Side Street News

About Side Street Studio

Posted on November 29, 2015 by Jill Fitz Hirschbold | 1 comment

The story of Side Street Studio is more than the history of a business. It is the physical expression of a belief that real art should be accessible to everyone. It is also the evolution of a business model supported by principles of community-building economics.

Here’s how it happened.

In 1984, six women artists rented a space on a small side street in Victoria’s Oak Bay neighbourhood. Their location gave them a name for their collective business, and it also allowed them to do what they love: show and share their art with local people.

They believed art, however basic, should be experienced and enjoyed by everyone.

They established two rules for their business. Firstly, everything in Side Street Studio must be made in British Columbia by small artisan businesses. Secondly, everything in Side Street Studio must be beautiful and the very best of its kind.

Present Day
Hello! My name is Jill Fitz Hirschbold and I am the proud new owner of Side Studio.

I have lived on the Coast for 30 years and my formal education is in the Sciences. I have a Diploma in Environmental Quality Control, a Bachelor of Science; I’m a Certified PADI Dive Master, a Paddleboard Instructor and spent 12 years working as a Laboratory Manager in Environmental Analytical Chemistry before starting a family. When my daughters were born, in my early 40’s, I made the decision to leave my career to stay at home with them.

To be honest I could not have predicted what would come next.

Over the last 7 years I have created a home based business with my West Coast and Abstract Photography. It extends from a line of photo gift cards to large format art sales and photography services. I have participated in Studio Tours, Arts Shows; have been a member of the Gage Gallery and for many years was represented by the Brentwood Bay Resort. I have organized art shows from the conceptual theme, curated participating artists, hung the artwork, scheduled staff, facilitated sales and fully planned the opening nights. My pieces have made their way to England, China and the US and many private residences in Western Canada. I have participated and successfully sold at the Sooke Fine Arts show in 2015/17. I have also volunteered my photography skills to Raincoast Conservation, Greenpeace Canada, FraserFEST, Watershed Watch, Tour de Victoria, Swiftsure, Santa Shuffle, many other community events and donated works to the Banff Mid-Summers Ball 2014/15/16/17/18, CNIB Art Appeal 2015/17, Heart for Hospice 2015, VGH/UBD Night of 1000 Stars Gala 2015 and YWCA Woman of Distinction Awards 2016/17. I have participated in over 20 shows and have self-published three books of my images paired with my writing.

You would think with all of that going on and raising children it would be enough but I was missing the daily interaction that comes with working outside the home. Then this amazing opportunity came my way. I have sold my cards at Side Street for many years so was very familiar with the Studio and the business model. It is a perfect fit.

My goal is to continue to build on the vision and many years of hard work, by all of the previous owners, that has made the Studio a success. To maintain the standard that is expected by customers when visiting the store and online, to keep all the artists that customers have come to know and love but also add in new talent so there is always something new to see. I also hope to meet each of the British Columbia artists that are represented in the store and try and understand a bit about how their process works. It is that personal connection that can be translated to the customer when we sell their handmade artwork.

Art comes from the Heart and that is truly what makes this store a success!

My wonderful staff, Kathy, Jean, Samantha, Heather, Shirley and Sheila, and I invite you to come down to the Studio and see what we have been up to.

Best,

Jill

Posted in BC art, BC crafts, glass art, glass vases, jewellery, local crafts, oak bay, poppy vase, pottery, robert held, shop local, silk scarves, wedding gifts, wooden bowls

A Seasoning of Salt Fired Pottery

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

Cathi Jefferson on Salt-Firing writes:

“Each piece of my pottery is fired to high – temperature stoneware (cone 10 / 2400 degrees F or 1300 degrees Celcius in a 40 cubic foot gas car kiln.Prior to firing, each piece is dipped with a watery slip then most of the interiors are glazed by dipping with a variety of individually made glazes (usually a Shino glaze).

Some pieces have the watery slip or glaze sprayed on the inside and/or outer surfaces. The exterior surfaces have a variety of metal oxides and terra sigillatas (no glazes) that produces a colour range in the hues of nature. The crispness in colours and varying surface textures are produced by the salt-firing.

Late in the gas firing, I roll up “burritoes” made of salt and baking soda and wood shavings and put them in to the kiln by dropping them in to the kiln on a piece of angle iron. Once in the kiln, they volitize sending salt vapour moving with the gas flame among the pieces of pottery.

The resulting outside surfaces vary from side to side due to the direction of the flame with the salt vapour interacting with the pieces as the flame weaves through the kiln.

Each piece is different and sparkles with a vitality that only the salt-firing process can produce”.

