Island of The Arts
Gabriola Island, British Columbia
Meet The Artists
Ali Hosein
Ali Hosein is an established multi-media sculptor, painter and jeweller. He has work in the permanent collection of the National Museum and Art Gallery in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Ali has been part of a number of private and public galleries in and around Ottawa, and Victoria, BC as well. These include a private show for the Trinidad and Tobago High Commission in Ottawa, the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, the Maltwood Gallery of the University of Victoria, and the Sooke Regional Museum. “I make art because that is what is in me to do. When I am working I am at complete peace, and it is this peace as well as love that I am endeavouring to spread in my work.”
Anita Jackel
I am passionate about designing colourful and unique soft leather bags and purses with a West Coast touch. My studio is located on beautiful Gabriola Island, BC, referred to as the “Island of the Arts,” where I am constantly inspired by the natural beauty of its trails, and pebbly beaches. It is here that I collect rocks to use for the signature rock closures on my purses, each one as unique in its design as my customers are in their nature. (Image credit: Cory Raven)
Catherine Hart
I love visual design. After a 30-year career in print, I began applying my design strengths to the glass medium, apprenticing for two years with an Aylmer, Quebec stained glass artist. My focus is on original works, custom commissions and restoration projects. Each piece of the design puzzle is individually crafted: cutting, grinding, copper foiling or leading, soldering, applying patina, painting, polishing, framing. I’m always looking and seeing the possibilities and imagining something beautiful: romantic minimalism. Whether in architecture, print, web, furniture, fabric or nature my eye is drawn to pattern and line, colour and texture. My creative imagination is influenced by early masters of the Arts & Crafts Movement: the Greene brothers, Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Harvey Ellis, and Charles Renee Mackintosh.
Corbin Keep
Corbin has been passionate about the cello for over 50 years. In that time, he has experimented, invented new techniques, and generally pushed the boundaries of the instrument. After many years of exploring non-classical cello, Corbin's interests have evolved into a somewhat more classical focus. His latest obsession is unearthing obscure music by historical female classical composers, and then arranging it for unaccompanied cello. The oldest such piece in his repertoire dates from AD 1175. Cellos didn't exist yet, but the music still sounds like it was meant for the instrument. (Image credit: Bill Pope)
Dave Hennigar
Dave Hennigar creates West Coast inspired whimsical folk art, sculpture, and paintings. Dave has a quirky sense of humor that comes out in his art. The most prominent media used are concrete/paper mâché, concrete, wood, multi-media, and found objects. Viewing of Fishhead studio is by appointment. His creations are also available at the Pier Gallery and Nova Art and Craft Boutique on Gabriola Island.
D'dance Glass
D’dance Glass is Dirk Huysman and Mary Ann Richards, hot glass artists who dance collaboratively with fire, light and breath. Dirk and Mary Ann have trained with noted Canadian glass artists at the Alberta College of Art and Design, and Espace Verre. Residing on Gabriola, they are thrilled to work out of their own hot shop, influenced by the blues and greens of our ocean and forest world here. With over 25 years of experience, they strive to give each piece created a uniqueness and artistic touch that fosters long-term engagement with the glass, be it functional or ornamental.
Francis Usher
Fran’s residency on Gabriola Island has helped to consummate a long art journey of validation and provides a place where she can feel safely vulnerable. Hailing from Queen’s University’s Bachelor of Fine Arts, B.Ed. programmes, her studio practice has ranged from teaching visual art to being an artist for hire with many fascinating corporate projects in between. In the last ten years she has explored her own artistic passions. Driven by issues of respect for each other and our environment, the projects specifically explore human nature in a lovingly serious way, often tempered by the use of humour.
Gary Dillon
Gary Dillon began in life as an activist priest and community builder who later engaged for several decades in the arts both as a dancer and as a dance-movement therapist. Later still he was granted the right to practice as a Lomilomi bodyworker and teacher in a traditional manner. Throughout all of the changes he maintained a creative practice of drawing, wood sculpture and painting.
