ARTISANS GALLERY

Troy Townsin is a proud Canadian! Born in Melbourne, Australia, he worked as an actor and playwright before embarking on a round-the-world backpacking extravaganza taking him to six continents. Troy has won several awards for his writing, including a prestigious ‘Travel Writer of the Year’ award with TNT Magazine UK and four Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. A Moose in a Maple Tree Productions is a division of Polyglot Publishing created for children and for those who have a love for all things Canadian. The Moose in a Maple Tree collection and the exciting Canadian Monster Club series are true celebrations of Canada.

As well as writing children’s books, Troy has also co-authored a series of cookbooks based on the wineries of British Columbia. The ideas behind his books were conceptualized while he was in the process of becoming a Canadian resident. There was a period of over a year where he was prohibited from working or studying in Canada in accordance with Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s regulations. In order to keep himself engaged he began writing books. The Canadian children’s books are a celebration of him becoming a Canadian citizen – a process which took five years. Troy fell in love with a Canadian girl, married her and then fell in love with Canada, his new home.

Through their books and CDs, Troy and Polyglot aim to educate children and adults about the beauty and diversity of this great nation in a fun and entertaining way. They try to include every corner of the country in the contents of their books and CD. Their stories take readers across Canada visiting each province and territory and the musicians on their CD come from all over Canada with diverse backgrounds.

Jessica Broz creates distinctive lamps by upcycling found bases and crafting pendant lamps and bases from porcelain clay. She also produces unique ceramic pieces using techniques such as obvara, in which a piece is removed from the kiln at around 1000 degrees and dipped into a solution. As it’s pulled out, the solution burns onto the surface, creating one-of-a-kind patterns. All of her work is handmade, often using altered wheel-thrown forms.

At Advika Clothing, we make elevated basics that feel as good as they look. Designed and made in Montreal, our pieces blend ultra-soft, sustainable fabrics with timeless silhouettes for everyday wear. We’re rooted in slow fashion, keeping things local, intentional, and built to last.

And if you’re visiting us at a show, take your time, and hang out in our booth, it’s all about you! We’re here to help you find pieces that make you feel amazing, look great, and have fun doing it!

No one wants to wear accessories that everyone else wears; accessories are how we express our individuality. That’s why each Alarte Silks hand-painted scarf is an ORIGINAL like you.

Izabela designs and creates unique hand-painted scarves and nuno-felted shawls that will make you stand out from the crowd.

Izabela takes white silk and applies colours with brushes. After setting the colours through the steaming process and washing, the silk is ready for sewing and pleating.  Izabela uses a Japanese technique called Arashi Shibori to create texture and sculptural effect in her scarves and shawls.

She will also use hand-woven silk organza and unspun merino wool to create felted scarves and shawls. The technique is called Nuno felting, which combines wool and woven sheer fabric. Each piece is done by hand by pushing wool fibres into silk with soap and water and her magic fingers.

” My designs yield intentions of a woman with a lively and curious personality who frees herself from every kind of obstacle to be able to trot
from one end of the world to the other.” ~ Izabela Sauer

Jason Leo Bantle grew up on the outskirts of a Prairie town in Saskatchewan. His mother, Regina, gave him his first bird book when he was 12. His parents purchased a point-and-shoot camera for him when he was 14. Jason enjoyed black and white photography, spending hours in his high school photo lab. He would be out on the land before school and couldn’t wait for classes to end so he could return to the outdoors.

His passion never waned. He earned a B.Sc. in Biology and an M.Sc. in Ecology, doing his thesis on the interaction between nesting Arctic geese and the Arctic fox. His four summers conducting research in Canada’s Arctic ignited his artistic side and desire to share his northern experiences through photography. He began to display his artwork at various community art exhibits.

