Ulla Clark

LUprints main designer, Ulla Clark, was introduced to Scandinavian textiles at a young age through growing up with a Swedish mother. On frequent family visits to Sweden and seeing her relatives’ homes adorned with collections of hand-embroidered and screen printed linens, her fondness for table runners and napkins blossomed. She has always been drawn to the pleasing simplicity that nature provides, she spent a decade working outside in the forest, often finding time for collecting and cataloguing plants and flowers. Her strong affection for nature as well as her memories of the beautiful, yet functional linens, are a constant inspiration for new products and prints.

Ulla has been trained in industrial screen printing by both fine art printers as well as textile printers in Canada and the USA. She has been printing full-time since 2005 in her screenprinting studio Limelight Screenprinting. Her love of printing combined with her knowledge and training in sewing and designing led her to start LUprints in 2006.

Naomi Yamamoto

Naomi Joy Yamamoto attended the Fibre Program at the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with Distinction in 2006. During her schooling, Naomi had the opportunity to spend a month as a work study intern at the Haystack School of Crafts on Deer Isle, Maine. She has also recieved several travel scholarships which enabled her to visit Tibet, China and Spain. Upon graduating in 2006, Naomi attended the acclaimed Banff Centre for the arts as a fully funded artist in residence. Inspired by her love of textiles, design and traveling, Naomi created Flight Path Designs in 2007 as a way to merge these three passions. Her work utilizes a combination of found imagery from her travels, vintage textiles and leather to create a line of belts, handbags and other accessories.

Naomi’s leatherwork can be found at stores throughout Alberta, including; ShisoMiso(Calgary), The Art Gallery of Calgary Shop,Saffron (Cochrane) and Sabrina Butterfly Designs (Edmonton). In Vancouver, her work is available at Dream Designs, Favourite and Motherland. She also sells her work through the monthly sales of the Portobello West Market in Vancouver and has exhibited at the One of a Kind Show in Toronto. The Flight Path line has been featured in several publications, including The Globe and Mail, Orb Magazine, Swerve and Fashion Magazine.

Naomi currently resides in Vancouver where she maintains her studio practice at the historic 1000 Parker Street studios.She can be found there most late nights, lovingly creating and designing her line.

Mark Pilon

Mark "Atomos" Pilon was born under the Northern Lights, in Canada's mysterious north. Perhaps it's a childhood dwarfed by the aurora borealis that made him seek out his alias. After graduating from art school, Mark was researching an art project when he stumbled across a Walt Disney book called "Our Friend the ATOM". The Greek name Atomos leapt out at him. "It means indivisible, or the smallest possible object," Mark explains. "Mystery and science are a good working combination."

Mark earned his Advertising Arts diploma at Winnipeg’s Red River College in 1989, and then attended Emily Carr College of Art & Design, to pursue his dream as a painter and illustrator. He left Emily Carr in 1992 to work for Discorder Magazine, honed his skills as an artist and graphic designer, and spent three of his six years there as Art Director. He departed Discorder in 1996 to join the Georgia Straight as a designer and illustrator, and today he the renowned publication’s Senior Designer. Meanwhile, he continues to illustrate for magazines worldwide and shows in galleries across North America.

Every aspect of his art is carefully computer drawn and then meticulously painted in acrylic layers, to give them a sharp, print-like synthetic quality. His paintings are a natural transition from his editorial illustrations. Mark’s paintings grew out of his love of underground comics, space-age record jackets, scooter culture, and moog music. His latest works reflect a post-pop conviction with an inking of surrealism and cast aside logic to reveal slices of modern images that are projected from dark holes into a dreamy multi-color world.

“I enjoy building my own worlds. I pull most of my imagery from my own personal sleeping dreams so you can say each dream is expertly captured and placed under glass for the viewer’s inspection.”

