Blue Mind: a mildly meditative state characterized by calm, peace, unity, and a sense of general happiness and satisfaction with life in the moment.
Our Artists
Ceramics
Rachel de Condé
Rachel de Condé
I’ve always been working with my hands, imagining and building. As a kid, I couldn’t wait to get to the library to check out the National Geographic magazines, which even included the index book. My dad was a huge fan of nature shows, so as a Canadian child of the 80s, I have fond memories of Sunday nights, watching the Magical World of Disney followed by the Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. From some combination of these things, I was inspired to build a “blind” out of our lawn chairs in our Montreal backyard, so I could observe and document the natural behaviour of our local wildlife: the grey squirrel. I can’t tell you how many images I shot, with my Fisher Price camera, of a pixelated grey dot (the squirrel) through the gridded back of the lawn chairs (the white grid is visible in every photo). But my parents never discouraged me, especially my mom, who faithfully took the film to be developed.
My mom always encouraged my sister and I to play and build. Early on, I had the box of simple wooden blocks, eventually replaced by Lego, which I used to build houses, complete with landscaped yards (thank you Lego bushes). I loved building epic forts from the sofa cushions, sheets and whatever other furniture was at hand. The one-time purchase of a new fridge left me with a fridge box, easily one of the best things I’d ever had. Into that I built a new fort, which led to hours and days of fun, until the box finally collapsed. Books, forts, homemade playdoh, self-hardening clay, dirt in the backyard (I had a penchant for digging holes in the garden with my Tonka excavator); all of these things were the building blocks to where I am now, along with the freedom to play and imagine.
When I moved back to Nova Scotia in 2009 after finishing graduate school at the University of Washington, I worked on a dairy farm. Caring for and tending to all those animals, the physically hard work, left me exhausted daily but satisfied. After two years, though, I was ready to return to making and I was invited to begin teaching at NSCAD University in Halifax. Around this time, I began to renovate a vacant building, turning it into a studio. From this space, I have developed functional ware, while every so often fitting in the time to explore installation-based work.
In the meantime, it would seem my partner and I have become small farmers. On our 6-acre piece of the world not far from Stewiacke, Nova Scotia, we keep honeybees, raise hens for eggs, turkeys and chickens for meat, and grow vegetables for our own use. I love gardening and every year add more beds and flowers to my ever-expanding perennial gardens. Amid the gardens, you’ll find our rescued animals: Abby, our big lovie Rottweiler mix, and the 3 cats – Bruiser, The Fuzz and Peeper – I found abandoned on a local road. In my world, creating and growing and playing is a never-ending project, and I love it.
Process
Many years ago when I first started studying ceramics at NSCAD University, I was drawn to throwing on the wheel. For the first little while, I thought I would be a production potter. But as I continued my studies, I was eventually introduced to the technique of mold making and slip casting and I was hooked. For many years, I used it to produce large scale installations, but upon returning to Nova Scotia and setting up a pottery studio, I turned this skill into making molds for functional mid-range porcelain ware. In my studio I design new work using a variety of techniques.
For some pieces, I have carved asymmetrical forms using a softer plaster compound. Sometimes, I use the wonderful ability of molds to cast found objects. I find it a playful thing to cast ceramic forms normally found in other materials. However, in recent years, I have begun to turn plaster using my trusty old pottery wheel. In about the 10 minutes I have before my plaster sets and becomes too hard, I quickly carve out the form I want, using sharp trimming tools and sandpaper. I begin with a paper template, figuring out proportions, dimensions and form. With this pinned up in front of me, I use it as a visual guide while I carve the plaster. From these positives I make molds. Using a clay recipe that I have worked on and developed over many years, I mix a cone 6 semi- porcelain casting slip using raw ingredients and with that clay, I pull clay positives from my molds.
Over the years, I have developed a variety of glazes to use, developing colours and surface through extensive glaze testing and taking inspiration from the rich colours I find in my gardens and natural surroundings. For my ceramic Floral Collection, I hand draw all the flowers and use underglazes to create colourful juicy surfaces. Ultimately, I take great care in creating each piece. I design these objects to be not only visually pleasurable, but to also bring you joy while you use them. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoy making them.
Alexis Doiron
Alexis Vessey
As a small-town girl in PEI, Alexis’ lifelong zest for the unconventional brought her to NSCAD University in Nova Scotia. By 2009, she had completed her Bachelors of Fine Arts with a Major in Ceramics. With her heart in PE and her community in NS, she now calls both provinces home.
It was during her studies at NSCAD that Alexis found her artistic voice and honed her skills as a ceramic artist and studio technician. She also discovered a passion for community building and fostering other craftspeople, which led her to dedicate 10 years to working as the Studio Coordinator at the Centre for Craft Nova Scotia. It is there that she established herself as a community leader – managing artists-in-residence and planning and facilitating craft-based courses for the public.
Eventually, Alexis had the urge to redirect her focus to her own studio practice. She used her creative energies to develop her own unique pottery line with her own signature forms, glazes and colours.
Alexis is now working full time out of her home studio in Dartmouth, NS. When she is not in her studio, she can be found reveling in both the joys and foibles of motherhood. Observing and engaging in imaginative play with her children inherently influences every aspect of her work. The overall aesthetic of her work – including colour choices and size of individual pieces – embodies the spunky, wild, and carefree nature of her two, tiny humans.
