Gallery Gifts Artists Bios

Chris Carter - Union Bay
Chris Carters photographic prints are increasingly popular both in our Gallery Shop and throughout the island.Using the latest software he is able to combine multiple images to make panorama prints.Chris has a wonderful collection of images that convey the natural beauty and spirit of Vancouver Island. As he says so much depends on natural light, and being there when conditions are suitable, the collection grows slowly, only three of four keepers a year.

Joe Smith - Union Bay
Joe Smith is a well-known and respected artist residing in Union Bay. Specializing in landscape and cityscape subjects in watercolour, his objective is to provide people with an opportunity to view the world around by creating works that stir the emotions. Joe says Art is a reflection of a moment in time.

Robert Bateman - Salt Spring Island

Born in Toronto, Ontario Canada in 1930 Robert has been a keen artists and naturalist for his early days. Bateman painted wildlife and wilderness in a representational style until his teens when he began to interpret nature using a variety of contemporary styles.
In the early 60s, Bateman rediscovered realism and began to develop the style that would make him one of the foremost artists depicting the world of nature. In the 70s and early 80s, Bateman's work began to receive critical acclaim and to attract an enormous following.

Bev Byerley - Comox Valley

Bev Byerley grew up in the Comox Valley, moved on to study oil painting at the Banff School of Fine Arts, then completed the graphic design program at Capilano College, before finally returning to the Comox Valley where she has now lived and painted for the past 20 years. A passionate landscape painter working with acrylics, watercolours, and more recently; lino -cut printmaking techniques, Byerley continues to explore the beauty of both the west as well as the east coast of Canada.

Clive Powsey - Cumberland
Clive paints mainly watercolour landscapes both on location and in the studio. Born in Ashford, Kent, U.K., 1958. He studied drawing, painting and printmaking at the Ontario College of Art, graduating in 1980 and has exhibited his work regularly since 1981. Group exhibitions include International Waters (1991), a joint exhibition of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour, the American Watercolour Society, and the Royal Watercolour Society. Living on Vancouver Island, British Columbia with interests in rock climbing, mountaineering, and hiking, much recent painting has been of local mountain scenery inside and out of Strathcona Provincial Park.

Dorothy Jarvis - Port Alberni
Dorothy was born and raised in Prince Rupert, British Columbia and has been painting with oils for many years. Having lineage of the Tsimshian from the village of Port Simpson, B.C. and members of the Laz Kw Alaams Band, Gitwilgyoots Tribe, landscapes are easily referential of Aboriginal life and uses the spirits of the great totem poles as the subject in her artwork says Jarvis. Although the Earth has reclaimed many of these monuments live on and I am humbled to capture their true beauty

Vicki Lapp- Courtenay
Vicki has lived in the Comox Valley since 1970 and has spent many hours photographing the scenery and wildlife of this beautiful area, especially the Comox Glacier. Vicki produces a vast array of hasty notes in a variety of sizes featuring scenic, Glacier and wildlife images. Fridge magnets are also available. Matted and framed enlargements continue to be in great demand as gifts for those retiring or moving from the Valley.

Elaine Savoie - Hornby Island
Savoie was raised in a family of Hornby island pioneers who are devoutly Catholic, and her work emerges out of this colourful family history of early settlers, farmers, the Catholic Church and boat builders. Art allows Savoie to explore her connection to place and the Culture of Catholicism that surrounds her. Her desire to engage in a struggle for discovery, beyond the strictures of religion and family, has led Savoie to create satirical pieces full of wonder and whimsy. Her art is a reflection of nature's presence around her and Savoie's pieces wonderfully express her own particular humour and joie de vivre.

Brian Scott - Courtenay
Comox Valley artist Brian Scott is an original oil painter whose name is inextricably linked to colour - wild and wonderful mixes of fanciful, fun and exciting hues that bring the west coast fishing boats, architecture and tumble-down buildings of our beloved coastal British Columbia into a new perspective.