Some of Mark’s recent clients include:

The Georgia Straight, The Globe & Mail, Circle Productions, The Sierra Club, Wired, Scoot Quarterly, IKEA, Virgin Records, Home Maker Magazine, Vancouver Magazine, BC Business, Random House, Intrawest, Motor Trend Classic, AQ Magazine, OC Weekly, Mint Records, DDB Chicago, Walgreens.

Mark exhibits at:

La Luz de Jesus - Los Angles, MModern Gallery - Palm Springs, Roq la Rue - Seattle, DC Gallery - Denver, Dva - Chicago, Swizzle - Toronto, Shooting Gallery - San Francisco, Moon Base - Vancouver, Lunar Boy Gallery - Astoria, Harold Golen Gallery - Miami, Rotofugi - Chicago, Orbit Gallery - New York.

In 2006, Mark received the “Best Illustration Feature” award for “Running On Empty” at the WMA’s 24^{th Annual Awards Ceremony.}

Marcy Ross

Victoria fashion designer and artist Marcy Ross illustrates her sensibilities by playfully pairing forgotten furs, vintage pieces and fine knit laces with eco-friendly fabrics creating a flirty collection of one-of-a-kinds.


Her label, Morena Clothing emerged as an independent, sustainable, design studio in 2004. Since her debut on the local runway, her steady rise in popularity and loyal clientele has resulted in her valuable all season collections being sold in contemporary boutiques and galleries across Canada.

Tick Tock!

Well, the countdown is on! Our 10th Shiny Fuzzy Muddy show starts tomorrow and it is a stellar line up of artists and designers from Western Canada. Come and visit us to witness some of the most thoughtfully conceived products and art works around. This show is a must do for artists, arts advocates, connoisseurs and those new to the world of art! Meet your local creative community and feel good about the dollars you spend supporting your local arts community!

Read through our previous posts to learn more about the 25 artists that will be presenting their work at Heritage Hall this weekend. If you want to see more of their work online scroll down the page and find a list of all participating artists to your right and click on your favorite one!

See you this weekend! Bring all your friends and stay warm!!!

Lincoln Heller

I began working with leather in an Alaskan logging camp, making tool pouches from discarded boots. When I came back to Vancouver I began filling leather bag orders for men. Now I have developed my own line of accessories for men and women that emphasize the sculptural properties of vegetable tanned leather.

I use vegetable tanned leather for my products because it is cured with vegetable tannins, unlike the chromium baths of conventional leather. I buy undyed hides so I can create custom surfaces without the chemical saturation that industrially finished products endure.

The surfaces of my leather goods are fashioned by hand. I make impressions with recycled objects and blend coloured dyes to create unique mottled finishes.

My minimalist approach to construction is very important, there are no tricks, no glue, no linings, no synthetic replacements. I use very basic materials; leather, wood, hardware, and thread. Before refinement these materials occur on this planet, and my hope is they will, over time, decay naturally.

Functionality and longevity are most important. I aspire to create things that do a job well and for a long time. I resent disposability and planned obsolescence, and think today’s climate of self-serving convenience is breeding the waste that is stuffing our landfills.

Laura McKibbon

cul de sac products are all handmade in vancouver, bc. solely by designer/maker laura mckibbon. with an academic background in sciences, laura is a self-taught ceramic artist whose work is not bound by labels or tradition. laura’s work incorporates hand built, functional ceramics with photography and printmaking, making each piece a unique exploration of art, craft and design.

laura enjoys custom work and collaborative artist projects, so please feel free to make your ideas known…

Kari Woo

Kari Woo is a full-time studio jeweller who also doubles as a mixed media assemblage artist. She is co-founder/owner of INFLUX Jewellery Gallery in Calgary, an instructor with the ACAD Extended Studies Program and a founding member of crafter collectives in Calgary and Vancouver that advocate for the handmade and buying local. In her spare time she likes to think about the role of Craft in contemporary culture.

