Eastside Culture Crawl - What it means to invite you in

In the spring I moved my studio to the Eastside. Along with moving into a space shared with some of my best friends I was also moving into a space that was a part of the Eastside Culture Crawl.

The Eastside Culture Crawl has been happening for 14 years in Vancouver. It officially began in 1997 with 45 artists in 3 Strathcona studio buildings, The Onion building (my studio) being one of the 3 originals. The first event was attended by a few hundred people. Now 14 years later there are over 300 artists in 60 studio buildings and the event is attended by over 10,000 people.

The Culture Crawl has to be one of my most favourite events that happens in Vancouver. It is such an incredible honor to be participating in it. For this weekend only we will all be opening up our studios to the public. Usually our studios are private. The days I go to my studio I will wake up at around 6am, roll out of bed, make coffee and head straight there. I will stay there for hours.....sometimes taking a break, walking down to the Union Street Market to get more coffee. I will chat with the other artists in my studio, inspired by the creative energy in the building. My creative process is mostly solitary, it's inside my head, it's inside my soul. My creative space, my studio is also mostly solitary, it is small, it is filled with things that I love -tools, metal, and things that inspire me -a picture of my baby nephew, rough pieces of sky blue larimar and royal blue lapis lazuli.

When we open the doors to our studios we are saying something bigger then come and buy our art. We are letting you into our creative space, the place where we explore, take risks, make mistakes, and some moments create things that are exceptional. We are asking you to feel something, the creative energy that moves us to keep going back into our studios. We are asking you to experience art, and to get to know the artists. We are even hoping to inspire you a little and inviting you to come over to our side, to draw, paint, stitch, move metal...............join us......

Prepare to be Amazed

The Eastside Culture Crawl
Friday, November 26th 5pm-10pm
Saturday, November 27th 11am-6pm
Sunday, November 28th 11am-6pm
The Onion Studio 1103 Union Street
Vancouver, BC
www.eastsideculturecrawl.com

2012 Show Dates

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The Eastside Culture Crawl 2012
November 16th-18th
The Onion Studio 1103 Union Street
Vancouver, BC
www.eastsideculturecrawl.com

Beautiful Innovative Gift Ideas

Beautiful Innovative Gift Ideas. Enjoy!


How much would you love to come home each day to a fresh flower with a little hand written love note from your sweetie on one of these very creative chalkboard vases? Designed by Ricardo Saint-Clair and available online at the MoMa Store.



I am in love with this. It is masking tape made from washi, which is handmade Japanese paper. How much prettier would wrapped gifts look with these beautiful colours? Also available at MoMa.


This is the Boskke Sky Planter. It is a planter that you can hang from your ceiling. I think this is perfect for a small cozy place. I also think that this just might be the answer in getting my cat to stop eating my plants, although knowing my trouble maker cat, she would likely just figure out a way to hang from my ceiling.... These are available at Walrus in Vancouver.





UPPERCASE Magazine. I adore this magazine. Every issue is beautiful, inspiring, and playful. My perfect day would involve leafing through a pile of luxe magazines while sipping tea and UPPERCASE would definitely be in that pile. Find our more on their website.



I would love to hear about your beautiful gift ideas so please feel free to share!

xo patsy.

Love Match Contest - Fire Starter Sessions

The past week in my jewelry filled life has been quite the ride.

I was chosen as a finalist in Danielle LaPorte's Love Match Contest. I have been reading Danielle's blog for the past year and I am often profoundly moved by her insight, humor, and honesty. Her Fire Starter Sessions, which she sells for $150 have been something I have longingly looked at but it just hasn't been in my budget. Living the life I do, I make sacrifices. I know many of you do too. I don't work a high paying job, I don't get to take annual vacations. What I do get is to create things with my hands....which feels amazing. What I do get is to nurture my artistic side, hang out with amazing artists, and continually breathe life and love into my business -something that I created.....something that is truly a part of my soul.

