Category: Market Chats

Market Chat - Sourceworks Ceramics

1/17/2021

Inspiration for Sourceworks Ceramics

The inspiration for Melanie’s art comes from nature and folklore. The name itself “Sourceworks” indicates a sense of history in what she produces. She enjoys finding the meaning in pieces she creates and incorporates them in her work. She also invites the audience to identify with her art using symbolism. Melanie creates personas in her art - ones that we can relate to. If you know a trickster, she has the raven. If you have someone wise in your life, she has the owl. Perhaps you know someone brave (and stubborn) she has the boar. Melanie creates ceramic art where you can feel part of it and have yourself beautifully expressed through it.

Where the Passion of Art Began...

Melanie’s passion for art started at a young age. She grew up in Manitoba in a family who encouraged expression through the arts, so she was introduced to the piano, and art classes at a young age. However, she was drawn to the visual arts and began to spend more time painting and drawing. At 16 years old, she took the initiative to apply to Banff School of Arts where she got accepted and traveled from Manitoba to attend their fine arts summer program.
Melanie decided to pursue arts in post-secondary education. She applied to several schools but decided to attend University of Manitoba for fine arts. After a year, she reapplied to OCAD (then OCA) for one of the best programs in the country and was accepted. This shows that when you really are truly passionate about something, you don’t give up. This was in the late 70’s and going from Winnipeg to Toronto was a big and exciting change. She Her focus was in the experimental arts program taking courses like film making (with 8mm film), sculpting, and working with photography, including the dark room!
After graduating in 1985, her and other like-minded experimental artists formed a collective called “Republic”. The collective would show in existing art spaces in Toronto. Georgian Bay Marketplace celebrates the movements where artists form together and create a stronger presence side by side.

Becoming a Colorist…

What is a colorist? Read more to find out!

Melanie also attended Georgian Brown College for commercial arts. She gained employment in the graphics arts and worked as a graphic artist and as a colorist in animation. When we design an illustration on the computer and need to copy a color, we simply use the eyedropper tool. It’s just a click - and boop! You have the same color. However, before computer technology, there was someone who had the particularly special talent of mixing a color to match another exactly. If you have ever gone to a paint store, you’ve likely seen all those tiny color chits with thousands of shades you never knew existed. It was Melanie’s job to match a color to an exact shade, by hand. For example in the 80s, the Honey Nut Cheerios bee could not be instantly copied and pasted onto another advertisement. No, you needed someone like Melanie to recreate a color to a specific shade to copy that iconic character. Melanie was very talented at this - and so it would become a great asset with Sourceworks Ceramics.

How Sourceworks Ceramics Started...

However, before Sourceworks Ceramics came about, something had to change. Art making had taken a backseat during that time as a colorist, but not for long. The graphics industry began to outsource and move towards a computer based process, a movement we’ve seen in many careers. This is the consequence of moving towards a global economy, and why Georgian Bay Marketplace strives to support a local economy. Many of Melanie’s colleagues went back to school to stay employed, but she decided to move in a new and different direction. This is when she started Sourceworks Ceramics. It started out of her basement, where she gained knowledge first-hand through books, experimenting, and asking other people with a working knowledge of ceramics and clay. She learned how to make ceramic molds and started making ceramic pieces with a method called slip casting.

Toronto to South Georgian Bay & GHAC

The journey from Toronto to South Georgian Bay was inspired by weekend visits with friends. Interesting fact - her and her husband sustainably constructed a straw bale house (yay for sustainability!). Click here for an info sheet to learn why straw bale homes are sustainable. Melanie, and two other artists, created the Grey Highlands Artists’ Collective (GHAC) in 2008. Instead of committing to one location, they rent a venue together and exhibit their art based on a theme. Artists have different mediums for expressing themselves, but can also express their interpretation of that theme in different ways. So, it’s incredible to imagine what you might see when you bring all that art together! In June they plan to have an art show with three other local artists at the L.E. Shore Library in Thornbury.

The Approaches Behind and Ahead for Sourceworks Ceramics...

As previously mentioned, Melanie’s graphics, colorist and art school background come in handy when working in the studio. She exercises contrasting types of artistry, production and original approaches. Melanie is talented in different skills sets which in turn, makes her art that much more unique.

Click here to shop Sourceworks Ceramics

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Market Chat - Contagious Candles

1/10/2021

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Who is Contagious Candles?

“Scent is the strongest sense tied to memory”

When you encounter a familiar smell from the past a wave of memories can wash over you, leaving you filled with nostalgia. Imagine creating a scent for someone close to you or for a childhood place you love. Where would you even start? How would you ensure that fragrance is tied to those beloved memories and emotions? Tracey is Contagious Candles and this is what she has been doing for 15 years! She draws from positive emotional experiences to create aromas that depict memories and entices those feelings from you. She creates candles that take you to singing by the fire with your friends, sipping espresso in a cafe in Central America, or eating a slice of mom's freshly baked apple pie. On top of that, Tracey can customize her scents for any person, place or thing. When she creates customized fragrances for individuals she is inspired by their core personality and what they love. These candles are artistically done with purpose to bring out memories and feelings you love most. This is what she calls “hygge”, a Danish and Norwegian term to describe the simultaneous feelings of comfort, courage, and a sense of coziness. It offers inspiration from how we dress and decorate to how we live. Hygge is a core ingredient in every Contagious Candle.

