Shantel Wall

Studio Tour Location: Shantel Marie Art Studio, Beverley  Medium: Painting

I have always been drawn to anything that is considered art or creative or crafty. When I was young I remember sitting at my grandparent’s island cutting and gluing and just being content colouring for hours and hours. I remember my grandmother introducing me to paints when I was young and I would look through her painting books for hours. When I was in high school I took up jewellery making and I remember taking my little box of jewellery to school and my teachers would take it to the coffee room at break and purchase pieces. As I grew older I made floral arrangements, jewellery, folk art, painted and was into scrapbooking. But just recently this year took up painting again as I was feeling creative and I ended up falling in love with the creative process once again. I love starting with a blank canvas and letting the paint flow where it wants to! I have been mixing mediums such as inks, oils, pastels and acrylics! I feel as like my art is always changing as I explore different mediums and techniques. I enjoy the creative process and love seeing where the art takes itself! I am a self taught artist and I would call my style of painting as unique decorative abstract.

You can see more of Shantel’s work at Shantel Marie Art on Facebook

Keely Williams

Studio Tour Location: Shantel Marie Art Studio, Beverley  Medium: Pottery

Keely Rae Williams was born and raised in the river hills of Treaty 4 Territory on the edge of the South Saskatchewan. She strives to evoke the wandering skylines and organic forms found in the gentle curves of the hills and wide skies of the prairies. Williams works mostly in handbuilt ceramics focusing on pinch forming and coil building.

Sally Knelsen

Studio Tour Location: Loft Originals Studio, Swift Current   Medium: Painting

My paintings are primarily prairie landscapes. The beauty, vastness and power of the outdoors has always impressed profoundly. My main interest in painting is the element of colour, which I tend to exaggerate. In floral scenes I explore colour, tone, and the abstract qualities of a scene. I admire the work of the impressionists and the Canada's Group of Seven.

Maria Enns

Studio Tour Location: Loft Originals, Swift Current  Medium: Notebooks from reclaimed paper and tote bags from reclaimed fabric

A graduate of the University of Regina’s Arts Education program, I taught art to middle years students for two years before starting my own business of creating things. New Leaf Handmade Goods has been in business since 2010 and currently sells items through Handmade Sask in the Cornwall Centre in Regina, Field & Fable in Swift Current and the Morse Museum and Cultural Centre in Morse (seasonally). I've been known to participate in local trade shows in Herbert, as well as in the annual autumn Highway 1 Studio Tour.

You can see more of my work at https://www.newleafhandmade.com/

Elaine Robitaille

Studio Tour Location: Field and Fable, Swift Current  Medium: Polymer and Ceramic Clay

Elaine is a self-taught artist living and working in Southwest Saskatchewan. Working primarily with polymer clay, she creates whimsical and detailed jewellery and sculpture. Her focus remains, after two decades, on creating images within the clay using a process called caning or millefiore where images are built up by layering clay. These canes are then used to build finished pieces. In the past two years she has expanded her practice to include ceramics and hopes to continue the exploration of whimsy there.

You can see more of her work at https://www.tooaquarius.com

Donald Ferguson

Studio Tour Location: Field & Fable, Swift Current  Medium: Photography

I grew up at the edge of the forest in east central Saskatchewan and now call Swift Current, Saskatchewan home. Living in southwestern Saskatchewan means that most of my photographic time is spent in western Canada but I also enjoy photographing other parts of Canada when I get the chance.

I have been a student of photography for a number of years now (pre-digital) and I feel that while I have learned a lot, there is still much for me to learn. I have no formal training in photography, learning from many, many books and a lot of trial and error. The technical aspects of photography are relatively easy to learn, the hardest part is learning how to create art with a camera. It took many years of practice before I was satisfied with my images.

I love wandering in the great outdoors, hiking or canoeing into places where I can be surrounded by Mother Nature. My camera is just a tool that I use to try and capture of the beauty, peace and joy that I experience while being in a meadow at sunrise, surrounded by the music of meadowlarks, dew glistening grass and the warmth of the rising sun. Of course all mornings are not created equal, the sunrise may be hidden and the meadowlarks silent, but the best thing about nature photography is that even if I have been out all day and don't capture anything great on camera, I have been out... all day... in nature.