Susanna Steinitz
Susanna Steinitz
Iris Patterson
Iris Patterson
I have always loved the ocean and it’s many creatures, but a trip to Staniel Cay in the Bahamas changed everything for me. It was my first time snorkeling in such clear and beautiful waters and was truly inspiring. The vibrant colors of starfish and the way the seaweed and sea-fans sway in the water was just fascinating. I was hooked, and now enjoy making these things come alive on my work. I still love to go out and snorkel here in Nova Scotia to watch life under the sea.
Clay has always been a passion of mine. Even as a child, I was always exited to get a new package of clay to play with, and sometimes I would make things with dough in my dad’s bakery.
Most of my work is in functional stoneware. I like the idea of serving food in a beautiful vessel; I feel it makes the dining experience much more enjoyable. I also create “belly bowls” for expecting mothers, and have been known to play a little with Raku
Much of my work is inspired by the sea. My studio overlooks Three Fathom Harbour where I take many walks along the shoreline and get much of my inspiration. Driftwood, seaweed, starfish, jellyfish and other sea creatures can be found on many of the pots I make.
Olivia McDonald
Olivia McDonald
“Being an artist is where my identity is fulfilled. Growing up surrounded by a creative family, I have always been supported and encouraged to make a life for myself within the arts.
I have worked hard to become a professional artist. Initially, my passion was photography and I completed a Photography Diploma from NBCCD and a BFA in Photography from NSCAD. Now, although photography plays a huge part in my life, pottery is where my creativity is ignited.
My love for pottery commenced when I began working at a local pottery shop in New London, PE; since then, it has been hard to get my hands out of the clay. Working under my studio name, Bitter Blonde Pottery, I use the human body as inspiration for my work – combined with my ironic and cheeky sense of self. I work full time to produce for my online shop and for local galleries.”
– Olivia MacDonald
Our Artists
Fibre / Leather
Ashley Brown and Josh Skaarup
Ashley Brown
Born and raised in a small rural town on the Atlantic coast, the traditions of hard work and resilience carry over into every thread of my craft. What began as a basement hobby has now grown to a small business that supports my family.
From our signature line of bookmarks featuring repurposed leather, to our minimalistic compostable packaging, you will find each element of our work thoughtfully crafted with a mind for our future.
With a commitment to quality materials and time-honored designs, we believe in well made goods built to last a lifetime. Crafted to endure, our goods will become storied with a rich patina and marks of your journey with everyday use.
Laurie Dolhan
Laurie Dolhan
Hello. My name is Laurie Dolhan, and I am the artist behind the Hook, Line & Tinker craft studio in Ketch Harbour, Nova Scotia. As part of my journey to date, I have been a Jersey Girl, a Yukon Sourdough, and now I’m what some Nova Scotians refer to as a CFA (come-from-away). Like my favourite things, I have been lost, found, and creatively reworked. Throughout my life, I have always been making something or other. Craft has given me joy, comfort, and taught me patience too.
Hook, Line & Tinker launched in October 2017 with a line of modern embroidery patterns and kits using my own original illustrations. My business is a reflection of my values – care for people, respect for the environment, and a deep desire to create something meaningful and real through a shared act of making. I’m grateful for the opportunity to create and share my craft with you.
Process
All of Hook, Line & Tinker’s embroidery illustrations are original and designed by me for beginner stitchers. I focus on creating patterns that are unique and modern in style. The limited colour palette and use of recurring motifs is purposeful – finished hoops hang well as mix-and-match groupings and tell a cohesive story within a theme. Some patterns are easy peasy (Level 1), others are more ambitious (Level 3). But all allow for creativity, experimentation, and calm.
Each illustration is repeatedly rendered through the craft of hand embroidery using a variety of basic, introductory stitches to build texture and a pleasing design. The 100% cotton fabric is cut and prepared by hand, and all finalized patterns are printed onto the fabric in our studio using inks that maintain their integrity during the stitching process.
Environmental Impact
Our studio is located in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded lands of the Mi’kmaq people. As settlers, of Halifax and the world, we make every effort to operate sustainably and with respect for our beautiful planet. All of our packaging is designed to be lightweight and compact to reduce environmental impacts via shipping. Paper, including recycled content when possible, is used in lieu of plastic. By the end of 2021, each kit will be entirely plastic free. We creatively upcycle production waste when possible.
Community Give Back
We believe in universal access to basic needs such as housing and food, and as a company, we’re committed to fighting housing and food insecurity. As of July, 2018, a minimum of 5% of profits are donated to help women and children experiencing homelessness. Hook, Line & Tinker currently supports Adsum for Women and Children through financial contributions and regular volunteer efforts. Our team also comes together to cook healthy meals through Shelter Nova Scotia’s “Adopt-a-meal” program.
Anna & Leo Proskuryakova
Anna & Leo
We are Anna and Leonid, a Vancouver-based couple of felt artists. We love nature and we love craft. Several years ago we started exploration of wet and dry felting techniques and we discovered needle felting. We found it quite amazing that a piece of raw wool could be sculpted into a little animal, each one with its own personality ( – sometimes not exactly as we initially planned).
Each toy takes many hours to fully complete, from a day or two for the smallest ones, up to several weeks for the larger creatures, and they are never identical. We really love our work and it’s always such a pleasure to hear from others that our little guys cheer them up in the morning and keep them positive during the day!
Debbie Kirton
Debbie Kirton
Debbie Kirton lives and creates in Bear River, NS, under her studio name, Pumpkin & Peaches. She moved with her family to Bear River in July 2012 from the United Kingdom. Leaving behind a career as an accountant and inspired by her new surroundings, she wanted to do something more creative with her time. As she had already spent many years crocheting and knew that this was an activity she loved, Debbie decided to begin selling her work at the Annapolis Royal Farmers & Traders Market in 2013. She currently makes a wide variety of items for both children and adults – many of them now also sold at Blue Mind Gallery.