Gwen Spinks
I have been collecting and selling art & working with artists most of my adult life. It wasn’t until November of 2011 when an artist friend put up a blank canvas and said “just throw some paint on it”. Well, … We had no idea that was the beginning of a whole new life. I work with acrylics on canvas … and I love everything about them. I love using palette knives to create rich textures; rags to create moods & contrast; brushes to … well, the rest! I’ve been in numerous shows including Sooke Fine Art; Sidney Fine Art; Moss Street Paint-In, Victoria; IDS, Vancouver; Calyx, Calgary and many others; see the results of “Just throw some paint on it” on my website page. Plus I organize and curate “Squared/Stretched – the Art Show” – the first show was in Jan 2016.
Jade Krupa
Zaworski Art and Homestead
A Homesteader and an animal artist kind of goes hand in hand. For me anyways! I am a Self taught mixed media artist who specializes in animal portraits. My home life and my work life inspires one another on a daily. During Covid, we took the time to set up our little homestead consisting of chickens, muscovy ducks and 2 resident geese. At the time I was only a custom pet portrait artist of cats and dogs which came to a halt as it was a scary time! I was itching to get back into the studio and taking this as an opportunity to create something I truly love. BIRDS! Out came 14 individual chicken and rooster portraits! Some say crazy, I say amazing! Turns out others think they were pretty awesome as well. Bees, whales and hares along with the entire farm line came to be. Being lucky enough to create a life where I can be a full time artist, I always donate to a not for profit animal rescue every year from my sales of my calendars. My motto: life is just better with animals in it.
Karen Cain
Original art with signature techniques and processes which have produced the popular series ‘Contemporary Frescoes’ and ‘Sculptural Paintings’. It is my response to the energy of the living world that drives the engine of my art making. The interrelationship between nature, art and the human spirit is the focus of my continuous exploration. The mindful act of constructing /deconstructing the surface, inscribing organic rhythms, and layering colour, creates a distillation of experience. Intuitive, expressive, sensual and transitory, my abstracts are reflecting equivalents in nature. Themes of landscape and memory are evocative of a moment caught in time.
Leaha Argue
Leaha currently resides and creates in her studio, full time, on Gabriola Island. She enjoys being curious with many art mediums exploring the landscapes and nature on her island. Her mediums of choice are acrylic and alcohol inks and loves to experiment with color. She also enjoys using different materials in her art from nature and also enjoys re purposing materials as a means to create. Leaha mostly enjoys following her intuition to lead her in the creative process. She believes everyone has a creative side of you allow it. Art is a safe place to let yourself go and go with the flow. Your masterpiece you create symboliZes who you are.
Mary Mitchell
Mary Mitchell works primarily in acrylics, painting semi-abstract landscapes. She also enjoys illustration and occasionally drifts into the absurd. Her current focus is on subjects close to home, and attempting to capture a glimpse of the natural beauty she is so fortunate to be surrounded by as a resident of Gabriola Island, BC. Painting full time for her would be ideal, but for now she is dedicated to growing as an artist and painting as much as possible.
Seraphina Khepera
Seraphina Khepera was a professional tarot reader, painter, astrologer, video artist and photographer based on the island of Gabriola in British Columbia. Born in Honduras and raised in Guatemala City, Seraphina’s interest in art and esotericism started at the age of 13. She knew she had a passion for tarot and astrology which she practiced for personal insight with kindred spirits. After having to heal from life challenges brought on from working as a documentary photographer, she moved to a small island in British Columbia which allowed her skills to flourish and to be shared with her community. Seraphina read cards for over 20 years and had developed her own language and modalities. Her aim or focus was to always seek higher guidance and perspective by consulting her guides and her client’s guides for the highest outcome. She personally believed that we are all here with individual talents or gifts to contribute to the uplifting of humanity. As an independent visual artist she has delved into abstract painting with Encaustic Medium (pigmented beeswax) and acrylic painting inspired by visual meditations, astrological archetypes, alchemy, transformation, planetary influences, sacred geometry and ancient symbols.
