The Tour
Few natural surroundings inspire the arts more than the unspoiled, rugged beauty of Texada Island. Whether it’s painters capturing on canvas the quiet moods or unparalled scenic vistas, or stone and wood sculptors turning the island’s abundant raw materials into one-of-a-kind, sometimes three dimensional works of art, or even beach glass collectors who recycle an already recycled material into colorful creations, Texada has it all.
On July 28 and 29, 2018 the island’s artists, artisans and craftspeople will host an art studio tour, showcasing the works they have lovingly hand-produced with great skill and imagination. Twenty artists and groups will be featured in their own studios or in central locations, which will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days.
The Texada Art Studio Tour will include a fabulous range of fabric arts, stained glass, lapidary and jewellry, beadwork, garden sculptures, photography, stitchery and much more. Throughout the tour, artists will be on hand to discuss their styles and techniques and to share their passion for the arts with visitors.
Guests can travel between studios in their own vehicles, or can take advantage of the Free Studio Tour Bus to pick them up from the ferry and return them there after the tour. Visitors are encouraged to come for both days as there’s a lot to see.
Guides for Texada Art Studio Tour are free and include a map of the island with studios clearly marked and descriptions of artists and their work. Starting in July, the guide can be downloaded from this website or can be picked up at That Place on Texada, just up hill from the ferry terminal.
Texada Island
Like a whale basking in the sparkling Pacific Ocean, Texada Island sprawls for 50 kms off the northern Sunshine Coast waiting to be discovered.
A 35-minute ferry ride from Powell River, Texada captures the imagination. It’s history dates from the Klondike gold rush days. It’s terrain is rugged and pristine, from snow-capped mountains to thick, evergreen forests to tranquil golden sunsets by the sea. It has unique flora and fauna, attracting botanists, scientists and nature-lovers from around the world. It also has unique geology, home to the star poryphyry or famed Texada flower rock.
There are two towns on the island, Gillies Bay and Van Anda, and there’s lots to do. Outdoor enthusiasts can find an abundance of trails for walking, hiking and ATVing. There are mountains to climb with amazing scenic views, caves to spelunk and beaches to explore. Camping outdoors is easy at a variety of locations and there are no predatory animals on Texada to worry about.
The creative arts are alive on the island, from theatrical productions to sandcastle competitions. There are many artists, artisans and craftspeople inspired by the local beauty, who often work with local materials to produce their work.
Now it’s your turn to come to Texada and be inspired by nature as it’s meant to be, without strip malls around every corner. On Texada, you can leave the real world behind. Immerse yourself in the glints of sunshine streaking through the trees and ferns on a summer morning, the cacophany of sounds of ships, birds and life along the seashore or the peaceful quiet of a nature trail with no one else in sight.
Please join us. There are quaint B & Bs to stay in, as well as lodge accommodation and a full-service hotel. Ferries from Westview Terminal at Powell River sail throughout the day. Powell River is accessed by ferry from Little River Terminal at Courtenay/Comox on Vancouver Island and from Earl’s Cove at the top of the southern Sunshine Coast.
Alfred’s interest in art began at an early age. By his teens, he was sketching and painting, by day and by night, from shore and from canoe, in Algonquin Park. He studied painting under Canadian artist Alex Miller at Seneca College, King City, Ontario.
Amanda Martinson, a longtime resident of Texada Island, has been creating artworks of all sorts for many years. She is known for her oil and watercolour paintings. Although, exploring many subjects, her mainstay has been landscapes.
Bill is a retired naval architect and structural engineer who has spent much of his life diving or sailing the seven seas, and finds most of his artistic inspiration from nature and the marine environment.
When Fran and I moved to Texada Island in 1992 we were both making glass beads, and had plenty of glass scraps and a small annealer kiln. I started putting the tiny glass pieces in the kiln after assembling them to look like images and patterns. The results were fun and appealing to me. I glued magnets or pins to these and started selling them at farmer’s markets. I was hooked.
