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Top 10 Picks for the Sunshine Coast Art Crawl 2019

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Top 10 Picks for the Sunshine Coast Art Crawl 2019

The Coast is a haven for makers and artists. Each year, the Sunshine Coast Art Crawl pays tribute to the eclectic mix of creators in our community, offering up an array of creative pieces to appreciate. This year, the event runs from October 18-20. With over 360 artists and 186 galleries, the choices can be overwhelming. I’ve put together a list of my favourites below to help make your choice easier. Have a read!

Beth Hawthorn Ceramics (Tours Art Crawl #95)

Beth Hawthorn knows her pottery. When I first stepped into her studio, I was immediately reminded of my childhood and my eldest brother, who also had a talent for ceramics. I remember him showing me how to throw down clay on the wheel. 

The warm and fuzzy emotions of my inner six-year-old came rushing back when I stepped foot into Beth’s cozy and enchanting studio. Beth pairs minimalist colour and texture seamlessly and her design aesthetic does wonders for the senses. I simply adore her work. It’s modern and contemporary, yet timeless. Spend five minutes in her studio and I’m sure you’ll be racing out of there with a stunning piece that will brighten up your mantle piece!

Art Crawl Venue: 1551 Lockyer Road, Roberts Creek

More Info: bethhawthorn.com

Lucas Kratochwil (Tours Art Crawl #105)

Lucas is the new rookie on the block this year for the Sunshine Coast Art Crawl and boy, is he ever talented! I first heard of Lucas through his wife, Janine Pilmer Kratochwil, a brilliant interior designer previously based in North Vancouver. She called me with oodles of questions about what it was like to live and work on the Sunshine Coast. 

It was obvious to me within five minutes of chatting with her, what an exceptional addition to The Coast this pair would be. Four months on, and I wasn’t wrong. The pair have settled into the Roberts Creek lifestyle like ducks to water. 

Lucas is a third-generation Landscape painter. He was brought up in the epic landscapes of Patagonia, on his family ranch. It was hand-built in Austrian tradition by his grandfather Franz Kratochwil, a prolific landscape and portrait painter who trained at the Vienna Art Academy. Lucas grew up surrounded by the Andes mountains, Patagonian lakes and ancient native forests. He shared his father’s passion for living in nature, together with his family’s artistic heritage. They would spend their days working the land, doing fine carpentry, furniture and painting. His father, Robert Kratochwil, is a great figure drawing artist and landscape photographer. 

He is currently creating a collection of large-scale oil paintings depicting the Pacific Northwest region. His realistic paintings have a big impact on the public and help to raise awareness of the vital interaction of people and nature and the importance of preserving the planet’s natural treasures.

Lucas’ work is internationally renowned and has been bought by some pretty big names including the owner of the Vancouver Canucks. Lucas is represented by Mountain gallery and they are located at three Fairmont locations in Whistler, Banff and Jasper. 

Art Crawl Venue: 3514 Beach Avenue, Roberts Creek

More Info: lucaskratochwil.com

Marleen Vermeulen (Tours Art Crawl #11)

The beauty of the landscape contains a narrative… I listen and I am heard.” 

Clearly, I’m a huge fan of Marleen’s work because I covered her last year too. In my opinion, she is one of our best-kept secrets here on The Coast and a very talented lady that I adore profoundly. 

Marleen is an internationally renowned painter of West Coast land and seascapes. Last year I purchased a beautiful piece from her, which I cherish daily. In my opinion, this is a must-see gallery on everyone’s Sunshine Coast Art Crawl list. 

Marleen was born in the Netherlands, but has lived and worked in London, UK. She moved her beautiful family here to the Sunshine Coast in 1994. Marleen’s work consists of large-scale textured oil paintings on canvas portraying the natural beauty of where we live. She is a professional artist represented by the Kurbatoff Gallery on Granville Street, Vancouver. Add this one to your list.

Art Crawl Venue: 733 Courtney Road, Gibsons

More Info: marleenart.com

Teryl Mullock (Tours Art Crawl #47)

Teryl is also a songwriter, singer and musician and lives in Gibsons.Following a successful career as an architect on the Sunshine Coast, heclosed his architectural practice in 2019 to devote his time to mixed-media art.  