Shari MacLeod
Shari MacLeod
Shari MacLeod lives and creates under the studio name Red Twig Brown Twig in Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. She started needle felting as a way to incorporate a new element into baskets she was creating and fell in love with the technique and beautiful fibres she was working with.
The flora and fauna Shari creates with wool and silk are her way of expressing delight in the real and imaginary world that surrounds us. She is an avid gardener and loves to hike the coastlines and wilderness of Cape Breton Island. Most days, inspiration is just a footstep away.
Rachel Ryan
Rachel Ryan
Rachel lives and creates at her home studio in Greenwood, Nova Scotia:
I work primarily in textiles (having been taught how to sew by my mother and grandmothers from a very young age) but enjoy blurring the boundaries between artistic genres, often painting on fabrics and using the painted image as a surface on which to sew. I like to question whether a piece is ‘Art’ or ‘Craft’, a painting or a quilt; it serves to disrupt patterns, and signals quiet resistance to consumer/ misogynist culture.
I’ve studied at Memorial University, College of the North Atlantic, Anna Templeton Centre for Craft, Art & Design, and the Alberta College of Art & Design. I’m from the Green Bay/ Notre Dame Bay area of Central Newfoundland, but now live and work in the Annapolis Valley, N.S. with my family.
Jennifer Pullin
Jennifer Pullin
Jennifer Pullin is the founder of Fibres of Life – a Halifax-based company that works with fair trade organizations and artisans to create beautiful, ethical products. While items are designed by Jennifer, Fibres of Life products are made by artisans in Nepal:
Fibres of Life all came about by chance – or so it seems – when I, working in community development and conservation, popped out of a public transport vehicle in Kathmandu, Nepal, on my way to an information interview, and landed straight in front of The Association for Craft Producers – the first fair trade association we began work and who we now share a deep partnership with. While I watched others come and go from breathtaking mountain treks, I had begun to question my insanity of buzzing around the busy and sometimes polluted streets days at a time to meet with people in the country working on thought provoking social and environmental projects. Should I have sent my trusty hiking boots home in that hockey bag? What was I doing? But I do believe that the story isn’t over until it is over – and that was the day Fibres of Life, as it became, began – as I walked excitedly into ACP and felt the first sense of possibility and reality in months of travel and seeking. Over the next few days, before I knew it, to buy product, I had withdrawn $3000 from the bank machine in multiple small withdrawals, and realized I had no idea how to export and ship the goods. Never one to be shy, a coffee with others in the area pointed me in the right direction and so it landed on Canadian soil.
While my main motivation and passion with Fibres of Life has been to be a part of an international collaboration to support social and environmental development, this project has called on myself, and those who I work with, in unexpected, and often, deliciously surprising ways. Discovery #1 to 10 – No fair trade project or artisan can succeed economically or otherwise without gorgeous, unique products that inspire. Early on, with no ‘design’ background, I quickly had to learn how to observe the creative capacities existing in the fair trade groups we work with, and locate my own skills to design and develop products that would demonstrate the unquestionable value of handmade, ethically produced, quality products. Products that would draw people in from their originality and progressive style, and inspire people who may not have cared about fair trade or socially responsible consumerism to think about it, support it, and spread the word. I believe we need to create products that are not bought charitably. No beige, no ‘do good’, no ordinary. We strive for color, whimsy and intelligent design that people will WANT and will be moved to think about intentionality and to care – to think about where it came from, and their role as an ethical shopper.
Fair trade products have taught me that beauty inspires. It engages our own creativity when we see it, and ignites us to tap into our spirited and resourceful side to be great creators in our own way for good. Beautiful, ethical products just look different – smart – edgy – pushing for more. It gets great people at the supermarket and on the street asking about them and starting interesting, change making, conversations between themselves. Now isn’t that a trippy and important experiment to be a part of?! It’s amazing what pretty and purposeful in a public domain can do.
This is the adventure of fair trade we are on. Along with the unexpected twists and turns, administrative headaches, bumpy jeep rides, hot masala chai’s, gentle laughing artisans, and street dogs on our way – from farmer or artisan to buyer, it brings fantastic people together who are injecting more into the world. It’s a movement – not perfect, but growing and improving our capacity as we go. Thank you to everyone who keeps this project bouncing and bumping along!
More information about the social and environmental commitments of Fibres of Life can be found at: www.fibresoflife.com .
Bonny Hall
Bonny Hall
“I enjoy pushing the boundaries of felt’s sculptural possibilities. I create fantastical birds and animals which are formed from raw wool. Many of them have whimsical additions such as flowers, revealed beads, and elaborate tails. The bodies are sculpted with felting needles which compress and tangle the fibers so that the wool can be needled into forms. I create flowers, spikes and feathers from wool, and needle them onto the body. In some areas I use a resist to prevent two layers of felt from merging, allowing me to cut open the outer layer and expose the inner one. After needling the wool to create the sculpted form, I wet-felt the bird for several hours, which shrinks the wool and increases its density. Wet-felting uses soap, water and friction to turn the wool into felt. After the wet-felting process, I often embellish the creature with embroidery and beads.
I have been felting since 2015, and discovered it only by accident during a trip to the New England Fiber Festival. I began with needle-felting, but became more directed after taking a workshop with Andrea Graham – an artist who creates exquisite 3D pod-like sculptures. The techniques I learned from her innovative method of creating three-dimensional pieces with both needle- and wet- felting became a solid jumping-off point for my birds (which are both needle- and wet-felted). My animals are also needle- and wet-felted and were inspired by the work of German felter, Gabriele Mazaracis.