Her mixed media work has been exhibited in the United States, Europe, across Canada and most recently in South Korea at the Cheongju International Craft Biennale. Her jewellery designs are available in high end design boutiques across the country and in select U.S. locations. Woo graduated with her BFA from the Alberta College of Art & Design in Calgary, 2003 and has been in the art jewellery field since 1993.

Jill Allan

studio-oodio is the Vancouver based studio practice of artist, Jill Allan. Jill graduated from the Glass Department of the Alberta College of Art & Design in 1999 earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. Since that time she has consistently produced beautiful and functional designs out of glass. Her work is quiet and distinct drawing on Scandinavian and Asian design sensibilities for inspiration. Characteristic features of Jill's work are refined surface details, optical trickery and clean forms.

Jessica deHaas

Jessica de Haas has had a lifelong passion for fibre arts - it may have started as a child when she received a Fisher-Price loom for Christmas.  In her teens she had a batik clothing business, and studied the art form in Indonesia.  After nearly a decade of travels, interspersed with both formal art school training and self directed studies, she settled down in Vancouver and started  her clothing line, Funk Shui.   Using the ancient art of feltmaking,  Jessica creates gorgeous, one of a kind fabric which is sculpted into wearable pieces such as hats, shawls, scarves and jackets.  She is fascinated by the metamorphosis of ordinary materials into something extraordinary, through the primitive process of feltmaking.   She has been selling her work from her Atelier on Granville Island since 2006.

A Sample of work by Jen Pleadwell!

Jen Pleadwell

thousand flowers textiles are handmade in Vancouver, BC by designer Jenefer Pleadwell. Incorporating a variety of techniques including weaving, dyeing, and surface embellishment, Jen creates pieces one by one in the couture artisan tradition. Her work in textiles is an attempt to bring old technique into a relevant modern context. Each stage of her process deliberately embraces the slow and the labourious, sentiments that she balances with the desire to be innovative and to push things forward in her discipline.

Jasna Sokolovic

With a foundation in Architecture, Jasna moved to Canada from Yugoslavia in 1994. First to Montreal, studying at Concordia University and later to Vancouver where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Emily Carr Institute of Art & Design in 2000. Jasna has participated in gallery shows throughout Canada and United States, including a solo show at the Gallery of BC Ceramics and group shows in Toronto, Montreal and L.A. She uses clay as a basis to explore gallery installations, fashion, interior design and site specific work.

Her work is featured in the recent Lark Books Transfer Imagery on Clay, 500 Tiles and Surface Design for Ceramics, as well as in HGTV television series. Most recently Jasna’s work was selected for 5th World Ceramic Biennale in Korea and included in their permanent collection.

Janna Hurtzig

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.

Heather Braun-Dahl

dahlhaus was launched in 2007 by artist Heather Dahl as a way to connect her painting and ceramics practices under one ‘roof’. Inspired by the Bauhaus school, a love for textile design as well as an interest in organic shapes, the dahlhaus ceramics collection is hand-made pottery by the artist made in her East Vancouver Studio.

Heather Dahl graduated from the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in 2001 with a major in ceramics and painting. 

Genevieve Tso

Genevieve Tso joined The Pharm Design Group in 2004. The Group consists of two main designers/dreamers who have grown up in the age of technology, yet raised by the arts and crafts. What brought them together was like-minded pursuits of a friendlier environment through well-designed fashion and products.

In 2000/2001 Genevieve went to Helen Lefeaux School of Fashion Design where she was taught her technical skills, then in 2003 graduated from Capilano College for Textile Arts. It’s dreams & ideas that award a person their creativity not the education. Her clothing collection reflected a return to the hand made, but with splicing of new technology and urban design.

Currently, Genevieve is the creative director/designer of Cielo Kids clothing.