His philosophy is: “artistic practice, a mysterious dance that embraces the unknowable and opens the heart…”

Teryl’s work is a parallel expression of lifelong creative interests that include mixed-media painting drawing, architecture, and making music. His process weaves together discovery and randomness; searching for beauty in the build-up and layering of textures, materials, colours, then selectively wearing them away. The end result serves as a metaphor for life and the passage of time.

I’ve yet to meet Teryl in person, but from my research online here’s another new addition to the Sunshine Coast Art Crawl that looks incredibly promising. I’ll be hitting up his gallery on Sunday to find out more about his work.

Art Crawl Venue: 584 North Fletcher Road, Gibsons

More Info: mullock.ca

Dolf Vermeulen (Tours Art Crawl #22)

When I started my real estate career after leaving the world of advertising, I wassearching for a talented photographer and videographer to shoot both my blog and my listings. Within a month of starting my business, I ran into Dolf.  His portfolio was outstanding– and not just his real estate work, but his landscapes, travel photos and nature shots too.  

Fast-forward three years from our first meeting and he now shoots content for lots of local businesses here in BC, and still travels internationally, capturing wildlife and epic scenery from his adventures.

Dolf has had the good fortune of visiting over 20 countries throughout his

relatively short time on this Earth; all of which have left him with valuable insights and priceless memories. 

“I cherish the travel photos I have taken as they allow me to look back and infinitely enjoy a single great moment,” he says.

If you’ve ever met Dolf, you will agree that he is quite possibly the nicest guy you’ll ever meet. He has an incredible eye, an incredible passion for his work and due to his amazing personality he has grown so quickly in his field. 

This is Dolf’s first year participating in the Sunshine Coast Art Crawl and I think he’s bagged the best spot. Dolf is exhibiting at Tapworks Brewing Company in Lower Gibsons. So when your legs get weary and your mouth is in need of a refreshment, make sure you stop off at Tapworks and feast your eyes upon Dolf’s epic photography. And, please tell him I say “hi”. 

 

Art Crawl Venue: Tapworks Brewing Company, 537 Cruice Lane, Gibsons

 

More Info: dolfvermeulen.com

Salt and Water Jewelry by Colleen Gould (Tours Art Crawl #95)

What I love most about the Sunshine Coast Art Crawl is that it features so many different disciplines. I caught up with Colleen and her beautiful jewellery at Beth Hawthorn’s Studio. Colleen has teamed up to showcase her work alongside Beth’s. Colleen creates jewelry that is contemporary and sophisticated with simple, clean, wearable lines inspired by the spray of the sea, and the salt in the air. 

A background in arts administration afforded Colleen the opportunity to work with many different types of artists, and she came to appreciate the process, from concept to creation. After learning the craft of silversmithing, Colleen began creating jewelry from her extensive sea glass collection, which was ocean-inspired, beachy, and casual. 

Colleen’s work with silver evolved as she experimented with its properties and personality. She progressed into creating silver jewelry that, inspired by her life living in a small coastal town, her travel, and studies in architecture, reflects the modern lines that she is drawn to. 

Recently, Colleen’s jewelry received an honourable mention for emerging artist from the Craft Council of British Columbia’s “The Earring Show, 2019” and was chosen for a juried exhibition titled “Of Time and Tide 2019” at the West Vancouver Silk Purse Arts Centre. Each new piece of jewelry that Colleen designs in her small seaside studio, reflects her aspiration for creating small batch, quality crafted pieces.

Art Crawl Venues: 1551 Lockyer Road, Roberts Creek (showing with Beth Hawthorn Ceramics)

More Info: saltandwaterdesigns.com

Jane Hennessy (Tours Art Crawl #92)

Jane is a must-see on my crawl every year and her studio in Roberts Creek is stunning.

It was built by the talented boys at Hanson Land and Sea, who also built my horse barn. 

I first got to experience her work when she very graciously let me come visit and look at the build quality of her studio. 

Jane is an expressive figurative artist who works with oil-based mediums, charcoal, graphite, watercolor on panel, canvass and raw wood. If you want to commission a stunning portrait, Jane is your artist. It’s on my to-do list one of these years.