You can see more of Cathi’s fabulous work at www.sidestreetstudio.com A World Made By Hand

Posted in cathi jefferson, local crafts, oak bay, pottery, salt fired pottery, shop local, wedding gifts

A Passion for Ocean Themes

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

One of the great pleasures of owning a studio is that just occasionally you meet an artist who produces some really creative and beautiful work. Darcy Epp is a perfect example. Her Raku is stunning and very well worth viewing.

Darcy began her pottery career in 1993 by taking some night classes with a studio potter. She immediately realized that working with the magic of clay on the potter’s wheel and individual hand sculpting was something that would be immensely fulfilling.

She has taken many workshops in both functional and decorative pieces at North Island College and Metchosin International School of the Arts, as well as specialized workshops and seminars from Gordon Hutchens (Denman Island), Siegele and Haley (Arkansas), Alan Burgess (Courtenay) as well as many others.

Not limiting herself to one medium, she has learned and crosses over between traditional thrown pottery to slab work, Raku and porcelin, often incorporating the theory of one discipline to another. A passion for ocean themes, her attention to the intricate details of orcas, starfish, and rockfish has earned her pottery prominence in some of the most exclusive resort destinations venues.

Raku is an ancient type of Japanese firing dating back to the 16th century. Beautiful iridescent blues, violets, copper and crackle glazes are produced on either wheel thrown or sculptural pottery. The pottery is fired to 1800° and then “reduced” in a chamber which catches fire immediately. The fire uses up all the oxygen in both glaze and chamber, thus producing one of a kind results.

Darcy lives in Black Creek on lovely Vancouver Island. B.C. and you can find more of her beautiful work at Side Street Studio, Victoria, B.C.

A World Made By Hand

Posted in bald eagle, Canadian Gifts, darcy epp, local crafts, maple leaf, oak bay, pottery, raku, salmon, shop local, side street studio, starfish, wedding gifts, wildlife

Beautiful Local Pottery from Victoria

Posted on July 29, 2015 by Sue Hayes | 0 comments

New! Blue Mountain Range. A lovely new Pottey range from Libby Wray of Victoria B.C.featuring a sweep of blue mountains against a soft palette of green and copper colours that will suit most decors.

Continue Reading →

Posted in butter dishes, casseroles, ceramics, french butter dishes, libby wray, local crafts, oak bay, pottery, shop local, side street studio, tea pots, yarn bowls

From Pure Science to Pure Pottery

Posted on July 29, 2015 by Sue Hayes | 0 comments

Jack Olive grew up in Thunder Bay, Ontario. After obtaining a degree in Chemistry and Mathematics from Mooorhead State College in Minnesota he spent 3 years working as a biochemist at the University Of Oregan Medical School. But a strong creative gene began to override a love of pure science and so Jack returned to Moorhead to work on a degree in ceramics and graphics.

In 1971 Jack moved to Vancouver to become a founding member and director of the Vancouver Clayworks Society; a 12 member cooperative ceramics studio.

In this hugely creative atmosphere Jack worked with other members of the group to develop methods of applying graphic images i.e. photography, drawing and painting to clay. His style of work ranges from abstract geometric to wildlife painting and drawing. Currently Jacks pottery images include Pears, Salmon, Orcas, Ravens, Apples and Crows. These images are incorporated into a large range of functional pottery items from Jugs to Mugs , Casseroles , Bowls, Plates, Tea Pots, Pitchers and more...

Jack has recently explored the techniques and possibilities of Raku. This example uses “naked Raku” techniques, which result in a pot that is white with a black line image. A dry pot is covered with terra sigliata (liquid clay), fired once to bisque temperature, and then covered with a high-fire clay slip and a low fire glaze, through which he etches the design.

The Raku firing process requires a special Raku kiln that is fueled by propane and reaches temperatures of about 1800°F (about 982°C).

The piece is then fired to Raku temperatures, and placed into the smoking chamber. When the piece is cooled, he peels off the slip and glaze to reveal the black line on the white background. The resulting pots have a lighter, more textured quality than his traditional stoneware.

In order to complete the firing process, the Raku pottery must remain in the kiln for approximately 30 minutes. The Raku pottery is removed from the kiln using specially designed Raku tongs.

While the Raku pottery piece is still hot and glowing, it is placed inside a metal can full of combustible materials. The heat emitted from the Raku pottery causes these materials to catch on fire. After the materials inside the metal can catch on fire, a lid is placed over the can and the Raku pottery is sealed inside.

The Raku pottery is capable of withstanding these high temperatures and the fire within the can because it is made from a special type of clay that is capable of withstanding thermal shock.

Jack now lives and works in Gibsons on the beautiful B.C. Sunshine Coast but you can see lots of Jack’s magnificent creative work – both Raku and Stoneware at http://www.sidestreetstudio.com/collections/pottery/jack-olive-pottery