Lightbank Studio Holiday Art Sale

Hey Folks! If you happen to be in the Seattle area this weekend please visit what looks like a great event - the Lightbank Studio Holiday Art Sale. SFM artists Laura McKibbon and Jasna Sokolovic (two of Canada's greatest ceramic artists!!!) will be joining the group for this event. If you miss them in Seattle, don't worry ... the Shiny Fuzzy Muddy show is only 8 days away!!!!

Lightbank Studio Holiday Art Sale
Saturday December 5, 11am – 5pm
Sunday December 6, 11am – 5pm
2200 North Pacific Suite A
Wallingford, Seattle

Erin Dolman

 Jeweller Erin Dolman was born and raised in Vancouver but eventually heard the call of the wild, pulled up her city roots and now resides in a beautiful cabin in the woods of Roberts Creek. Erin’s work is designed and created in her home-based studio under the watchful eye of her Pug, Burl. When not working in the studio Erin is an avid gardener and amateur naturalist, she also has a weak spot for hotrods and vintage tattoo designs. These diverse interests show as strong influences in her jewellery, skulls and feathers, birds and hotrod flames all come to be incorporated in her work. Over the past 15 years Erin has exhibited in numerous exhibitions both in Canada and internationally. She has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards including a Niche award in 2002 and a BC Creative Achievement Award in 2005.

Denise Wilson

Denise Wilson calls Vancouver home even though she was born and raised in Toronto. What’s more is that she regularly takes up residency with her husband’s family in Peru. Denise, who studied fine art in Vancouver and Florence Italy, uses her extensive travels throughout Europe and the Americas plus their languages, cultures, art, design and architecture to influence and inspire her.

Denise has successfully launched three unique collections. In 2003, Patina Designs launched a collection of buttery soft leather accessories accented with hand silk-screened images and appliqués. The collection has expanded from books to include refillable journals, agendas and coin purses.

In December 2005 Denise and husband Andres Hinojosa teamed up to create Bronsino Designs for Living. The line pays homage to the 16th century Florentine artist Agnolo Bronzino and the Hinojosa family home on Calle Bronsino in Lima, Peru. The finely crafted handbags and accessories from the Bronsino collection are classically inspired works of art produced in very limited numbers. 

The following year Bronsino Recycled came to fruition and focuses exclusively on the use of recycled and reclaimed leathers.

 

Denise’s work has been featured in Fashion Magazine, the Georgia Straight, Vancouver Lifestyles Magazine, Real Weddings, The Toronto Sun and Shared Vision Magazine.

claire madill in the studio!

my work currently falls into two categories: slipcast porcelain vintage jars and accessories (earrings and brooches).  both are derived from vintage glass -- at some point a year and a half ago, my thrift-store-eyes turned exclusively towards the stuff.  the kitchen cupboards of our grandparents were filled with things that we just don't use or need much anymore -- canning jars and pickle dishes, in particular, have lent me an almost endless source of inspiration.  the idea of 'value' comes into play a lot for me as a result. 

in order to use these found objects for my ceramic purposes, i have become a moldmaker. (every new mold is declared to be my 'prettiest', so i'm definitely getting better all the time! the promise of a good mold to work with makes the process not so daunting anymore...)  the best part of making a new mold of the pattern from the bottom of a vintage pickle dish, for example, is seeing the 'negative' of the pattern in the plaster. even though your eyes can look at the glass original and see a diamond impression, the 'negative' of the same is always a fantastic surprise!  so then i'll have to make a mold of the mold to be able to use both 'positive' and negative' images for my accessories...  this idea has been translated into my newest earring designs -- i've been calling them 'same same but different'.  when you look at the pair of earrings, they are definitely a pair -- no question.  but looking closer, you discover that one is the positive and one is the negative.

Toronto One of A Kind Show

This is Canada's largest show & sale featuring distinctly Canadian designers, artists, crafters and makers. Its on now until December 6! If you happen to be in the big city drop by booth I45 and visit SFM artists Kari Woo or booth U19 and visit Anat Basanta!