So, when Danielle asked aspiring entrepreneurs to vie to win a copy of her Fire Starter Sessions, I was so freaking in! In order to win we had to answer some very thought provoking questions, we had about 24 hours to come up with our answers. I contemplated mine with an amazing friend over wine and Greek food at Stepho's.....and then ended up waking up the next morning at 5am to write out my answers. Here are her questions with my answers:

a) Give us a quote that explains how you see life.

To live in this world, you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal;

to hold it against your bones knowing that your own life depends on it;

and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go. Mary Oliver

b) What's wrong with the world?

That people seek answers outside of themselves.

After much more time to think about this question I would change my answer to McDonald's.....I think that McDonald's really encompasses all that's wrong with the world - corporate greed, environmental destruction, fast food, inhumane treatment of animals, mass consumption. I might also add Ugg boots......I just don't get them.

c) What does the world need more of?

Yoga. Bliss. Strong independent women. - Yup, I'm sticking with this.

d) What's one great businesses idea you wished you thought of?

Ceramic Artist Lori Koop sends out an "Upword of the week" every Sunday to inspire, and make you think. She connects the word to her ceramic work every week. It's brilliant.

e) Name 3 people you admire and 1 word on each of them to describe why.

Pema Chodron - Peace
My Dad - Stability

(and because he still washes my car when I go home to visit, he's my rock)
Kelly Cutrone - Entrepreneur (read her book, "If You Have to Cry go Outside" and you will know why)

f) What's your cocktail line?

I turn stories into metal.

g) What does/will your business bring to the world?

I create beautiful, original, colourful works of art that can be worn, cherished, and adored. I want women to connect with a piece and the story behind it, and when they put it on their body feel bold, passionate, and alive.

h) What problem do you solve for people?

I save amazing women from feeling blah, ho hum, boring.

i) What are your current or intended revenue streams?

Wholesale sales to boutiques
direct sales to customers through shows

j) What did you used to believe that you now think is silly?

That I could save someone from themselves.

k) What's your biggest entrepreneurial obstacle, and how will The FSS help you turn it to ashes?

I tend to get caught in the research and the ideas and have a tough time moving into action. I hope that it will give me more creative focus and the ability to move forward without being blocked, by lack of money, time, fear.

l) What chapter in The FSS do you want to read first?

Module 1: Strength and Desire- I'm a start at the beginning type of gal.

m) For you, what word is interchangeable with "success"?

Independence

n) What's one business question you'd like to ask me?

How do you balance the personal and the public?

They narrowed it down to 4 key questions and they choose 15 finalists who would vie for 7 copies of the Fire Starter Sessions, yours truly being one of them. and then we had to get the votes. I have to say I hustled a little. I am a Capricorn. I am also born in the year of the Dragon. I've got a natural competitive edge to me that I soften with hours of yoga. But I really wanted to win one of her Fire Starter Sessions and I wanted a bit of glory....I was leading the pack in first place for the first couple of voting days, but on the final day Kai Soremekun passed me on the inside and I ended up with 2nd place. Second place is pretty amazing for little me! I'm just a girl living in Vancouver trying to get the world to buy my jewelry. I'm ecstatic to have won the Fire Starter Sessions and I can't wait to dive into them. I'm thrilled to have met a whole bunch more amazing, interesting, talented women through this online world and I'm excited to continue to grow on this incredible journey with all of you.

Thank-you to Danielle, the wonderful generous people for donating a Fire Starter Session for this contest, to the other amazing finalists, and to all of the lovelies in my world who voted for me.

What a fun ride!!!

xoxo pkk.

Perfect Mistakes

We Move Metal - A collective piece by Jewelers/Metalsmiths in the Onion Studio

We move metal with our hands.

We use techniques that are ancient - practiced throughout centuries to create beautiful objects. We use techniques that are new, contemporary, and innovative – pushing the boundaries of our craft.

Inspired by a project called Nuit Blanche, by the Metal Arts Guild of Canada, I have created this collection that shows you our process. Every new technique we learn we need to practice, experiment, and make mistakes. Every spark of an idea we think we could turn into metal we need to explore, hammer, enamel, bend, push, twist, and turn.