Until my seduction by wool, my partner Jamie Keithline and I spent our adult lives creating and performing puppet shows as Crabgrass Puppet Theatre. We began our puppet company in 1982 in San Francisco, and performed all over the United States in schools, theaters and museums.
I learned many fiber techniques throughout the years while creating our puppets, but this is the first time I have focused solely on art and craft, separate from theater. It is still an unusual experience to make things that do not go on to perform!
With felting, I have fallen in love with a medium and techniques that allow me to sculpt, paint, and create three-dimensional useful objects – all with wool and a few tools! It is like alchemy, and is endlessly fascinating. My work draws from many inspirations, including: the landscape surrounding me, Oaxacan animal carvings, West African patterns and textiles, plants, flowers, vines, and the work of contemporary felt artists. I love to make things; I need to make things. My hands and head have to be busy.
So where do I keep busy? Well, after having spent the majority of our time in Vermont over the past twenty years, Jamie and I now live most of the year in Clementsport, Nova Scotia.”
– Bonny Hall
Our Artists
Jewellery
Ashley Brown
Ashley Brown
Born and raised in a small rural town on the Atlantic coast, the traditions of hard work and resilience carry over into every thread of my craft. What began as a basement hobby has now grown to a small business that supports my family.
From our signature line of bookmarks featuring repurposed leather, to our minimalistic compostable packaging, you will find each element of our work thoughtfully crafted with a mind for our future.
With a commitment to quality materials and time-honored designs, we believe in well made goods built to last a lifetime. Crafted to endure, our goods will become storied with a rich patina and marks of your journey with everyday use.
Lynda Constantine
Lynda Constantine
Lynda Constantine’s jewellery studio rests in the beautiful city of Halifax, Nova Scotia. In 1997, after travelling and working overseas for nearly nine years, Lynda returned to Canada to become a goldsmith and pursue her passion for jewellery design.
Lynda’s inspiration is rooted in the visual memory and cultural experiences of years of extensive travel in Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America. She is also heavily influenced by the stories of the countless people she has met abroad and at home in Canada. Her experiences in other countries and with other cultures instilled in her a deep appreciation for the freedom Canadians have to define themselves and design their own lives.
During Lynda’s time abroad she expressed herself through photography and a dynamic form of shodo (Japanese calligraphy). It is in these art forms that she learned that beauty could be expressed with one intentional stroke of a brush or a simple strike of light. It is with this same intention that Lynda celebrates the beauty of simplicity in her metal work and incorporates a design sense fostered by the experiences of a world traveller framed in a streamlined modern context.
Whether in the densely populated urban centers of Asia and Europe, in remote African villages, the expansive geography of North America’s West or revelling in her daily ocean view, what is most striking to Lynda is how often simplicity truly reveals beauty and elegance. She finds this to be true as well in the incredible people she meets. She describes a sense of gratitude and is honoured by the stories of these people. Lynda explores natural beauty and feelings that evoke concepts of life, love and fulfillment. These observations and experiences stay with her through the creation of her jewellery. From a foundation respecting the basics, her work echoes all of her influences.
Lynda is thankful for her life in Nova Scotia and the people who share it with her; in particular, the amazing goldsmiths who work alongside her in the studio and help make her designs a reality. She credits these talented women with being her backbone; they are Nancy Cleghorn, Emily Dickinson and Managing Partner Katrina Doucette.
Lynda hopes you will discover, in wearing her jewellery, that your own individual sense of style will resonate, thrive and evolve.
Bridget Turner
Bridget Turner
“It all began with summers swimming, surfing and exploring my Nova Scotia beaches and learning to make jewellery from my great aunt Jean when she would come to visit from New York. That sense of adventure has stayed with me and beach combing continues to be a daily exploration (when the weather is warm of course!)
Early in the mornings I head down to the beach before the wind picks up. I go on a hunt to find treasures that are left with the changing of the tides – all the while designing in my mental sketchbook what jewellery I want to make. I often come home with those memories of the ocean in my jacket or jean pockets and, when I find them again, it takes me back to the beach I visited: the air, the smells, the waves I surfed, the landscape all around me. Whether I am surfing my home break or travelling to new places, the imagery and shapes I see are gathered for future designs. My goal is to create beautiful jewellery with memories of the sea, so that you may take them with you wherever you may go.”
– Bridget Turner
K. Claire MacDonald
K. Claire MacDonald
Hello! My name is K. Claire MacDonald, and I am the owner of KCM Jewellery Design & Sculpture. I offer comfortable sterling silver jewellery that is inspired by the Maritime landscape. The simple, clean lines of my designs create a classic aesthetic that can be worn with ease through the daily grind and special occasions. Each design is made by hand with a high level of care and craftsmanship.
The quality of the jewellery I offer enables the pieces to be worn and cherished for years to come. I create each piece with the hope that it will be a future heirloom that will one day connect several generations. The pieces of jewellery I hold closest are those that have been lovingly passed down to me from generations past.
All my work is handcrafted in my studio in Halifax, NS.
Jennifer Sarault
Jennifer Sarault
Shy Giraffe began as Jennifer’s creative outlet, but quickly blossomed into a full-time business. Jennifer works out of a home studio located just outside Halifax where she lives with her husband and two young daughters. She is inspired by our beautiful Nova Scotia coastline, nature, fashion and colour! Jennifer designs and handcrafts her beautiful collections with Swarovski crystals, freshwater pearls, natural gemstones, sea glass and Sterling Silver. Shy Giraffe strives to create elegant, modern designs that are affordable and easy to wear.