This talented young artist works in a range of the visual arts including calligraphy and illumination, painting, stained glass, textiles and sculpture. Park on the street and walk down the driveway to the green front door of the house. Charlotte does her work under the name “Septaliger.” She reproduces Medieval manuscripts on homemade vellum, made from the skins of Texada deer. Demonstrations of calligraphy and the Medieval technique of making paint from pigments. Check out the teabag art.
Danusia started her adventure with clay at Surrey Art Center where she took classes. For the next decade she belonged to the North Delta Potters Guild. As a member of Frasier Valley Potters Guild Danusia had an opportunity to explore many firing technics including wood, soda, gas, pit, and raku.
Debbie is a self taught artist, acrylic being her medium, who specializing in paintings of structures and landscapes.
Deborah Dumka was born in Northern British Columbia and has lived three quarters of her life in rural communities across Canada, for the most part on the shores of an ocean. She draws on the physical and emotional landscape of rural life to make functional textile work examining our important connections with nature.
Meet gallery owner Doby Dobrostanski. Are you looking for commissioned works, originals or fine art prints? Doby specializes in aviation, automotive, marine, wildlife, murals and landscapes. With over 30 years’ experience he delivers high-quality artwork that matches the client’s needs.
My interest in archeology has me thinking of how someone extrapolates their interpretation of a culture by observing and understanding a fragment, be it pottery or any artifact. The fragments that I create are intended to give the viewer pause for reflection.
Joya is a Renaissance lutenist. She has a BA in Music from the University of York, UK and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Longy School of Music in Boston. Born in Haida Gwaii, Joya found inspiration from the landscape from a young age. Several of her early works were exhibited and sold in local galleries and the museum. Growing up in an artist’s home, she was surrounded by art from an early age. She was further influenced by seeing the works of Miro and Chagall on a trip to France when she was twelve.
Joyce’s acrylic paintings are expressions of joy, part of a healing journey that she would like to share with you. There are impressionist landscapes and florals. Her techniques include loose brushwork and knife work, focusing on the interplay among colour, light and subject matter.
Creating with fibre and fabric has been a passion since Joy learned to thread a needle at the age of eight.
Kathleen is inspired by her West Coast island lifestyle, bright but naturalistic colours, and various ceramic techniques used throughout art history. She has been focused on hand building and glaze development for the last two years. She is always concerned with how her products feel in the hand, wanting texture to feel luscious, and contours to be a natural fit. She creates functional and sculptural ceramics in her small batch, ceramics studio in Van Anda.
Lori has had a rich career as both artist and teacher. She taught art and math to high school students for twenty-seven years, some being at the first year university level. In 2010, Lori was recognized for her strong voice for the visual arts and her classroom practices by the British Columbia Art Teacher’s Association with the Award for Excellence in Art Education, Graduation Level. Through out her working career Lori has never stopped making art. She has explored the art of painting using a variety of media and styles to create works alive with personality.
I first discovered my love for photography in high school where I spent all my spare time in a wet darkroom. For those who have not experienced it, there is a special thrill that you get the first time you see one of your own images gradually come to life in the developer bath. From that very moment, I was hooked on photography.
Sandy McCormick of Texada Island is inspired by the look and feel of beach glass. She is captivated by its colors, patinas, lustres and textures. Each piece is different in size, shape and thickness. Styles of printing indicate its age and former use. “Each piece tells a story.” She began collecting beach glass in 1974 after seeing a friend’s table adorned with sea glass and lit from below. “The glass just sparkled and that’s when I started my own collection.” Sandy produces one-of-a-kind works of useful art. Her custom works include wedding centrepieces and birthday, anniversary, wedding and memorial mirrors on driftwood. “Custom work is fun because you include the customers own keepsakes to make it really personal.”
I often incorporate my art into functional objects or architecture so it will be frequently encountered. I strive for art which changes throughout the day, lighting conditions and use. In this way I work to create art which continues to surprise and inspire long after the basic function of the object has become habit.
Creating art gives me time to step away from the mundane and commune with my inner spirit. I work spontaneously, creating shapes and patterns, seemingly at random, but as I work I sense a story evolving within the painting.