Sheila Norgate
I was born in 1950 and raised south of Bloor Street in the heart of downtown Toronto. After a doomed career in banking which included a near-death health crisis, I began to dabble in watercolours, thereby changing the trajectory of my life. Today I make my living as a painter, writer, performer, dog nut, and general feminist rabble-rouser from my home on Gabriola Island, BC.
Patricia Rokosh
Pat has been working with clay since 2001, having taken most of her formal training through the Mount Pleasant Arts Centre in Calgary. Her background includes engineering, communications, marketing, environmentalism and academia, which provides a great platform for both logical and creative thought. Now living and working at the Island School of Building Arts on Gabriola Island, Pat transfers her interpretation of the forest and the sea into her ceramics and glaze colours. Her work is functional, whimsical and multi-layer glazed, influenced by Dr. Suess, the Hobbits and things that are useful in the kitchen.
Pat is in the process of building a wood kiln, for her Timber Haus Studio, which will re-open the door to using all the elements in her work: earth, fire, water and wind. In the meantime, she is creating unique, and often one of a kind, ceramic art.
Brendalee Astells
I’ve been a creative soul for as long as I can remember, always looking for ways to express myself. In 2005 I picked up a torch for the first time and it was love at first light. At last the perfect medium to give shape to my imagination. Wanting to share the joy I found working in silver with others I began to teach jewellery making workshops across B.C.’s Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island. In 2014 we moved to Gabriola and I found new inspiration in the island’s natural beauty. As a tribute to my surroundings I created several collections of jewellery meant to capture and reflect the essence of Gabriola’s unique character. After a tumble on an icy slope in the last week of 2017 I seriously injured my dominant hand making it impossible to work with silver. I taught myself to paint with my other hand, first in acrylics and later in watercolours. In the end the injury was a blessing in disguise. I’ve returned to silversmithing but have continue to paint. There is such joy in creation in whatever form it takes.
Caroline James
After graduating with an MFA from Usask. Caroline James has been working as a professional artist, creativity coach and teacher for over two decades. She works in oil paint, acrylic, collage and mixed media creating everything from large joyful abstraction to quiet zen like birds in high realism. Caroline also offers Limited Edition Fine Art Prints of her bird paintings, mounted and coated in beautiful fine art resin, as well as the fun, funky, meaningful and affordable gift line of “Sanctuary Peace Work” found on Etsy. Though she loves her creative life, Caroline says the most important thing she does are the workshops and retreats called “Free Expression Painting” and “Painting into Spirit.” These classes change peoples lives, and I’m humbled by that.
Tony Grove
Tony Grove has always loved discovering new ideas and creating, which has led him into several careers. One of which, Tony completed a four-year boatbuilding apprenticeship, and over the years has honed his skills as a shipwright specializing in wooden boat restoration and construction. Tony also worked as a commercial illustrator and artist and in 1999 began instructing at the Silva Bay Shipyard School on Gabriola Island. Tony left the school in 2005 and is now working for himself as an artist, writer, part-time teacher, custom woodworker, and boatbuilder, working at his home shop tucked amongst the trees on Gabriola Island.
Vince Fe
Vincent Fe is a self taught ceramic artist and potter living on a small Gulf Island who likes to experiment with just about everything and feels weird referring to himself in the third person. Vincent’s work has won awards in art shows and can be found in many people’s homes on Vancouver Island.
Zulis Yalte
As a life-long creative growing up on Vancouver Island, my art is imbedded in my relationships with the interconnected world around me, that I am part of. As a child I constructed, sang, drew, wrote and made ceremony to evolve today into the Multi-media and Cross-Disciplinary artist I am. I work in stone, wood, clay, mixed- media sculpture and painting, photography and more. Several methods may enter into the creation of one art piece. My art is concerned with an innate intuitive knowing, of being an energy form, of the interface of this form with my explorations/relationships/understandings of the ordinary/non-ordinary worlds and the nature of being embodied. Inner music infuses my art-making and often humour, as well as Love. The process of art expression is a source of healing for me and knowledge production. Love, song, laughter, sorrow, reverence and awe inform each piece of intuitively guided art that can nurture and uplift those who experience it. The art guides me, I surrender to her call.