Crackerjack and Eastside Culture Crawl

This is the time of year where I put my head down and get ready for my shows and for the Christmas season. So much to do.....so little time. I was talking to my Mom on the the phone the other night telling her how much work I had to do and she said, "You'll get it all done, you always do"....I said "No, Mother you don't understand, this might just be the year where I don't get it all done!!!!"

So - You are all invited to my shows to find out if I do manage to get it all done! If you come to these and don't see me it means I'm hiding in my bed under my covers until the end of the season and you should probably call my Mother and let her know.

One of Those Days

It's just one of those days.

I've been listening to this song over and over again.......

Moving Me Forward in The Right Direction - Two Collaborative One of a Kind Necklaces

Sometimes things enter your life when you need them. Part of getting ready for September Shop was doing some collaboration projects with the other artist's involved. Out of this experience bloomed some pretty amazing things for me.

In the spring I started twisting wire. I had a roll of thin steel wire sitting on a table in my apartment for months. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with it. One day I picked it up and started to look at it differently. I started twisting it. I twisted through the loss I’ve experienced in this past year of my life……and I twisted into what was blooming around me……

For me art often takes me out of someplace in my head or my heart where I've been stuck. Being stuck isn't very fun. But sometimes I need to tread water in a murky place for a while before I know how to get out of it. Many of my pieces are connected to a bigger story and they often take me from one place in my life to the next. Artistic expression has a way of doing this for me. Writing, drawing, moving metal - creating something that connects itself to my heart has the ability to pull me out of something, to show me what is next, to open my eyes, to dig deeper, to love stronger, to not miss out on something amazing.

Not long after I started twisting wire, Jen Pleadwell of twofolds textiles gave me a handful of her sweet feminine silk flowers in stunning bright colours. I sat with my roll of dark steel wire and these soft vibrant flowers and something incredible started to bloom. Two One of a Kind Necklaces that are completely new for me, completely different, completely unexpected.

A beautiful surprise that moves me forward in the right direction..........



Both of these one of a kind pieces are available at September Shop. September Shop is a pop up shop for the month of September and will close on September 28th, so get there soon.

September Shop is located at 196 Kingsway, the corner of Kingsway and 10th.

Silent Auction for ArtStarts

ArtStarts envisions a society where the arts are regarded as an essential part of educating young people and a catalyst for creating innovative, engaged and contributing members of society. ArtStarts in Schools has a leadership role in transforming the way children and youth are engaged, in and through the arts, and in promoting the value of the arts in young lives.

At September Shop - Our one month pop-up shop we have done 3 collaborative projects. We are auctioning these items off in a Silent Auction for the month that we are open. 100% of the proceeds from these items will be donated to ArtStarts.

I grew up in a small town in a working class family. Although my family was filled with creativity, I didn't know that being an artist for a living was an option. I think that giving kids the opportunity to meet all types of artists and to make art is integral to making them into kind, compassionate, interesting human beings.

I would like to invite you to bid on our auction items - you can publicly bid on our facebook page, you can come into the store and bid, or you can email me your bid.

One of a Kind Silk Flowers & Blackened Steel Necklace by twofolds textiles and Patsy Kay Kolesar Design. The current bid is at $50

One of a Kind Journal and Pocket Mirror by Laura Bucci Handmade and Patsy Kay Kolesar Design. The current bid is at $45

One of a Kind Leather Neck Collar by Flightpath Designs & Bronsino. The current bid is at $50

You can come in and see these items at September Shop Tuesdays-Sundays 11-5 until September 28th. 196 Kingsway @ 10th ave.

Working in Collaboration - September Shop

I am an independent artist and business owner. I work inside my own head, I make my own decisions, I create based on what moves me.

However, for the past couple of months I have been working in collaboration with other artists. Working in collaboration has it's challenges. I have seen who I don't want to be and I have seen who I strive to be. Working in collaboration also has it's connected amazing moments. For the past few months myself and 4 other artists have been preparing for the opening of September Shop. We have faced thousands of back and forth emails, last minute curve balls and the sudden drop out of one of the artists, but what we have created is an amazing beautiful shop that I am so proud to be part of.

