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Our New Newsletter - March 2017

Posted on March 13, 2017 by Nigel Hayes | 1 comment

 Our newsletter - March 2017.

 
Vancouver Island, like much of B.C., has seen some unusually cold and snowy weather this winter. Nothing as compared to our Mid West but for us less hardy folk on the West Coast this has been a cold winter.
 
Just before the first of the big winter storms hit with its full force, Sue & I together with Finn, our mischievous Kerry BlueTerrier, made a trip up island to replenish some much-needed work from our artists.
 
First stop was to Bob Held’s glass studio in Parksville.  The warmth of the glass kilns was welcome as the snow was already quite deep. The day previously the delivery of raw glass had to be cancelled as the truck could not get near Bob’s studio. However, we collected some beautiful new work examples of which you can see below.
 
The new Mocha Swirl Cone vase is superb as are the new glass Hearts
Next, we moved onto Charles Van Sandwick’s studio in Qualicum Beach. Charles being sensible was away enjoying the sunshine of Fiji but his partner was there with our order ready and waiting. For the first time on the trip, we needed to use 4 Wheel drive in our 4-Runner as the ice and snow were so deep. A first for Qualicum Beach?
 
The visit was well worth the effort as we managed to collect some new prints by Charles as well as lots more greetings cards and copies of his magnificent books. The Print of the Grizzly Bear from Charles’ Canadian Content Book - is particularly noteworthy.
Then it was on to Whiskey Creek (what a great name) to visit Darrel Hancock’s studio. A mug of tea was greatly welcome as was the warmth of the kiln. Darrel had a large amount of work ready and packed for us to replace that from sales at Christmas. New teapots, mugs by the case load, terracotta butter dishes and bowls and more.
It was with reluctance we left the warmth of Darrel’s studio and moved onto our final visit. This was back into Parksville to collect new work from Sharon Beatch of Beach Pebble Studios. Sharon’s Shadow Boxes have been a great asset to our studio with creations for all occasions. It is always a pleasure to see what new ideas she comes up with. Two of her new creations were particularly interesting:

At this point, we needed to move quite quickly as a storm cloud, as dark as night, was rapidly approaching with a new and even heavier fall of snow. 
 
We made it back just ahead of the storm….something out of a Hollywood movie (“Twister” comes to mind!). Fortunately, we had pre-paid tickets for the Mill Bay Ferry and so just escaped the dubious journey over the Malahat.

We hope that you enjoy the images of some of our artist’s new work and as a thank you please find below a small sample of our appreciation. A 10% discount off any item from our studio. Valid until 31st March 2017. Online sales only.

10% DISCOUNT WHEN YOU USE CODE BN2D2TOOVIYU AT CHECKOUT

 

VALID UNTIL 5 PM (PST)
31st MARCH 2017
One order per customer. One use only.

START SHOPPING
Warm regards, 
Nigel, Sue & Finn
PS: Did you know that you can Buy on Line and Pick Up in the Studio. Excellent for saving on shipping and a good way buy for friends and relatives who live near the studio.

 

Posted in art, charles van sandwyk, darrel hancock, gifts, glass art, mugs, new home, paperweights, pottery, robert held, shoplocal, vancouver island, vases, victoria b c, wedding

10 Reasons to Shop Local this Christmas

Posted on November 26, 2016 by Nigel Hayes | 0 comments

 

We are writing this article to ask you to please consider supporting these wonderful B.C. Artists and other local businesses before you spend all of your Christmas shopping budget at big box stores.

We believe that one way you can help is to consider buying locally produced goods and services. Below is a short list of reasons to support local, handmade goods.

1. Locally crafted work is unique! Unlike items made in a far off factory; local crafts people make work that is individual and one-of-a-kind. This does not just apply to a magnificent vase or a glass bowl. Even with a humble coffee mug, every piece has a very slight difference. When just one person or a husband & wife team makes an item the numbers are by the nature of the process – small. It’s great to have or give as a gift something that is genuinely unique and locally made.

Pottery

2. Local artists produce work of excellent quality. They always take personal pride in their handmade work. I have yet to meet an artist who was not passionate about their work! From potters to glass artists to textile makers – this is their life and they are justly proud of their work. If treated well, much of this work can last a lifetime. How many things can you say that about in our society today? How many of those ‘bargain’ mass produced items last more than a few years?

Jewelry

3. Save money! Contrary to what some people believe, buying directly from the artist at a craft fair, market, or their local studio can often cost less than buying a mass produced item from a department store. Reduced transportation costs, no middle men, and modest advertising budgets help to keep costs down.

glass art

4. Local artists do really care about customer service! The artists are available to repair, alter, clean or replace your purchase if you should ever need this service. They are genuinely interested to help if there is ever a problem. You never, ever need to speak with a remote customer service person.