Megan Archer
Megan Archer
Aflame Creations creates colourful handmade enameled copper jewelry. Enamels are coloured glass powders melted onto copper in a kiln at 1500F. Each colour reacts differently in the kiln, creating subtle variations to every piece.
Megan Archer (they/them) is an Autistic, nonbinary human living in rural Nova Scotia, designing and producing each piece by hand. Their collections are inspired by the dense forests, salty ocean waves and ever-changing skies at home, as well as by the colours and imagery of their internal landscapes and world travels.
After growing up in the rivers and forests of Nova Scotia, Megan flew overseas to live in London, England. Four years of travels included Europe, Northern Africa and a 6-month stay in Lagos, Nigeria. Upon returning to Canada, Megan landed in Montreal to complete a university degree in Cultural Anthropology. During the winter seasons of 2017-2020, Megan lived in the Himalayan foothills of northern India and Nepal.
Megan has been the sole operator of Aflame Creations since 2011. Their unique jewelry can be found at weekly farmers’ markets, and in select boutiques across Canada and the US. Megan holds Juried Status with Craft NS, and is an organizer with the Halifax Crafters Society.
A life-long learner, Megan speaks fluent French and loves the challenge of a new language. They grew up playing classical piano, but the Celtic harp is their most recent musical passion. These days Megan enjoys video games, jigsaw puzzles, learning Welsh, and befriending crows.
Jennifer Blair
Jennifer Blair
A born creator, self-taught glass artist, Jennifer Blair, admits that her glass work has evolved organically through trial and error as well as hours of creative exploration within the medium.
When she first started experimenting with glass in 2007, her designs were straightforward, linear and often symmetrical. After uprooting her business to Vancouver in 2010, her designs evolved into a more laid back, organic direction inspired mostly by the simple West Coast lifestyle.
Jennifer begins her creative process with visual inspirations ranging from: items collected on nature walks, colour combinations found in her everyday surroundings, and photographs. These discoveries are then arranged to design and create every piece from scratch: each mountain hand cut, every tree, hand painted.
All raw art glass is cut, designed, layered and fired in one of her two kilns, then cooled. Often, multiple firings are necessary to reach her desired outcome. All finishing techniques – cold working the glass, grinding, wire wrapping and assembling – are done by Blair’s own hands, ensuring an original and quality product every time.
Jennifer recently discovered a love for chemical reactions that occur between glass and certain metals like copper and silver that, when fired together, create fascinating shifts in colour and texture.
David Stepan
David Stepan
David Stepan enjoys and explores the nature of materials: the warmth and immediacy of hammered copper, the peculiar grains of wood, the way materials capture time and place.
Employing his Bachelor of Fine Arts training and decades of experience as a bespoke furniture designer maker, David blurs the lines between art, service and décor, creating objects that transcend their purpose.
His passion is now directed to a more immediate expression of his interest in materials – especially how objects from sustainably sourced materials can look and feel beautiful, and have their story evolve.
Recently having moved from Ontario to Caledonia, Nova Scotia, with his wife Jody, they are renovating a derelict early 1900’s feed store to become their home and studios.
Tanya Milne
Tanya Milne
Nova Scotian artisan Tanya Milne uses her love of the natural world as inspiration for her wearable art and fine jewellery. Growing up in a small, coastal Newfoundland town, Tanya spent the weekends of her youth exploring the woods with her father, who was a lumber scaler. These excursions into the natural environment fostered a fascination with the textures of wood, stone, water, and other elements of nature. Every item of Tanya’s bespoke work is a beautiful, one of a kind piece.
Tanya works under her company name, ELLAments – a tribute not only to her daughter, Ella, but also a nod to the connection between strength and femininity. Tanya strives to create organic pieces of art that can be handed down from generation to generation. Her distinctive designs are loved and worn by Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau, Jason and Naomi Priestley, as well as other celebrated individuals.
Our Artists
Literature
Our Artists
Painting / Drawing
Cluny Maher
Cluny Maher
His landscapes have been attributed with tender, meditative qualities. They glow. Softly dramatic and passionate in their interpretation, the paintings evoke a feeling as much as a place in time. Thoughtful brushstrokes are applied with a deep understanding. We are captivated by those universal moments that are the very essence of the rural landscape. Rich oils, wonderfully fluid watercolours, and skillful graphite drawings – this is the art of Cluny Maher.
Cluny Maher was born in 1941 in Frampton, Dorchester County, south of Quebec City in the province of Quebec. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts (1963) and a Bachelor of Education (1964) from Loyola College in Montreal, he taught for twelve years in the public school system. In 1973, he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Sir George Williams University (Concordia).
In 1977, Cluny moved to Nova Scotia with his family and, a year later, settled in Tupperville in the Annapolis Valley. This beautiful rural landscape continues to be an inspiration for his artwork. He has exhibited and sold his work in several locations throughout Canada and the United States, including from his own gallery, the Maher Gallery, which operated in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, in the late 1990s and 2000s.
“Through my painting, I am attempting to express, in a personal way, my reaction to the landscape in which I live. It is my hope that each painting captures a bit of the visual excitement, at times dramatic, but more often of a quiet pastoral nature, which abounds in rural Nova Scotia. The old homesteads, wooden barns, uncluttered vistas and twisting country roads are a dwindling resource along the eastern seaboard of our continent.
