Our New Newsletter - March 2017
Our newsletter - March 2017.
Vancouver Island, like much of B.C., has seen some unusually cold and snowy weather this winter. Nothing as compared to our Mid West but for us less hardy folk on the West Coast this has been a cold winter.
Just before the first of the big winter storms hit with its full force, Sue & I together with Finn, our mischievous Kerry BlueTerrier, made a trip up island to replenish some much-needed work from our artists.
First stop was to Bob Held’s glass studio in Parksville. The warmth of the glass kilns was welcome as the snow was already quite deep. The day previously the delivery of raw glass had to be cancelled as the truck could not get near Bob’s studio. However, we collected some beautiful new work examples of which you can see below.
The new Mocha Swirl Cone vase is superb as are the new glass Hearts
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New From Robert Held Glass Artist
GIVERNY FOOTED GLOBE VASE
A brand new range from Robert Held's new studio in Parksville B.C. A truly magnificent vase with a lovely globe shape and round pedestal foot This range is named after Monet's property and garden in France.
The soft colours and stylised lily pads reflect the name perfectly. Made on Vancouver Island BC by Robert Held, one of Canada's foremost glass artists. Height~ 7 1/2 inches by width 7 1/2 inches.This would make a marvellous gift for anyone who appreciates fine glasswork art.
Signed by the artist.
About Side Street Studio
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
ROBERT HELD – RISEN FROM THE ASHES!
In March 2013 and after 39 years, Robert Held sold off all his glass making equipment and finally closed the doors of his Vancouver-based, Pine Street Studio.
PARKSVILLE STUDIO
Bob moved to Parksville on Vancouver Island and entered into retirement. So that was it. The end of some of the finest glass making in North America.
But the days of tennis, reading and painting (the artistic type) began to drag. Frustration grew. Dreams of a relaxing retirement became just that – dreams. The urge to create more pieces of glass art grew until Bob could resist the call no longer.
As with all ventures, a little luck helps. Bob discovered that an art school in southern Seattle had just received a large endowment and was upgrading their glass-making equipment. So armed with cash and a large van he was first on the scene and bought their whole collection of equipment – furnaces included.
After numerous trips from Seattle back & forth to Vancouver Island we now we have a new art studio, based in Parksville – risen from the ashes so to speak.
Bob together with two of his former artists have started creating even more beautiful glass art. Hearts, Paperweights, Bowls, Vases and Ginger Pots are all now ready (in limited quantities) for sale as the new gallery expands its production.
The main picture shows Bob & one of his key assistants, Bohy, outside of the new studio. No Bohy is not bowing to Bob! He is drawing out very long, thin lines of hot glass (up to 70 ft) which quickly cool and are then fused to the sides of bowls, vases etc. Each using different colours depending on the specific design. A process that Bob called ‘fritting’.
The other photos show Sue Hayes from Side Street Studio looking at some new ‘lighting’ glass work with Bob. And some scenes of the work area.
You can find a good number of examples of Bob’s new glass work at www.sidestreetstudio.com with more pieces arriving as soon as they are available.
A World Made By Hand
http://www.sidestreetstudio.com/collections/glass/robert-held-glass-artist