In 2000, Jason founded All in the Wild. His sister Jeannine joined soon after. They opened the first gallery near Christopher Lake, Saskatchewan in 2004, eventually expanding to galleries in Canmore and Banff in Alberta, Saskatoon and Waskesiu in Saskatchewan, and Niagara on the Lake in Ontario. Jason’s images are collected throughout the world; many editions are now sold out.

Jason was awarded the honour of “Highly Commended Photographer” in 2019 by the Natural History Museum of London, UK. It is one of the most prestigious honours in the world, awarded to a nature photographer: Only 50 images are selected out of 48,000 entries.

He is an avid outdoorsman, nature lover, adventurer, and proud Canadian. In 2010, Jason founded the All in the Wild Land Fund, which uses a percentage of proceeds from the sale of his photography to purchase and conserve wildlife habitat. When not living in his tent, Jason resides in Tweedsmuir, Saskatchewan and Canmore, Alberta.

From roasting to labelling, each Allo Simonne spread and bar is entirely made in their workshop in Montreal. Their chocolate and hazelnut products are delicious, healthy, refined, suitable for all palates and made from carefully selected premium ingredients.

After graduating from the Provincial Hotel Management School in Namur, Belgium, Quentin Ryckaert developed an interest in pastry and chocolate work. For his part, Vincent Coja, a roofer by training, worked in the construction industry for over 15 years. Their friendship first developed in their native Belgium, before taking a new turn a few years later in Montreal, when they decided to embark on a new adventure: developing and sharing their common love for high-quality, local, and exquisite chocolate spreads. Allo Simonne was born in 2018.

Inspired by Quentin’s grandmother (whose name was none other than Simonne Allo!), the entrepreneurs launched a range of gourmet spreads. “She was a resolutely modern woman in love with the finer things. Our products reflect her taste for the good, the beautiful, and the pleasure she took in sharing.” – Quentin Ryckaert

After their spreads, it’s time for Allo Simonne’s bean-to-bar tablets to make their appearance in 2023, entirely imagined, developed, and produced in our Montreal workshop.

Founded in 2018 by Edmontonian, Ang Johnson, Ang Hill is an ethical women’s clothing brand inspired by the power of femininity and the pursuit of passion. Since she was a little girl, Ang’s dream was to become a fashion designer. With this dream and a lot of determination, she made it happen. Ang designs all clothing in the Ang Hill line.

Here you will find super soft and cozy capsule wardrobe essentials ethically crafted by their local sewists. By creating a collection of pieces that are easy to style without compromising comfort + style, Ang takes the guesswork out of fashion. Her ultimate vision is to create an entire capsule wardrobe of the coziest pieces for you that can easily be mixed and matched to create gorgeous outfits.

Ang Hill clothing is exceptionally soft, high quality and made in Canada.

Artist Olufunke Olotu has been sewing for seven years and her sustainable clothing brand is three years old. Her sustainable clothing brand uses organic fabrics to create beautiful day wear and accessories that are super soft, breathable, and comfy with a touch of heritage.

“The climate change and fast fashion negative effects, plus the birth of my last child, made me consider how I can affect my world positively. I source eco-friendly fabrics such as bamboo from BC and ethically create in Calgary beautiful pieces that are soft, breathable and comfy.” – Olufunke Olotu

Ashley Somerville is a Calgary-based painter and illustrator. She graduated from the Alberta University of the Arts with a Bachelor of Design in 2020.

“My artistic interests vary widely in both themes and medium, but one thing I am continually trying to do is tell stories through my work. I mainly work in a realistic style to bring my subjects to life and explore character and personality through the use of light, colour and shape. While I specialize in equine and animal portraits, I enjoy drawing all kinds of things and welcome the chance to take on new and exciting projects.” ~ Ashley Somerville

Darlene Kokotailo has been designing, carving and decorating real eggs for the past 34 years.  As a Calgary-based, self-taught artist, she has gained inspiration from nature.  This is reflected in the intricate floral carvings and detailed animal scenes of many of her designs.  Darlene also enjoys the challenge of creating a wide variety of carved eggs for many special occasions and diverse tastes, including custom designs. Each egg is beautifully unique, and depending on the design and shell, it takes anywhere from several hours to several hundred, from start to finish.  Whether Goose, Ostrich, Duck, or Quail, the shell is a strong and versatile medium that drives her passion for producing egg art.