 

Art Crawl Venue: 1173 Cedar Grove Road, Roberts Creek

More Info: janehennessy.com

Liz Christian (Tours Art Crawl #33 & Tours Purple Banner #13)

When I first met Liz, she actually asked me to sell her home for her in Roberts Creek. I remember walking in and noticing the bright canvasses adorning the walls that almost had a Navajo quality to them. They were stunning. 

 

Liz paints with colour in a masterful way. My favourite works are her mountains and cliffs series. Maybe it’s because I can see myself trekking on horseback, cowboy-style like I’m in some old Western movie, or perhaps it’s because I simply love the colours and the happiness her work evokes. 

 

Liz was raised in the San Francisco Bay area, coupled with several years in Paris by a family immersed in art. She found her place/home a number of years ago here on the Sunshine Coast, stating she’s “immersed in the beauty of the natural world engulfing this area.”

 

“Imaginary snapshots painted intuitively free-form without rules or boundaries,” Liz shares about her work. “I believe that is what makes each individual creation special unto itself with a certain energy all it’s own. Making them precious wherever they find a forever home. I know a painting is finished when I truly love and care for it myself.”

 

Liz’ studio is based in her gorgeous newly green built modernist home just steps from the marina in Lower Gibsons, which is a piece of art itself. 

Art Crawl Venue: 660 Dougall Rd, Gibsons

More Info: lizchristianart.com

Kube Studios (Tours Art Crawl #52 & Tours Purple Banner #14)

 

In my opinion, you should actually visit this gallery every day of the week for your daily dose of art and creativity here in Gibsons. But, you should especially stop by this weekend during the Sunshine Coast Art Crawl. 

 

My dear friends and artists Jill Pilon and Jody Youngren own and operate the wonderful Kube Studios. It’s a contemporary art gallery and artist incubator that houses 11 working artists. Their boutique retail space features hand-crafted artisan pieces from the Sunshine Coast, Vancouver and abroad. 

 

If you’re like me and love art and love shopping for a unique find, then this stop is essential to add to your tour. My favourite thing about this pair is they love connecting people, art and ideas. Here’s what’s happening at Kube during Art Crawl weekend: 

 

  • Live Caricatures with Jamie Daviduk (Jamie is an artist from the Sunshine Coast)

 

Saturday & Sunday: 11am – 4pm

 

  • Make Your Own Therapeutic Bath Salts with Wabi Sabi Collective

 

A soothing mixture for aching muscles; stimulating for healing and circulation post workout or general muscle soreness. They look pretty too and make great gifts.

Saturday: 11am – 4pm

  • Brujería Studio Tarot Readings (3 card spread)

Saturday: 11am – 4pm

 

  • Bindrune Making/Intro to Art Magick & Sculpting Workshop with Brujería Studio

 

Sunday: 11am – 4pm

  • Paint Your Own Seascape with A Sea of Whimsy (30-minute painting tutorial)

Saturday: 3:30pm

Art Crawl Venue: 875 Gibsons Way, Gibsons

More Info: thekube.ca

Todd Clark (Tours Art Crawl #59)

Last and by no means least, you absolutely have to check out the amazing work by my dear friend, Todd Clark— another favourite I covered for last year’s Art Crawl blog. 

Todd is an abstract expressionist and paints with absolutely no inhibitions. His work reminds me of my all-time favourite painter, Jackson Pollock, yet with a twist.

When you meet Todd he’s actually quite a shy chap, which is kind of awesome. His personality is poured out on the canvases laid out in front of you and they’re a reflection of him and his love of art. 

His talent is very apparent when you step foot in his gorgeous, bright studio. The walls are filled with colour and texture that brings joy to my heart and many others who experience his work. 

Todd also works part time as a teacher at Queen Mary Elementary School in North Vancouver and the creative program he crafts for his students is just wonderful. I wish Todd had been my art teacher as a kid!

The added bonus of visiting Todd’s studio is the menagerie of puppies, peacocks and ponies. Also, the gardens of Todd and Carol’s home are just as artistic as the studio. It’s a must-see on your art crawl.

Art Crawl Venue: 895 Charman Road, Gibsons 

More Info: toddclarkstudio.org

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