I am inspired by all of the hard work that each of us has put into this 1 month venture. These women are talented, dedicated, and delightfully creative. I have learned a lot from my experience working with them and I am excited to finally share the opening of September Shop with all of you. If you are in Vancouver you must come and see the beautiful space that we have created. September Shop is only open from Saturday September 3rd until Wednesday September 28th Tuesdays-Sundays 11-5. Many of the pieces that we have created for September Shop are one of a kind. You don't want to miss this one! Trust me.

September Shop Address:
196 Kingsway Vancouver BC.




September Shop features the work of:

• Flight Path Designs – graphic inspired leather accessories

• Laura Bucci Handmade – image/text compositions transferred to functional fabric-based personal accessories and housewares

• Nana Fro Textile Art – textile hand dyed items for the body and the home

• Patsy Kay Kolesar Design – art jewelry combining ancient techniques in metalsmithing with contemporary techniques in enameling

• twofolds textiles – textile artist producing clothing and fashion accessories employing weaving, piece-dyeing, embroidery, and ceramics

September Shop - Popping up!!!!!!

A Pop-up Shop for the month of September! How exciting. When I tell people that I am part of September Shop, which is a 1 month pop-up shop, the typical reaction is...."what's a pop-up shop?" Essentially a pop-up shop is a short term retail venture. A business pops up and opens for a short period of time - draws in a crowd, creates some buzz, sells some stuff and then closes down leaving no trace of being there behind.

When I was about 9 years old my family spent a couple of years moving into different houses while we figured out where exactly we wanted to live. Each time we would move out of a house I would find a tiny corner of my bedroom and carve into the wall "Patsy and Biscuit Kolesar lived here" (Biscuit was my childhood cat, who I found when I was 6 and brought him home, but that's another story)

There is something about the concept of a pop-up shop that reminds me of moving around when I was a kid. You take over a space, make it beautiful, make it your own, invite people into it and then you tear it down, move out and hope that you leave positive energy there for the next inhabitants. There is something warm and welcoming in the fluidity of it. It's only 1 month - You can take risks with it, try something new, and push your creative boundaries.

September Shop will feature 5 local designers - I am honored to be included in this very talented and smart group of women.

Patsy Kay Kolesar Design, Laura Bucci Handmade, twofold textiles, Flightpath Designs,and Nana Fro Textile Art.




One of the most exciting parts of this 1 month venture is that we are teaming up to do some one of a kind collaborative projects. There will be a silent auction for these pieces and you can come and bid on them throughout the month. The proceeds for them will be donated to a local charity.

I will also be launching some new designs at September Shop!!!!!!!

To stay in the know you will want to join our facebook page or you can visit our blog and sign up for our newsletter.

A Slice of Artistic Sanity

The Ring a Week project has turned into a little slice of artistic sanity for me. I have to make a ring a week regardless of how chaotic and busy my life gets. I have to sit down and stay still long enough to think of a new idea. I have to stay still long enough to connect with what I'm feeling, which isn't always easy. But my jewelry designs have always been inspired by a story - by lasting love, by painful heartache, by hopeful change.

So, what have I been feeling?...........Honestly my life has become a little chaotic. I have recently opened up a new store with two other artists. We have been thrown into a fire of change and we have to figure things out. It is craziness! For all of you who have opened retail stores on your own, my deepest respect for you! Our space is only 200 square feet and there is 3 of us to share the workload.....and it really has taken over our lives. Hopefully things will smooth out a little and become calmer for us once we get all of the start up tasks figured out.......I imagine those of you who own retail stores are chuckling right now as maybe things never get calmer once you have a store - and if this is true please lie to me, as I need to think that things will be tranquil in my life once again. ;)

My rings for the past few weeks have been twisty- like my mind, with glimmers of hopeful pink pearls - like my heart.

Week 8 Ring

Week 9 Ring

Week 10 Ring