My photographic style is more artistic than documentary, when I make a photograph I am not trying to show the scene exactly as it appeared to the naked eye but to use photographic technique (different lenses, slow shutter speeds, composition, etc) to create art out of the elements that Mother Nature has given me. The emotion of the image is the most important element to me.

You can visit Donald online at www.wanderingmanphotography.com

Andrea Haughian

Studio Tour Location: Field and Fable, Swift Current Medium: Painting

"Creativity takes courage." - Henry Matisse

While I would hardly call myself courageous I wholeheartedly agree with Matisse!

I am a self-taught, Saskatchewan based, wife, mother of three children, Metis artist who tries to see creativity and beauty in all things. As a child my mother always encouraged me to do art and paint but as time went on life took over and painting was put aside for many years. It's only been in recent years I've rediscovered my love for it.

As an artist I have a desire to see beauty in all things, I accredit that to something God has put in me and everyone for that matter, we just express it differently. Recently I had the honour of illustrating the award winning book '20.21m: a Short Story Collection of a Life Lived as a Road Allowance Metis'. A collaboration with my sister as author, this coming of age book is based on our father's upbringing as a road allowance Metis. The artwork for this book has been acquired by the Gabriel Dumont Institute and is now in their gallery. I am always looking to grow as an artist and am grateful for any opportunity to use my gifts to bring a little beauty and joy into this world.

Carol Furman

Studio Tour Location: Carol Furman Studio, Rush Lake   Medium: Pottery

Carol Furman is a potter whose studio is located near Rush Lake, Saskatchewan. Carol has worked with clay for several years, initially in Brooks, then High River, Alberta and for the last 35 years in Southwest Saskatchewan. She makes functional objects as well as sculpture with medium-fire clay that is mined in the Eastend area of Saskatchewan.

"There is a great feeling here of a close connection to both the land and the sky. Our prairie landscape is always an inspiration to recreate, reflect, and interpret into my work. Clay is a wonderful medium to use to build on that expression as you are actually using part of the landscape as your material," states Carol. n"Clay and I have worked and grown together for a long while now but I still have not uncovered all it's secrets. There will always be the challenge of trying to reach for clearer expression and more technical skill. That will never finish."

Morghie Flaterud

Studio Tour Location: Carol Furman Studio, Rush Lake Medium: Illustration

Morghie Flaterud holds a BFA in Visual Art from the University of Regina. Her work revolves mainly around creating stories and narratives. She has illustrated children's books, and even colouring books. She loves to paint, illustrate, and make comics. She has an ongoing webcomic called 'Stars in Roses'.

You can view more of her work at www.zombietigressart.com

Fern Rempel

Studio Tour Location: Carol Furman, Rush Lake  Medium: Painting

Fern Rempel is a visual artist who resides in the Prairie View area of Saskatchewan and farms with her husband Lynn. Originally from Alberta, Fern has lived in unique places such as Southern India, the Gulf Islands of BC, Central America, and the Lake District of England, and has traveled the globe extensively. Gifted with a natural talent by her artist father, she enjoyed using colour and texture in decorating and gardening but did not pursue painting for many  years. Inspired by a class in acrylic painting at the Art Gallery of Swift Current in 2008, Rempel took up brush and paints and has not looked back. A natural colourist, Rempel is largely self-taught and her work shows a gift for observation and her unique style is instantly recognizable. She gains inspiration from that which most of us overlook-abandoned farmsteads, animals in the field, old jars and crockery; the times of lives lived and past. Her paintings combine a sense of history with a strong colour palette and soft, impressive style Her work has expanded to include drawings, pastel work and water colour. Rempel has participated in the a few exhibitions at the Art Gallery of Swift Current and is a founding member of an art group that meets monthly to learn and explore new techniques while inspiring one another.