My ambition is to apply color to my paint surface in a spontaneous and immediate fashion so as to convey and amplify the impact of the landscape and share this experience with the viewer. You must use expressive color and break borders. It is the breath of life and it takes a lifetime to master.” – Cluny Maher
Jeanette Wieckhorst
Jeanette Wieckhorst
“I am just nuts about nature ! Growing up playing in cornfields, climbing trees, catching fish in streams; as a child, nature was in my blood.
Now, as an adult, just being outside is a pleasure. I enjoy the big and small wonders that are out there. It is those natural wonders that inspire me to create.”
-Jeanette Weickhorst
John De Mings
John De Mings
A lengthy newspaper career at The Digby Courier always included an emphasis on photography and the visual side of life, but my interest in drawing and painting has always been there. I’m really enjoying the discovery of what oil paint can teach me.
I’ve been studying art on and off for decades. In my teenage years, that came first at the Artists Workshop, and then at H.B. Beal Technical High School – both in London, Ontario. At Acadia University, some years later, I received instruction in drawing and design; after that, an introduction to printmaking at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design.
I later received further teaching and encouragement in Bear River and Annapolis Royal from artist Louise Williams – especially in watercolour technique.
Now? I can credit two developments for my present painting status: Retirement and Covid. Both life and art and lessons in continuous learning…
Elizabeth Meyer
Elizabeth Meyer
Born and raised in the Netherlands, Elizabeth Meyer married a Canadian and immigrated to Ontario, Canada, in 1979, at the age of nineteen. She has since lived in various parts of Canada and has travelled extensively in both Canada and the United States.
Elizabeth has always had a passion for art. In the early 1990s, desiring to develop her technique, she made a great effort to attend evening art classes. However, at the time, raising 6 children (in addition to milking 60 cows twice a day!) made it difficult to find time for her artwork.
Having fallen in love with Nova Scotia while residing here for six years in the 1980s, Elizabeth and her husband returned in 2017 for their retirement years. Since then, she has spent many happy hours painting in her Bear River studio, River View Art, overlooking the majestic tidal river.
Elizabeth’s compositions are primarily in alcohol ink or watercolour, but she is always trying something new. Most recently, she has enjoyed painting with acrylic on stone. No matter what medium, it is clear that Elizabeth enjoys the challenge of executing fine detail. She is inspired by what she perceives around her in nature; her focus lies in depicting the beauty she sees in creation and in capturing the life of her subjects.
James Axon
James Axon
“Growing up in a household that included several dogs, a chipmunk, snakes, sparrow-hawks, buzzards, and an owl that lived on the newel post of the stairs, it was probably inevitable that I would develop an interest in natural history.
Although a keen artist from an early age, I didn’t start drawing wildlife until I moved to Canada with my wife and two dogs in 2010. I am entirely self-taught, working almost exclusively in coloured pencil. As a medium, coloured pencil allows me to capture the finest details – the intricacies governed only by the sharpness of the pencil.
According to my wife, Jeanette, I fret over every single drawing. This is of course not true! My “fretting” is simply a manifestation of my dedication to detail.”
– James Axon
Kalen Roblee
Kalen Roblee
Kalen Roblee is an artist based in Nova Scotia. She creates hand-pressed, tree ring relief prints using the cross section of a tree (wood cookie), revealing the unique patterns created by annual growth rings. All wood samples used are sustainably collected from already fallen trees from around the province.
Kalen adds ink and watercolor illustrations to the tree ring prints to create images inspired by the symbiotic relationships and natural structures in nature. In doing so, she feels like she is creating an artistic collaboration between nature, and herself.
Kalen has always loved the natural world. This took her down the path of forest and wildlife technology. She holds an advanced diploma in Forestry Fish and Wildlife Technology from the Maritime College of Forest Technology in Fredericton, N.B. Her experiences in the field have given her the opportunity to be immersed in wild spaces across Canada and, in doing so, have greatly influenced her artistic journey.
Guy Hobbs
Guy Hobbs
Guy Hobbs is an entirely self-taught artist who specializes exclusively in wildlife art. His paintings are collected internationally and he has won a number of prestigious awards and accolades.
Born in England, he had a passion for both art and wildlife from a very young age. He is a self-confessed ‘bird-nerd’- an interest that was kindled in his childhood during long walks with his parents.
His first experience of pristine wilderness came when he worked at a safari lodge in the Kafue River Reserve, in Zambia, surrounded by stunning riverine forest and some of Africa’s most spectacular wildlife.
Continuing his love for the wilder places of the planet, he later relocated to the Kootenay region of British Columbia where he lived for nine years before relocating to the South Shore of Nova Scotia in 2016. He considers himself very lucky to share his back yard with deer, bears, coyotes and raccoons- not to mention a huge variety of birds.
Guy has worked for most of his career in graphic design and illustration, having established a successful agency while in England. During that time, he was also constantly developing his skills as an artist until he took the plunge and committed to his art full time. Since then, he hasn’t looked back. “I have the best job in the world” he claims.
Artist’s Statement
It amazes me that it took so long for me to marry my love for wildlife with my passion for art. Obviously it takes far smarter people than me to make such profound connections (in this case my wife), but once made, it changed my world.
I have had an interest in both drawing and painting my whole life and, when the suggestion was made to focus on wildlife, I decided to go ‘back to the drawing board’ quite literally. Since then, I have been developing a technique that combines layers of acrylic paint, coloured pencil and transparent acrylic inks, a process that really allows me to capture the subtleties and intricacies of nature.