Al Knutson - Nanaimo

Al first starting using clay in the mid 60's, yet is was not until 1995 that he began to work seriously in the medium. He gradually took more courses, produced different types of pots and got into production. Each pot is unique in itself and no two items are the same. Each piece is either hand thrown or handcrafted from a slab of clay. Al now has his own unique style of pottery that is sort after by many both as functional pottery, and display pieces

Hanne Christensen - Denman Island

Christensen emigrated from Denmark in 1972 and brought with her an ingrained love for working with clay. She decided to make a more serious attempt at working as a potter, and completed a two year accredited course at Kwantlen College and graduated with a diploma in 1978. Her objective has always been to focus on the functional concept of pottery. Christensen says it should be useful and a delight to handle and pleasing. In her studio on Denman Island where she lives with her retired longshoreman husband, she takes special delight in perfecting her craft, and continues to explore the possibilities inherent in clay.

Gale La Porte - Errington
Errington, which is a unique community, provides La Porte with the spark of imagination required to create her original Raku sculpted shapes and forms of the West Coast. La Portes imagery of leaves and other organic lines inform the pieces with a real west coast theme to an art form synonymous with Japanese culture. The incredibly exciting process of Raku inspires La Porte, as one never knows in advance what the end result will be.

Betty Franklin - Comox

Franklin is a Comox Valley potter known for decorative designs and multi-firing methods. She employs several different clay bodies and firing techniques into her ceramic practice including wood, salt, and reduction gas methods. Franklins signature functional wares are decorated with coastal marine motifs, or locally distinguishable coastal forest themed colour palettes.

James Pottery - Quadra Island
Martha James and Gordon James are professional potters from Quadra Island, which is located off of the east coast of Vancouver Island. Martha James received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Calgary in 1976. Gordon is a graduate from Alberta of College of Art of the same year. Marthas functional and sculptural works are often depicting appropriated imagery of Classical shapes and are made from porcelain, stoneware, and earthenware clays. Gordons sculptural vessels borrow queue from the human form and face and are in his words, not beautifully stylized, but flawed like the real humans we are.

Ellen Statz - Campbell River

Ellen Statz was born and raised in the small coastal community of Campbell River where she continues to live and work today. As the daughter of a commercial fisherman she has a long and direct connection with the sea and with nature that inspires her whimsical forms and designs. Statz work has moved through a number of themes ranging from a fixation with alligators and crocodiles to her current interest in botanical textures and impressions.

Gordon Hutchens - Denman Island
Hutchens, who lives and works on the north end of Denman Island, earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with Honours from the University of Illinois. For over 35 years Hutchens has exhibited his highly acclaimed crystalline, wood fired, Raku, salt and reduction fired earthenware in both solo and group exhibitions within Canada and abroad. Hutchens is well known for his traditional Japanese style hillside Anagama kiln as well as being an educator of various ceramic-making techniques.

Mussels and More Pottery - Campbell River
Jan Sell was born and raised in the coastal community of Campbell River on Vancouver Island. Oceanic forms have always been important to the self-taught potter and watercolour artist. Sell created her first ceramic Mussel Shell some 20 years ago with the vision of creating a line of realistic Westcoast shells over the years to come.

Kim Naylor - Errington

Kims jewellery is one of the most popular lines in the store, marketed under " Keeping Afloat" Kim uses pieces of fish float glass, and vintage cutlery to make just some of her jewellery. Many other earrings and necklaces use silver and bright coloured beads offering something for everyone.

Cheryl Jacobs - Denman Island
In 1987, Cheryl started her business doing one-of-a-kind hand fabricated pieces. When she moved with her family to Denman Island in 1993, they set up a studio where she now produces her own line that is being widely used by jewellery artists and is now accepted as a new and exciting art medium Jacobs designs are shown in galleries across Canada.

Madeline Chisholm - Vancouver
Madeleine neat things studio is located in West Vancouver, British Columbia. In her own words her workshop is her island, (her) bit of heaven.Her silver jewelry is quite delicate and precious but offers the viewer an opportunity for discovery in her less than conventional forms, I like whimsy, fun things, surprises, and things that move. She has been producing art since the early 70s and has exhibited internationally as a multi-disciplinary artist showing works in fiber, enamel, and silver.