Why Candles?

Candles have always been entwined with Tracey’s life. Growing up, her family would go on road trips and vacations. While on the road they would stop in small pretty tourist towns like the ones we know and love here in South Georigan Bay. They would often stop in gift shops and this is where her love of candles began to grow. People close to Tracey know her love of candles and thus at birthdays and holidays, she often receives them as a gift. In return, she loves gifting candles and finding the perfect scent for that recipient. However, there were times she could not find the candle with the right aroma, it was too fragrant, or just not adequate.

This is what sparked the curiosity in Tracey to start making her own candles. Keep in mind folks, this started 15 years ago. Finding resources to make candles looked a lot different. YouTube and Google were relatively new so Tracey did her research the old fashioned way. She reached out to mentor candle makers and relied on books to perfect the Contagious candle making process over three years. Tracey started making candles with paraffin wax but was not happy with the final product. Soy wax was just emerging in the candle market and so she decided to try it. Amazon was not a thing either and she had to find her own source from here in Ontario. To this day, Tracey continues to use this local supplier which is another part of sustainability that Georgian Bay Marketplace applauds.

Why Soy and Cotton Wicks?

Soy is a cleaner product than paraffin. It burns longer which is another attribute that makes Contagious Candles special. With Tracey’s quality candles - the emotions they draw last longer and add more personality to a room. “The first burn is so important” she states - referring to the fact that when you light the wick, you should be there for a while to enjoy it. The wicks themselves are cotton which has many benefits. You get a consistent flame, moderated temperature, and a cleaner burn with no drips or carbon deposits. Furthermore, soy does not release toxins into the air such as paraffin candles would.

The Vision and What’s Next

One day, Tracey had a friend over looking at her candles. The friend jokingly said, “do you have any common sense?” (scents - get it?!) And guess what? Tracey made one! She never rejects an opportunity to make a candle. She has the artistic ability to make a candle for any occasion, including weddings, fundraisers, birthdays, and other events! For a bride and groom to be she gets to know their personalities and transforms it into a candle that encapsulates their wedding day. This beautiful memory of union is then released whenever that candle is lit. The interrelation of scent and happy emotions is what Tracey replicates. Thus, customized candles are a passion for her and how she expresses her art. Currently she is also working on spring/summer fragrances, like watermelon! She also has been experimenting with the idea of floral candles and working with insets. Another ongoing project is using crackling wood wicks. She also will be carrying sleek mini tin candles soon! There’s a lot going on with Contagious Candles - so be sure to check in!

Kindness is Contagious

Now making candles is one thing but perfecting the aroma is a whole other level. This is an artist's skill that Tracey has developed over 15 years of devoted work. Not only can she invoke memories from her candles but she can actually extract those memories from you and transform them into a candle. It works both ways! This is because whatever you’re passionate about, Tracey is too. I had to ask Tracey, “how do you know when a candle is done?” and she stated, “my nose knows” and I believe it! As you readers may know I grew up in Clarksburg. Tracey created a candle customized for Clarksburg and when I smelled it, I could see myself walking downtown towards PJ Mart or Hindles.
Tracey’s favourite part about making candles is putting the label on at the end and guess why? Because that means the sense of enjoyment from the person receiving it is that much closer. Tracey is truly passionate about what she does and understands the intrinsic connection between memories and scent. Each candle has hygge and when you burn a Contagious Candle you will feel comfort, coziness, courage and peace. That’s because for Tracey “kindness is contagious”

Click here to shop Contagious Candles

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Market Chats

Market Chat - Sourceworks Ceramics

Inspiration for Sourceworks Ceramics

Where the Passion of Art Began...

Becoming a Colorist…

What is a colorist? Read more to find out!

How Sourceworks Ceramics Started...

Toronto to South Georgian Bay & GHAC

The Approaches Behind and Ahead for Sourceworks Ceramics...

Click here to shop Sourceworks Ceramics

Market Chat - Contagious Candles

Who is Contagious Candles?

Why Candles?

Why Soy and Cotton Wicks?

The Vision and What’s Next

Kindness is Contagious

Click here to shop Contagious Candles

Market Chats

Archives

Categories

Market Chats

Market Chat - Sourceworks Ceramics

Inspiration for Sourceworks Ceramics​

Where the Passion of Art Began...​

Becoming a Colorist…

What is a colorist? Read more to find out!​

How Sourceworks Ceramics Started...​

Toronto to South Georgian Bay & GHAC

The Approaches Behind and Ahead for Sourceworks Ceramics...​

Click here to shop Sourceworks Ceramics

Market Chat - Contagious Candles

Who is Contagious Candles?

Why Candles?

Why Soy and Cotton Wicks?​

The Vision and What’s Next​

Kindness is Contagious​

Click here to shop Contagious Candles

Market Chats

Archives

Categories

Inspiration for Sourceworks Ceramics

Where the Passion of Art Began...

What is a colorist? Read more to find out!

How Sourceworks Ceramics Started...

The Approaches Behind and Ahead for Sourceworks Ceramics...

Why Soy and Cotton Wicks?

The Vision and What’s Next

Kindness is Contagious