My highest priority when portraying a subject is to capture its consciousness. My subjects are engaged with their world, watching things beyond the confines of a frame – often regarding the viewer directly – or something out of frame. This is important to me, birds and animals are seldom random or vague, they are focused on their world with real intensity. It is this intensity I want to capture. When you encounter a wild thing in its own habitat there is a moment where you regard it and it regards you and the rest of the world just becomes background. That is a very real and special connection and one I want to share through my art.
Kaitlin Bauer
Kaitlin Bauer
I’ve been drawing and painting since I could hold a pencil, and always seemed to gravitate toward wildlife of one kind or another. I love the beauty, character and occasional silliness that animals display, which helps inspire my artwork.
I was born and raised in Powell River, B.C.; however, while visiting Nova Scotia in 2010, I fell in love with the Maritimes and decided to move in 2013. For a short time, my artistic pursuits were put on hold, but I was able to rediscover the love I had for my artwork after moving with my husband to a new house where I could have a dedicated space for an art studio. In early 2016 I decided to pursue my passion on a more full-time basis, and I’ve been creating ever since!
My continual goal is to create works of art that share my love of wildlife and inspire others to see the beauty in the world around us.
About My Art
I focus mainly on realistic wildlife illustrations and work with graphite pencils, erasers, and some sculpting tools for indenting in the beginning stages of my work. Once the piece I’m working on reaches a point that I’m happy with, I start working over the pencil in fine tip pen to add contrast and darker values to the drawing. I work using both pencil and fine tip pen until the piece is complete.
I have worked in coloured pencil, acrylics, oils, watercolours, and pastels before, and while all of these mediums are beautiful to work with, drawing was always my first love. I always feel like I’m “coming home” when I start a new drawing, and I feel like this shines through in my work. There are so many different mediums and choices for artists, and while it is fun to experiment, I feel everyone has something that they connect with, and drawing happens to be mine. I hope you enjoy my work!
Crystal Pyne-Robicheau
Crystal Pyne
Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.
(Thomas Merton)
“This is one of my favorite quotes of all time. Art is my sanctuary. I have taken the time to find and lose myself in creating art. I am motivated to learn new techniques and to try new mediums.
Since as far back as my family can remember, I’ve had a pencil in one hand and paper in the other. Sketching people was my gateway into becoming an artist.
Today, when I capture a likeness, my goal is to allow that person’s soul to shine through. And while I still love pencil sketching, acrylics have become my favorite medium. I enjoy adding color to the equation.
I grew up on Long Island, NS where I was fortunate to witness many of nature’s magical creations. This inspired me to transpose that natural world onto canvas, and has steered me towards a path of capturing sc wildlife. I am inspired to transpose that natural world onto canvas.Since 2019, I feel blessed to be part of Bear River Artworks Gallery. What an amazing place to call home, along with a wonderful family of artists.”
– Crystal Pyne-Robicheau
Sarah Duggan
Sarah Duggan
Sarah Duggan is a self taught watercolor artist and illustrator living and working in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. She has been selling prints, cards and paper products featuring her original watercolors since 2014 under her business Sarah Duggan Creative Works. Her cheerful and whimsical illustrations celebrate simple pleasures, and the joy of a life connected to nature, creativity, and community.
Our Artists
Wood / Stone / Glass / Metal
Jeff & Shallin Bauer
Jeff & Shallin Bauer
Jeff and Shallin Bauer, owners of We Craft Wood, are a husband and wife woodworking team living and creating in Greenwood, Nova Scotia. Dedicated to making products for people to enjoy, they craft artisan woodenware, home decor and hardwood furniture pieces:
Making quality products for people to enjoy. That’s our goal, Pure and simple. I’ve been self-employed for most of my life. Some jobs are much better than others, but woodworking has always been my passion. When you love your work, the saying is true: “When you do something you love, you’ll never work another day in your life.”
My work caught the attention of a highly skilled carpenter in Annapolis Royal, and when he asked me to work with him, it was a dream come true. We worked mostly on heritage buildings, within the Annapolis town limits. Restoring antique homes back to their former beauty.
Learning to dissect and rebuild the work of real craftsmen teaches you a lot. The ingenuity and care, the time and labor invested, it can’t be replaced by a CNC machine. The joinery technique, the tool usage, was all invaluable experience for me working with top notch craftsmen. But the most beneficial thing was learning how to think through a project to the final piece. Understanding the concept of what needed to be done so that none of the craftsmanship was lost. This is the most valuable thing I learned and the thing I endeavor to carry forward in my own work.
Then I married the other love of my life, Shallin. She brings a spark to every part of my life. Her ideas push me to create, problem solve, innovate. Raw materials to finished product. If I can visualize it, it’s as good as done. And with the help of my very creative wife the ideas keep coming.
Tim Carr & Jason Tucker
Tim Carr & Jason Tucker
Our business, School Street Studio Glass, originated as Studio Glass by Sharon Laska. She had been designing and selling fused glass from her own gallery in Maitland, Nova Scotia, for many years. She retired in 2014, and we decided to purchase the business. We trained with her for a few months, and then jumped in head-first, moving tons of glass, tools, equipment and products to our home-based production studio on a very cold day in January, 2015. After several years of working at home, we’ve moved our production to a retail space at 53 Main Street in Hantsport, where we also now offer workshops and a full selection of our hand-made fused glass, as well as other fun art and gift items from local artists.
We continue to offer many Studio Glass products and have also created many new original designs. The majority of our glass is destined for shops and galleries across Canada.