Alvaro Sanchez - Saltspring Island

Alvaro Sanchez has lived in almost every country in Latin America until 1990 when he established residence on Salt Spring Island, where he lives with his wife and two children. Originally from Argentina he studied design, music and architecture in Buenos Aires and experimented with different artistic expressions before discovering silver jewelry. Alvaro has gathered influences, techniques and inspiration from the ancient and contemporary art of the many cultures he has lived in. His artistic style has an urban Latin flavour. Some of his finest creations evolve from what he likes to call beautiful mistakes.

Terence Warbey - Salt Spring Island
Born in England where he apprenticed in all phases of metal work skills. In 1966 he immigrated to Vancouver where he realized his dream of having a jewellery studio, selling his own work from his shop.
His inspiration comes from nature and people. "My Celtic - British roots. The skills developed through years of intense work and study, and my growing appreciation for the beauty of the Canadian wilderness, all are found in my work"

Damaris Oakley - Red Room Glass

Damaris works with both glass and silver. Her range of glass platters, sushi sets and coasters come in a host of different colours to match your tastes. Her jewellery blends both her glass art and silver work to produce beautiful pendants, bracelets, and earrings. Many of these pieces have sea theme influences adding that west coast theme to her work.

Nancy Morrison - Courtenay
Artist Nancy Morrison has been creating original stained glass designs for homes, businesses and churches for over 25 years. Using a wide range of styles to suite each environment, Morrison integrates natural lighting with elements of the interior design and architecture when building her glass panels. Her highly acclaimed work and teaching of the medium is celebrated throughout the region and abroad.

Ted Jolda - Parksville
Jolda is a highly celebrated Vancouver Island artist with his creations having been presented to royalty and dignitaries around the world. Glass connoisseurs and enthusiasts avidly collect his signature glass ornaments. Joldas work has been featured in films, television (Oprah Show), and in the popular press making his pieces one of our most popular selling items. Jolda continues to exhibit his work across Canada and internationally at numerous contemporary art exhibits.

Doug Round
Stained glass was my introduction to the fascinating world of glass work.
From humble beginnings following simple patterns, I progressed to original designs and larger works. However, after five years I found that I was not being challenged and the process had became a job. The natural progression was to move to kiln-formed glass. The creative process and the technical nature of kiln-forming provide sufficient challenge to keep me engaged and constantly learning. In retirement, after 32 years in land surveying where everything has to line up I am enjoying exploring free form lines and "things that don't line up."

Gerry Hebert - Port Alberni
Heberts passion for woodworking runs deep in his family roots. After retiring, he spent many hours in his workshop. Herbert decided to build a few unique boxes, and what started as a hobby has now become history! His solid wood boxes are handcrafted from exotic and domestic hard woods. Many hand-rubbed coats of finish give them a beautiful, everlasting lustre.

Ron McBurnie & Pat Doyle - Quathiaski Cove
These uniquely natural compositions of obsidian volcanic glass and found driftwood make these musical creations the perfect coastally made souvenir. The obsidian needle rocks are formed splinters of volcanic glass and have never been altered.

Jan Greystone - Vancouver
Greystone grew up on a hobby farm in British Columbia. As a child she spent many hours lying on the grass watching what was going on in the hen house, always fascinated by these somewhat comical creatures. Greystone first stated making paper-mache and acrylic painted chickens in 1995 to accompany an exhibit of her county quilts and began to concentrate only on the chickens soon after.

Brad Prevedoros-Gabriola Island

A favorite on the B.C. club and concert scene, Prevedoros solo guitar performances have drawn rave reviews from audiences around the world. The guitarists concerts are well stocked with original compositions that are as thoughtful and wise as they are brilliantly executed. Prevedoros is a veteran recording artist with five highly acclaimed albums featuring solo guitar reshaping of well-known jazz, classical, Celtic and popular works demonstrating his mastery of his influences.

More bios to come....

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