Born in Moncton, Suzanne LeBlanc has always found inspiration in the outdoors. In 1989, she traded the coastal vistas of New Brunswick for those of the mountains and prairies of Alberta when she moved to Calgary. It was during the period of living in Houston that Suzanne began her artistic journey in earnest, exploring different media, techniques, and textures on walls, furnishings, boards, and canvas.  Returning to Calgary, Suzanne began developing her artistic expression, working alone and with other artists and designers, including Paul Lavoie, McKinley Masters Luxury Homes, Brenda Rozdeba, Liba Labik, and Anna Krop.

Suzanne currently has two obsessions: alcohol inks and encaustic, as evidenced in her recent works. Both media allow her to express her love of the organic, abstract elements of the natural world.

“I have been working with alcohol inks for 10 years. I was introduced to the medium when we bought a piece of art from another local artist.  I just fell in love with the vibrant colours and wanted to work with them.   I have been working with encaustic medium for 5-6 years. I was introduced to it by a mentor, and I was excited by the possibility of creating art using a torch!  I love everything about working with this ancient medium – the way the colours blend, the luminescence, the translucency, the smell and the feel of the medium.  I have taken a number of workshops and classes to learn about the complexities of this medium. – Suzanne LeBlanc

David and Andrea Scade are the creators of Black Diamond Distillery, the first-ever craft distillery in St. Albert, AB.

“Using locally sourced ingredients, we produce award-winning handcrafted spirits and cocktails, specializing in flavour profiles for taste buds that love to be tickled by refreshing, natural tasting beverages.  Our small batches reflect Alberta’s beautiful landscape by featuring local organically-grown produce (whenever possible) and showcasing seasonal ingredients. We are a true craft distillery, our small batches are proudly 100% mashed + distilled + infused + bottled by us – not a drop of our spirits have been mixed/blended/mass-produced, so you know you’re getting 100% craft spirits in every bottle.

Our commitment to you: QUALITY over QUANTITY. We believe that to wear the mark of ‘craft’ spirits, there’s no place for shortcuts, especially when it means compromising on the quality of spirits we provide. Our GUARANTEE: we will NEVER produce and sell a single drop of spirit that was not made by us – we may be a dying breed in the craft industry, but we believe you, the customer, deserve the very best product possible, and that starts with a true craft spirit, made with love.

Kyle used his global travel as a muse and relevant experience in the food industry as a spark to realize BLINK.  BLINK was launched in the humblest of beginnings back in 2011. Till then, chocolate bark was most often pre-broken almond bark in white, milk or dark chocolate. BLINK was borne for those seeking tablet-sized, unbroken sharing planks of chocolate with high-quality topping arrangements in sleek, upscale, classy and fit-for-a-gift packaging.

The chocolate gets small-batch melted and tempered, the bark is then poured individually into moulds where it is shaken to remove any air pockets and then hand topped with whatever flavour or topping. They are then chilled on racks before being brought back up to room temperature where they are sealed and hand packaged.

Each bark is meticulously hand-crafted from start to finish with thought, care, intimacy and affection that is not felt in chocolate that is mass-produced. The resulting tablets are unique, often quirky and unique to the buyer.

Bob uses Western Canadian stoneware clay and paperclay to form each sculpture. After a lengthy drying process, he fires them in an electric kiln to approximately 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. He uses stains and oxides with porcelain slip (liquid clay) to colour each piece.

“I love making my own glazes and infusing muted colours to allow the form to take center stage. I often add media such as found objects, gold, and encaustic wax. A small seashell I found in Central America, or a splash of gold invites the viewer to consider the piece in a different way. These playful touches add vitality to individual pieces.