5. Personal service is very important to local artists. Many artists will custom make work to your specification. If you need a gift for a special occasion then very often the artist will be happy to make it to your requirements.

textiles

6. You can start your own personal art collection with a small budget. We recently had a nice young couple visit our Studio to purchase some Robert Held glass heart paperweights (which start at $45). They were glass heart collectors – and were excited to see some new styles that they could add to their collection! If you are on a budget you can collect individual pieces over time. Many of our customers collect pottery, jewellery, glass art & more!

side street studio blog

 

7. Shopping locally helps your local economy. By supporting local artists it keeps money in the community and ensures that hard learned skills are alive for future generations.

charles van sadwyk

8. Go green and help your local environment! Local arts & crafts produce a minimal carbon footprint – little transportation is involved. Conservation is important to all of us. Much of what local artists use is recycled – including what little packaging is ever used!

padraig slippers

9. Fun and Learning. It really can be a fun shopping experience – you get to meet or learn about the artist, find out about their skills, and how they make their work. It’s impressive how much time and effort goes into a single piece. So take some time to visit your local artist’s studio or gallery, or local craft show. It can be great fun! You can check Meetup.com for local art appreciation groups in your area. If you are in Victoria there is an arts & crafts meetup group: http://www.meetup.com/Meetup-art-group-of-Victoria-BC/ The Community Arts Council of Greater Victoria is a great resource as well: http://www.cacgv.ca/

 

10. Supporting your local community. A locally handmade gift reflects the community and region in which it was made. It has greater relevance for the person who purchased it, and to the person to whom the gift is given. Thank you for taking the time to read our top ten reasons to shop local this Christmas. We would love to hear from you! What will you do to support local this holiday season? Finally, if you would like some suggestions or gift ideas please see our blog here; Gift Suggestions.

If you are short on time, then you can 'Buy on Line' and 'Pick up in Store'.

Please share with us in the comments below. From our family to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Sue & Nigel Hayes

Side Street Studio Oak Bay Village, Victoria, B.C.

side street studio

 

Posted in bracelets, charles van sandwyk, earrings, fruit bowl, glass art, jewellery, local crafts, oak bay, pottery, shop local, shoplocal, silk scarves, wedding gifts, wooden bowls

Charles Van Sandwyk

Posted on October 01, 2016 by Nigel Hayes | 0 comments

Charles Noel van Sandwyk was born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1966. In 1977 he emigrated with his family to Vancouver, Canada.

Charles Van Sandwyk

 

 

By the early 1980's he was selling his drawings and water colors in a style reminiscent of the old prints and paintings which hung in the family home. Van Sandwyk studied graphic design at the Capilano College art programme in North Vancouver.

Charles Van Sandwyk

 

Upon completion in 1986, the wanderlust of younger years sent him travelling to the South Pacific. He discovered the Fiji Islands, and fell in love with a remote island and its inhabitants.

Charles Van Sandwyk

 

He began to divide his time equally between Vancouver and Fiji, leasing land from the neighboring family and building for himself a simple home of grass thatch, in the traditional island style.

Charles Van Sandwyk

 

In recent years Charles has been spending more of his time in beautiful Vancouver where he has been creating more beautiful works including an audio CD where he reads passages from his books to giving a 'Ted Talk'.

charles van sandwyk

Charles Van Sandwyk uses his wonderful, romantic imagination, artistic talents and calligraphy skills to create his beautiful, superior quality, hand-stitch books for you to treasure. His world is a gentle one in which to escape. He believes that art, indeed life, should be a rich visual feast, restrained only by good taste. Hand crafted in BC. Beautiful greetings cards are available for most of the illustrations.

 

charles van sandwyk

 

Posted in animals, art, birthdays, books, calligraphy, charles van sandwyk, childrens stories, desert islands, gifts, greeting cards, magic, mr rabbit, stories

Charles Van Sandwyk’s Beautiful Books and Cards

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Sue Hayes | 0 comments

Charles Van Sandwyk’s Beautiful Books and Cards

Charles Noel van Sandwyk was born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1966.

charles van sandwyk

 

In 1977 he emigrated with his family to Vancouver, Canada. By the early 1980s he was selling his drawings and watercolours in a style reminiscent of the old prints and paintings which hung in the family home.

 

Van Sandwyk studied graphic design at the Capilano College art programme in North Vancouver. Upon completion in 1986, the wanderlust of younger years sent him travelling to the South Pacific.

 

He discovered the Fiji Islands, and fell in love with a remote island and its inhabitants. He began to divide his time equally between Vancouver and Fiji, leasing land from the neighbouring family and building for himself a simple home of grass thatch, in the traditional island style.

 

Van Sandwyk settled into a pleasurable routine of winter seasons in Fiji filled with painting and writing, the results of which were brought back to Canada each summer and prepared for exhibition and publication each autumn. His watercolours, etchings and books are now collected across North America and in Europe.

 

The National Library of Canada has maintained archives on his work since 1986. Charles Van Sandwyk continues to divide his time between Vancouver and his beloved Fiji.

 

 

A World Made By Hand

Posted in animal stories, art, books, Canadian Gifts, cards, charles van sandwyk, Charles Van Sandwyk Books, childrens stories, crows, gifts, local crafts, oak bay, owls, shop local, side street studio, stories, wisdom