surface and shape and their potential as wearable art. Each piece is meticulously formed, and finished with care, in small batches in PURSUITS Toronto studio.

"The paintings and drawings of animals that live in the Rocky Mountains alongside humans disrupt the infinite patterns that cover my ceramic objects. They appear upon and inside of objects that normally reside in the domestic space such as cups and bowls, functional objects that themselves are central to many everyday patterns of human behavior. The animal depictions are, I hope, a reminder that we share this world with other beings who we so often forget about."

BIOGRAPHY

Katriona Drijber is a ceramic artist who was born and raised in the small coal mining town of Elkford in British Columbia, Canada. Drijber was only sixteen when she graduated high school and left home to attend Kootenay School of the Arts. It was here that she took her first clay class and began a lifelong fascination with ceramics.

"I love the endless challenge that clay and everything to do with pottery provides. Clay is the medium through which I reach out to community and inwards, to create peace."

BIOGRAPHY

Red stoneware reminds Kerri of the Nova Scotia mudflats were her family reunited every summer. It's a warm and earthy reminder of humble beginnings. Kerri alters wheel thrown shapes. Her signature white glaze is rich in titanium that responds well to surface textures. 

She studies ceramics at Kootenay School of the Arts and Alberta College of Art and Design. She teaches worshops for adults and children as well as volunteering at the Fernie Arts Station in their pottery studio.

Kerri's pots are for everyday service. They may be put in the dishwasher or microwave.

“Similar to how a poet employs metaphor and allusion, my goal is that each painting inhabits a space between representation and abstraction.”

BIOGRAPHY

Shantael Sleight grew up in rural Alberta and is now based in Victoria, BC. Since completing her BFA in 2002 from the Alberta University of the Arts (PKA Alberta College of Art & Design) she has maintained a studio practice and has exhibited publicly and privately throughout Canada.

Shantael has always been interested in capturing the ordinary beauty and essence of nature, related to our human experience.  The embodiment of joy or loss mirrors itself through natures cycles and seasons and is reminiscent of a deeper connection to something bigger than self. 

"I have loved making these pieces, taking the fish that my family has caught, and making art from them!  Each print is an original, and the fish were caught in Southern Alberta."

BIOGRAPHY

Since childhood Erin has concentrated most of her time on creating art. Nature acts as inspiration for Erin's artwork, travel fuels it. Subject matter remains strongly attached to her surroundings, what ever they may be at the time.  Erin grew up in the lush environment of rural northern Alberta, and this is where her motivation has its roots. Now, having been in southern Alberta for the past 13 years, where the dry landscape is dramatically different she has grown to appreciate the term 'big sky' and the vastness of the prairies.  

Erin has adopted the ancient Japanese art form, Gyotaku, originally fisherman used this technique to record their catches. A fresh fish is inked and rice paper is applied to it to reveal a fascinating print.  

"My work is a reflection of my inner spirit and the journey of my creative purpose. It speaks of my return back to Canada, the farm girl I have always been, and the Prairies that called me back home."

BIOGRAPHY

Jamie McCallum grew up on a cattle ranch just south of Brandon, Manitoba. Her early years on the farm have always been a source of inspiration and her love of animals and the vast prairie landscape are often reflected in the subject matter of her work.

Her work is contemporary, gestural, and celebrates a broad subject range full of whimsy and humanity. Jamie pushes proportions to evoke mood and curiosity and utilizes the power of color and texture to further extend these boundaries.

After spending time in BC, where she painted with long-time friend and mentor Canadian artist Angela Morgan, Jamie returned to her home province of Manitoba and now resides outside Riding Mountain National Park. 

"I am beyond grateful to have my little home studio. It is a humble happy working space. It houses paint and brushes and piles of mess and tea cups and candles. It has stacks of rejected work that patiently waits for a second chance. It is warmed with music movement and a pellet stove. It loves it when friends hang out from time to time. Making art in this space is a privilege and a joy."

BIOGRAPHY

Chantey gratefully lives, and makes art in Quw’utsun’ mustimuhw Territory. She is a colour addict, a stargazer, a plant lover, a meal maker, a conscious dancer, and is always on the lookout for delight. Her paintings are an earnest celebration of life. As a first generation Canadian of Indian and Middle Eastern descent, Chantey's art strikes the viewer through a bold use of colour, shape, and contrast. She is often steeped in poetry, mythology, rhythm, ritual, and the fables of faraway places. This ignites and compels her towards all that is deeply feminine and life-giving. Her process has abstract beginnings, which then gives way to recognizable forms themed on women, nature, and patterns. The result is a juxtaposition of visual playfulness, and serious yet heartfelt content.