Emma is the owner and operator of the Tin Can Pottery Shop.

Emma has lived on Vancouver Island since late 2011 having graduated from a graphic design program in Calgary and took many years of Fine Art classes at NIC. She loves playing with clay and spending time exploring the alchemy of ceramics to develop new projects from the natural world.

Emma's eclectic background is reflected in what she chooses to shape in clay. You might find a set of four 'Metta-meditation cups', fungi-inspired cups and tea-pots, or bee decorated mugs, plates, and bowls she’s christened 'bee-ware.' All pieces marry the principles of purpose to the fires of the imagination. Her newest work is inspired by the world of the microscopic, and features images of life such as tardigrades, stentors, paramecium and cyanobacteria.

Instagram: @emmaheitzmannartstudio
Website: ehpottery.ca

I am a queer disabled artist living on the unceded territory of the Lekwungen People. Happy Slug is a concept that came to life through my love of slugs and the joy I feel through creating. Happy Slug is the reminder that this artist is a slow and steady slug that moves with deliberate determination. Happy Slug is my love for all things deemed weird and different. Happy Slug takes the fear of being too much or too loud and turns it into big bold dopamine-releasing pieces of art that scream to be worn and adored. Happy Slug is a home for everyone that has ever felt different, felt out of place, misunderstood, or out of place.

Creating art is therapeutic for me. Creating fills me with warmth and love and joy. In sharing my art with you I hope to share that love and joy with others.

Instagram: @happyslug_creations

Meet the Maker: I'm Maddison. I'm a queer artist living and creating in a special little corner of Vancouver Island. My studio is named after my Bernese Mountain dog, Mabel. My fun & loving Mabel dog and ceramics are two of my main outlets. Mabel's bold personality influences the style of my work, along with my intuition for design and fashion. I love to experiment, and I have no set style of work - -myself and my work are constantly evolving. What I love most about clay is that it's simultaneously the least forgiving and yet most versatile medium.

My work evolves as I learn, grow, and gain confidence in my skill. I am self taught, and have been committed to clay since February 2021.

Instagram: @mabel.ceramics
Website: mabelceramics.ca

Rod Heitzmann has been creating both sculptural and functional ceramics for over 20 years. He started with evening programs in Calgary. After moving to the Comox Valley in 2007 he began taking Fine Arts classes at North Island College. He is an active member of the D’Esterre Seniors Potters Club.

Rod enjoys making masks from clay. Each mask tells a story that possesses and expresses a spirit's emotional character. He frequently draw on my knowledge of ancient cultures to express these spirits but without direct duplication. Because clay is a medium that is highly malleable when soft it allows him to use a variety of techniques in the creation of form and expression. However when clay hardens and dries it becomes inflexible. In the kiln, these objects are transformed through the forces of heat and chemistry to attain their final forms. During firing, he turns over control to these forces, and allow the primal elements to work their wonders!

Born and raised in Campbell River on Vancouver Island. I have always thought that this beautiful area is the jewel of Canada’s west coast. The love of the outdoors, exploring, hiking and kayaking have inspired my original paintings as well as photography and crafts.

Facebook: RobArt