I need to make art that brings me joy. Not only must the work emerge from my joy, but it must express an energy. I draw out that energy in the clay through the juxtaposition of rough and smooth surfaces, colour, and movement in each piece. People have said that each of my sculptures seems to have a personality. I love to hear how the work touches my collectors’ hearts in that manner.” – Bob Acton

Daryl Wasson is passionate about working with wood and its many different natural colours and grains. Daryl began in the retail market before an opportunity came up in 2002 that would allow him to work with his passion. He is proud to say that he “was finally able to do what he really enjoyed as a ‘job’.”

Apart from milling his own wood from the Maritimes, he collects end pieces that are discarded from a factory in Nova Scotia that would otherwise have been burned or thrown into the landfill. Daryl rescues these remnant pieces to recycle them into works of art that can be used every day.

Daryl designs and handcrafts each piece, taking into careful consideration his customer’s needs.

Brenda Banda Johnson features a collection of bold, textured palette knife paintings that reach out from the canvas and invite you into the scenes they portray, both real and imagined. Every piece you find here is an original.  Brenda paints almost exclusively with large palette knives, and she finds vibrant and high-contrast colour palettes irresistible.  Brenda is based in Calgary, Alberta.

“With my palette knife and loads of acrylic paint and thick gel mediums, I attempt to capture the depth and textures of nature that intrigue me. I tend to use an “exaggerated” colour palette. The majority of my paintings are vibrant and exaggerated beyond what you’d see in nature, attempting to capture not just the visual image but also its energy and life.

Sunlight gets me every time – how it makes its way through branches, creates mesmerizing swaths of light as it passes between mountain peaks, creates an fluorescent glow filtered through a flower petal or a ripple of water, or makes the fur of a grizzly glow gold or copper.  I would say either capturing light or creating an impression of what it would be like “if” – What if it was sunset? What if this scene were backlit? What if the sun found a hole in the clouds over this mountain peak? – is my main focus. Light, light, light – that’s my swing thought from planning to finishing touches.  That usually means that I tend to use several images for most of my paintings – a scene from one image, lighting from another, an edited, more energetic colour palette, wildlife added in (or subtracted) – I take a lot of artistic liberties.” – Brenda Banda Johnson

Kayley Therrien is the designer and craftsperson behind the Edmonton-based jewellery brand Burlap Sac.  Kaley received her training at the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts in San Francisco.  Upon completion of her studios, she returned to Edmonton and began working as a bench jeweller for a fine jewellery store.  After honing her skills as a goldsmith, Kayley began longing for a more creative outlet.  In 2004 she began designing and creating her own signature line of jewellery and that year launched the first Burlap Sac collection.

The organic lived-in feel of her jewellery is derived from her childhood memories.  She spent her days collecting small found treasures and storing them away in a burlap sac her grandmother had made.  Inspired by nature and the world around her, she would collect all sorts of items from stones and shells to bits of ribbon and old rusty bolts.  The foundation of her love of unexpected materials and textures began in those early days of collecting.

Kayley is continually pushing her brand towards more sustainable practices and works hard to ensure her materials are ethically sourced.  Specializing in a mixture of material and texture has enabled her to push the boundaries of traditional jewelry and produce unique collections year after year.

Calgary Chocosweeats Factory is an international award-winning local Calgary chocolatier who loves creating one-of-a-kind chocolates that can be appreciated every day for their design, style, combinations, and taste. They craft a wide array of handcrafted premium artisan chocolates, artisan caramels, dipped chocolates, organic gourmet hot chocolate mixes, gift boxes, and other confectionery.

Their chocolates are the perfect gift for the festive season for your loved ones, as a stocking stuffer, gift baskets, for holiday parties, corporate gifts, or maybe just for yourself to enjoy with a nice cup of tea, a good strong coffee, or a glass of wine.

All of their products are 100% handcrafted and hand packaged.