Artists
Pipi Tustian ~ Painter and textile artist
Much of Pipi's nurturing strength comes from the women in her life, while a lighthearted sense of humor comes directly from the men! Growing up she was surrounded by family love, humor, music, and European slow food, which was always served with rustic casual flare that made you want to sit for hours.
Cowichan Bay, British Columbia
www.pipihomedecor.com
Hand-painted washable Linen - Original Art for Everyday Living
Each fabric is pre-washed to insure durability and colour fastness. Once sewn, the blank canvas comes to life with a hand-painted acrylic palette inspired by the changing light each day brings. Pipi's original pieces of 'functional art' - banners, tablecloths, tablerunners, napkins, curtains, pillows and chair cushions - are then heat set which renders them completely washable for use in-doors or out.
Peter Lawson ~ Painter
" My goal with every painting is to capture the atmospheric mood of Nature through a combination of reality and imagination. I take great pride in producing original art that records the natural world, with all it's form and textures."
Peter Thomas Lawson - Shawnigan Lake, B.C.
www.peterlawson.ca
Susan C. Whitham ~ Potter
Artistic expression has always been my saving grace, my driving force, my sense of sanity. My love of clay began as a small child. Multiple decades later clay is still the tangible substance that I best express myself physically, emotionally and spiritually. Clay is a sort of communication device between me and the outside world. I don't question my need to create. I pass along my experience through creating, appreciating, listening and teaching. My love of clay, colours, patterns and textures keeps me exploring and creating with delight! Enjoy every minute of it!
MiraSol Studio, Duncan BC
www.mirasolstudio.com
Carol Anne Shaw ~ painter
When you live on the west coast, you get used to grey, and rain, and an absence of shadows. While the climate and atmosphere is conducive to creativity and copious tea drinking, the day-after-day palette can get a little tedious at times. Maybe that's why I love colour so much when I paint. Bring on the yellows and reds!
I am very grateful to live in a community that supports so many creative and talented people and am constantly inspired and encouraged by the many artists who call the Cowichan valley their home.
My words of wisdom: "Sometimes it's best not to over think your work. Just roll up your sleeves, pour yourself a good cup of coffee, and have at it!"
As for a quote that I identify with? I've always been partial to this one...
"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." (Anais Nin)
Shawnigan Lake, BC
carolanneshaw12.blogspot.com/
Andrew Kent ~ basket weaver, furniture maker
The Willow Way
The Willow Way is a small home based business, located on Vancouver Island. All pieces are hand crafted by me and materials are sourced locally. I have been creating Rustic Furniture for over 15 years and strive to find a balance between Art and Craft, Function and Form .Enjoy!
The Willow Way
13571 Circle- O Pl.
Ladysmith, BC
V9G 1H3
andrewkentwillow@shaw.ca
250 714 3405
David W. Aris ~ painter
David was born and raised in Alberta, but realized on his first trip to Vancouver Island that this would be his home. “The Island's charm is irresistible. It is difficult to remain uninspired in such a beautiful location!”
After completing a degree in Fine Arts and then a degree in Education, David has pursued a career as a high school art teacher. He is currently teaching at Frances Kelsey Secondary School in Mill Bay.
David began painting at a very early age and sold his first painting at thirteen. From that point on he worked toward becoming a successful artist. He now has work in collections across Canada, the United States and Japan. Primarily a water colorist, David uses a variety of styles to create paintings with subject matter as diverse as logging scenes to country gardens. Also in his repertoire are paintings done in acrylics and oils.
In the past few years David has developed a passion for sculpture. He has created an array of pieces in soapstone and wood. “Carving is very therapeutic and allows me to explore a variety of local woods to hand craft masks, spoons and bowls.”
David is an energetic person who loves art and continues to pursue new challenges and goals in this area.
Shawnigan Lake, B.C.
davearis@shaw.ca
Chantey Dayal ~ Painter
Chantey Dayal is a painter living in the beautiful Cowichan Valley, Canada. She is uninhibited with her precocious, ripe and audacious use of colour. Imaginary gardens that are inspired, playful and forceful foreshadow their potential and explosive beauty. Looking sweet and juicy with life, not to be lost to a breeze at any moment.
From the time that I was five years old, I have only ever wanted to colour, draw and paint. It has always been, and remains to be my favorite thing to do. As a young woman, I studied theatre and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre with a focus in set and costuming design. Working for many years as a scenic artist gave me the confidence and flare for expressing with boldness and sweeping strokes of the brush. Inspiration for my paintings come from night time dreams, dancing, music, poetry, my garden, and most of all my children.