The Process
The glass we use is “System 96” fusing glass (made in USA and Mexico), which is pre-tested to ensure that all the different colours will fuse together without cracking or breaking. We have a palette of about 40 transparent and 30 opaque glass colours, and the glass comes to our shop in 2ft x 2ft sheets. Glass requires special tools and safety gear for cutting, and all the finished pieces are fired in electric kilns we keep on site
Our products have anywhere from 2 to 50+ individual pieces, which we produce in quantity by following our own unique hand drawn patterns. After scoring, breaking, and often grinding and washing the many pieces, we assemble them with a little bit of glue. Some pieces also require special glass paint and/or “frit,” which is crushed glass that adds texture, and they’re kiln-fired to a temperature of about 1425˚F (about 770˚C). Pieces which require shaping, like trays, bowls, or candle holders go back in the kiln a second time at a lower temperature to “slump” or bend the glass into special molds.
Every bit of glass can be used, down to the smallest scraps, leaving almost no wasted materials. Best of all, the bright colours of glass will not fade, even in direct sunlight.
Chris & Shelley (Beckett) Jette
Chris & Shelley
Canoe Cove Studio is an Island-based glass studio that has developed an award-winning product line since entering the craft industry in 1992. Christopher Jette founded the company and has expanded it to include a successful contemporary fused glass product line called INFERNO.
Canoe Cove Studio now serves national and international wholesale, retail giftware and art markets. Canoe Cove Studio has marketing representatives in the New England and New York City marketplaces.
Christopher Jette, founding partner, is the company’s primary product designer. He is also a registered architect and owner of architecture 360 inc. and currently practices architecture on Prince Edward Island. He runs Canoe Cove Studio with his partner, Shelley Beckett Jette, who has extensive marketing and sales experience gained across Canada and the UK. Shelley manages Canoe Cove Studio sales, production, product design and development.
Susan George
Susan George
Susan is the founder of Fernwood Fairy Doors. She lives and creates these beautiful little doors from natural elements in Lake of the Woods, Nova Scotia.
Bill & Donald Gimby
Bill & Donald Gimby
Bill Gimby started working with stone during the restoration of a 100-year-old stone house, “Cornerstone”. It is now the family home on the shores of St. Margaret’s Bay in Nova Scotia.
The stone restoration evolved into furnishings, stone landscape and commission work. Bill is self- taught and, following retirement, progressed to making stone lamps, vases, stonescapes, lanterns, wall art and centerpieces. For the past 20 years, he has developed a reputation for unique and natural decorative and functional stonework. His inspiration comes from the surrounding shorelines, tumbled beach rock, driftwood, and the natural setting he lives in. Bill works with naturally formed, colourful granite and limestone from Nova Scotia, layered colours of gneiss from Newfoundland, slate from Vermont and limestone and sandstone from New Brunswick.
“Cornerstone” has grown to the point where Bill’s son, Donald, has joined to help fulfill demand. Their work is shown in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Maine, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.
David Stepan
David Stepan
Employing his Bachelor of Fine Arts training and decades of experience as a bespoke furniture designer maker, David blurs the lines between art, service and décor, creating objects that transcend their purpose.
His passion is now directed to a more immediate expression of his interest in materials – especially how objects from sustainably sourced materials can look and feel beautiful, and have their story evolve.
Recently having moved from Ontario to Caledonia, Nova Scotia, with his wife Jody, they are renovating a derelict early 1900’s feed store to become their home and studios.
Sam Hattie
Sam Hattie
My Name is Sam Hattie and I am the artist behind Sunflower Stripes. I make stained glass art inspired by nature and all things whimsical. I have always been crafty and fell in love with stained glass in 2019 when I tried it for the first time. The way light interacts with glass is so beautiful and inspiring. I love getting to capture even a small piece of that.
Making art that brings joy and makes people smile is definitely what keeps me going. Doing custom pieces, I’ve had the pleasure of being a part of some magical moments in people’s lives. From a child’s drawing of a bird to a purple camper van, a karaoke king to a miniature window replica; I have been so fortunate to make the gifts that people love to receive. When I’m not glassing, I’m either crafting something else or on adventures with my loved ones. I’m most at home outdoors and often imagine living in the woods or in a shack by the sea. I hope my work brings a smile to your face or a warm memory to your heart.
– Sam Hattie
Brent Harding
Brent Harding
“I am a self-taught artist. My journey in the arts began with charcoal sketches. I then progressed to painting in oils, later becoming proficient in watercolor and acrylic mediums. I have taken my experience as a landscape artist and incorporated that knowledge into my stained and fusion glass pieces. I have now been working with glass for over 30 Years.
Although I find working with glass technically challenging, it is also very rewarding. What I enjoy most about fusion glass is the fact that there are so many avenues to explore. My creations are inspired by the beautiful landscapes of Cape Breton. At present, I use glass and metals such as copper, aluminum, gold, silver and brass to re-create these beautiful landscapes.
I’ve been a resident artist at the Kor Gallery located in Kitchener, Ontario. I have also created many corporate and residential works which combine fusion and stained glass techniques, for example: front entrance kitchen accents, picture windows, room dividers and wall & window hangings. I have also made many functional pieces like vases, lamps, soap dishes, plates, bowls, tea-light shades.
I am grateful for the support and guidance of the Cape Breton Center for Arts and Crafts as well as the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia who both represent me in their gallery shops. I am also grateful to my mother for enrolling me in evening oil painting lessons at the age of seven. Since then, art has been an integral part of my life and I thoroughly enjoy sharing my passion through teaching others.”
-Brent Harding
1888 Clementsvale Road | Bear River, Nova Scotia | Canada | B0S 1B0
bluemindgallery@gmail.com
902.467.1212
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