Hedi Gossweiler

Studio Tour Location: Alpaca Expressions, Lone Eagle Motel Herbert  Medium: Alpaca Fibre Artist

Hedi Gossweiler is a fashion designer by trade. She designs, produces and sells high-end alpaca products. She markets an extensive line of wearables including sweaters, scarves, socks, hats, blankets, insoles and even teddy bears that she markets at craft shows, out of her gift shop at the Lone Eagle Motel in Herbert, Sask. and via website: www.swisslinealpacas.com

Hedi's experience  and talent is knitting crocheting, felting, sewing and  does also needle felting with wool and alpaca hair. She creates unique and detailed 2 and 3 -dimensional works of art in this medium.

Needle felting is the process of felting/tangling one piece of wool to another or a felt background, using barbed needles. The needles take the wool fibers from one piece and drag them through a flat piece of wool fabric or felt where they tangle and attach.

Hedi's other passion is painting. When ever times allows and as balance she paints mainly acrylics and also likes to explore with watercolor and ink. Before emigrating from Switzerland to Saskatchewan in 1981, Hedi attended College of Arts plus Fashion Design and Sewing in Switzerland and has worked for various businesses in areas of arts and design. Hedi’s creations are well known and sought after for their craftsmanship, uniqueness and attention to detail. Most of her products are in- house designs and hand-made. To round up the collection Alpaca Expressions added some high quality machine-made items.

Hedi has won many first place awards, including Judge’s Choice awards, at fibre competitions. She participated at the 2005 High Fibre Exhibition at Art Gallery of Swift Current and is a member of the Saskatchewan Craft Council.

Stacey Erickson

Studio Tour Location: Dare 2 Dream Studio, South of Herbert   Medium: Resin Garden Decor, Glass Jar Painted Lanterns, Necklaces

My company motto is "you dream, I design" because it is my ambition to help ensure your dreams become a reality. My company provides a wide variety of customizable designs and has excellent customer service. It is a personal pleasure working with my clients to create a design that everyone can be proud of. I love writing, painting, crafting, sculpting, graphic design, and anything else I can do with a creative and open mind. I have a million ideas in my head and it feels like magic having the opportunity to share them with the world. I am always finding new hobbies, because I enjoy challenging myself to continually learn new techniques and skills.

You can see more of my work at https://dare2dreamdesigns.ca/

Sharon Penner

Studio Tour Location: 3 Thistle Studio, South of Herbert  Medium: Painting

Sharon Penner lives and works on the family farm in the Herbert, Saskatchewan area. Grain is in the veins, surrounded by great plains beauty. She is self taught and has been creating since a young age. She took time off from creating to raise 3 children with her husband and worked the farm as well.

Now in these later years, Sharon has found more time to pursue her creative side. Using mixed medium in a loose abstract style her work is in large to small format. She was worked with acrylic, watercolour, ink and, recently, pastel.

Here in Saskatchewan there is a never ending supply of landscapes and skies. She has chosen bold colours to capture light, drawing inspiration from dreams and seeing true creation. She is hoping to reveal that back to the viewer. The colours will speak more than the picture itself, connecting the boldness of the light to the inner person.

Jesse Hamm

Studio Tour Location: 3 Thistle Studio, South of Herbert  Medium: Macrame, Painting

My name is Jesse Hamm but the name I heart the most is 'Mom' by my four beautiful children. I am a wife and an artist. I live in Herbert, Saskatchewan with my husband and four kids. They are 8, 6, 4, and 2 years old, one boy and three girls (in that order).

Art has always been a part of me since I could remember. Now, as an adult, still dedicating my precious time, I have expanded my creative abilities to a variety of arts that fill my soul.

Two of my favourites that I often find myself getting lost in are macrame and rustic wood art. With macrame it's as if each knot is representing a milestone in someone's life, sometimes it doesn't make sense close up or in the middle of it but in the end, when you look at the bigger picture, it reveals a beautiful creation. I love when I get an order wood art because it is, at times, literally take a piece of someone's history from their life that they can have in their home as long as they like. When I find a board or piece of driftwood with such character I am so mesmerized by the natural beauty that reveals itself under all the years of being worn down and beaten. And then to be able to accentuate it's beauty with stain or other mediums, it just amazes the beauty God has created for us to enjoy.

The talents I have to create my art have been given to me by God. I feel blessed my heart fills with joy when I am able to share that with others.