To contact Chantey or to view more of her work go to:
www.chanteydayal.com
facebook: chantey dayal
e-mail: omchantey@hotmail.com
phone: 250.709.2280
Devon Gillott ~ Painter
Painter Devon Gillott is an artist who gets to live her creative dreams. Currently working from her private home studio in the Cowichan Valley she paints in oils using bright colours, creating textures that "you can sink your teeth into". Inspired by organic west coast scenery: trees, flowers, dragon flies; Devon experiments with a variety of surfaces, from traditional canvas to recycled window frames. "My technique is self taught and evolves with every brush stroke."
devongillott@hotmail.com
devongillott.tumblr.com
250-709-2775
Elizabeth Wellburn ~ Glass Artist
Elizabeth Wellburn melted her first piece of glass at a workshop in the wonderful Starfish studio that used to be on Yates Street in Victoria, BC, Canada. Since then she has been passionate about glass as an art form, with a special interest in recycled materials. Her work is created from discarded bottles, chipped serving dishes and old stemware along with other small scraps of glass from any source she can access. Discarded windows from heritage houses and unwanted mirrors are often used as the base for her work.
John Robertson ~ Potter
John Robertson: is a self supporting professional potter since graduating from art school in 1976, he and his partner Harriet moved to Cobble Hill and established their studio; Cobble Hill Pottery in 1988. They have enjoyed life carrying on a time honored traditional handcraft with a huge scope for personal creative experimentation and fun! John's current body of work consists of high fired, reduction stoneware, glazed in a palette of personally formulated glazes perfected during his years of experimentation..... Each piece of pottery created from his hands will set out into the world.
Cobble Hill Pottery
3375 Boyles Rd.
250 743 2001
Beverly J Koski ~ Painter
Many artists are asked by viewers: “But what is it all about? What does it mean? What is the artist trying to say?”
The answer to these questions, is that there is no answer! Paradoxically, the viewer loses something when he asks the question. Art, except when representing reality, needs to be enjoyed as an interaction of colour, shape and/or line between the observer, and the surface looked upon. His own experience will dictate the response felt.
Delacroix, a French artist of the 19th Century, whom many believe to be the liberator of colour, asserted that the purpose of art, was not to imitate nature but to give access, via the imagination, to the consummate world which exists within the artist.
‘It is thus of far greater importance’, he said, ‘for the artist to approach closely the ideal he carries within him, that is unique to him, than to reproduce, even with force, the fleeting ideal which nature can present.’
Bev was born in Edmonton, and moved to Victoria as a child. She graduated from Victoria High School, the Royal Jubilee Hospital as an x-ray technician, and later worked as a real estate agent for 25 years. She has a diploma in Fine Arts from the Victoria College of Art. Married and the mother of three adult children, she counts their successful lives as her most significant achievement. Working from her studio in Duncan, B.C., her passion now is art, with a primary focus upon acrylic collage. Highlights have been: a winning cover for a Vancouver magazine, displayed in the National Library, Ottawa; and an image for a Fortune 100 company.
www.koskiart.ca
beverly-koski.artistwebsites.com/
Deryk Houston ~ Painter
Deryk Houston resides in Victoria, B.C., Canada, and has mounted one-man exhibitions in Canada, the USA, Scotland, Iraq, and the former Soviet Union. He has created paintings and installation projects for peace and human rights. His work is about peace and understanding why we are here. Cycles of life, generations, seeds and community are important in his work.
www.derykhouston.com
dhouston@coastnet.com
Bernadette McCormack ~ Painter
I paint to communicate positive messages to the world. I believe in the power of positive energy and have built my life on laughter and love. My paintings help me to express the beauty that is within and around us.
Love, life, and patterns found in nature are my immediate inspirations. The whimsy and delight of the natural world, as expressed by artists Lauren Harris and Ted Harrison, have remained an inspiration for me since I began painting in 1992. My multicultural backgrounds, and my love of travel, have contributed to the universal feel my paintings express.
My paintings are bold, colorful and clean. I create simple lines to portray my ideas and let the colors of the piece tell the story. I use either translucent acrylic or watercolour paint, which I layer and layer to create the vibrant, saturated colors found in my work. Each painting is finished with clean black lines that allow each section of the piece to ring through and touch the viewer.
When I am in my studio, I am in my bliss. It is my hope that when someone sees one of my pieces, they, too, will find a little piece of their own heaven.
hummingbirdstudio@shaw.ca
www.bernadettemccormack.com