This is our process. A collection of our thoughts, passions, mistakes, ambitions, defeats, struggles, and successes. A collection of metal objects – a collection of our journey to become experts at our craft.

This is a wall piece that I created with the help of the other talented jewelers in my studio. It will be on display at our studio during the Eastside Culture Crawl. It is a collection of all of our practice pieces, our mistakes, & our experiments.

Contributing Artist's:
Patsy Kay Kolesar
Simone Richmond
Cory Bigcharles
Linda Read
Heather Matwe
Jessica Taylor

The Fashion Body

I have been in conflict with my body lately. It has been feeling things that it usually doesn't....pain....pressure.....uncertainty. I so far have no answers for it, just a series of bruises from multiple blood tests (I bruise easily and I hate needles). Feeling out of touch with ones body is a funny thing. It does something bizarre to your mind. Pain in my body makes it harder for my mind to stay calm, focused, clear, loving. This past year I have felt a connection to my body more then I ever have before. I have had a fairly consistent yoga practice which has the ability to connect my physical body with my mind in such a harmonious way......those who know, know.....it's hard to explain in words.
I have moved my body more, running, hiking, walking, feeling music.......I have felt more loving towards my body then I have ever felt before. It is so easy to be critical of our bodies....I'm too much of this.....I don't have enough of that.....I hate my.......why can't I have her........It is much more of an effort to offer our bodies love, acceptance, & admiration.

I make things to adorn your body with. Most days when I leave my house, I wear a really big ring on my middle finger, I wear earrings that dangle, and a necklace...sometimes two. These pieces make me feel beautiful, ready to take on the world. On days that I need to re charge I wear absolutely no jewelry, It feels risky, like I'm more open and vulnerable.....a day without armour.

I came across information on this very cool project called The Fashion Body on ShowStudio.com. The idea behind it is about how linked fashion is to the physical body. They asked a bunch of different artists to create a short video on a particular body part. The results are all very different and worth checking out. I have posted links to three of my favourites.

http://showstudio.com/project/fashionbody/video/collarbone

http://showstudio.com/project/fashionbody/video/buttocks

http://showstudio.com/project/fashionbody/video/left_forearm

Growing a Jewelry Business

My business is growing. It is not growing really fast....I tried the fast and furious method when I first started out in business two years ago....lots of stores, big orders.......trust in people to be as honest as I am. I learned that business can be a tough world and when dealing with sharks "niceness" doesn't always get you paid. I learned a hard lesson early on in my career and I am thankful for that.

I now am pleased to be growing my business slower, and smarter. I am not a big flashy company. I am me. My two hands, my passion, my skills, the stories of my life turned into jewelry. I am my most alive self when I am creating...designing, hammering, enameling. I am my most content self when I am surrounded by art, by beauty, by other things that have been created by two hands and a whole lot of passion.

This is why I am delighted to have Patsy Kay Kolesar Design in Tartooful. Tartooful is a stunning little gallery located in Edgemont Village in North Vancouver.

Tartooful, 1.n. an object that is both beautiful and functional. well designed; of lasting value. 2 v. to beautify through simplicity. declutter; find the essence of beauty; surround oneself only with works of art. 3 adj. stylish and whimsical.

Tartooful is indeed filled with beautiful and functional products. It is stunning from the outside and draws you in. Once inside the shop I was in bliss - it is thoughtfully designed like a great art exhibition but also has a welcoming warmth to it that makes you want to engage with each of the carefully selected lines. The owner of the shop Cathy Church, chooses items for her space that she connects with, that tell a story and that offer something a little bit different to the world.

I think that it is a great fit for my jewelry. I am happy to have PKKD a part of this lovely shop. I am happy that my business is growing slowly, carefully, and with integrity.

You can click on these links to follow Patsy Kay Kolesar Design and Tartooful on Facebook. It's a great way not to miss out on new designs and to get updates on events.