The Gallery at Rossland Gardens is hosting a "Meet the Maker" series featuring makers of fine art and craft from all across Canada, and this week, it features Amherst Island resident and textile artist Jackie Sylvester.
Sylvester has a wide variety of creative processes within her art, including weaving, felting, sculpture, and assembling textiles in different forms. Sylvester makes unique pieces, always being one-of-a-kind, and some including wearable art accessories, she says.
Being a resident of Amherst Island, Sylvester makes the most out of the wildlife found on the island, especially within her own property. She uses leaves, berries, petals, bark, and other natural dye material to make contact prints. These are prints directly from forms of nature, making the patterns and the art itself even more unique.
Sylvester explains the range of work she can do with just wool, for example.
"I can make pieces lightweight, and supple, and luminous, and cobwebby, and I can make pieces that are really durable; all out of wool. So every piece is unique," said Sylvester.
Ross Stuart and his wife Darlene Martin-Stuart, both professional artisans, moved to Amherst Island in 2016. In 2019, they repurposed a small building on their property to create a unique showroom for their respective works. The couple the began to spread awareness of their gallery to their collectors across North America, but in 2020, the pandemic hit.
Like many other Canadians, Ross and Darlene were essentially forced to put their businesses on hold. For the next three years, they focused on restoring their buildings and their property and carefully considered their options for a future with COVID-19 and climate change.
In 2023, they officially re-launched their business, and curated original works of twenty renowned makers of fine art and craft from across Canada. The Gallery at Rossland Gardens currently features original handmade art and artisanal products.
Darlene Martin-Stuart explains their "Meet the Maker" series.
“All artists and artisans involved were invited to participate in The Gallery at Rossland Gardens’ ‘Meet the Maker’ series, an opportunity to make horizontal connections with people who appreciate original, unique, handmade works. A big piece of being successful as a professional artist or artisan is developing relationships with patrons of the arts. It is one thing to see work you love in a gallery and take it home, it is a much deeper experience to meet the person behind the work and understand their process, hear their story, and understand their passion," said Martin-Stuart.
"This opportunity helps artists and artisans make lasting connections and often turns a one time purchaser into a long time collector. It is absolutely the most important aspect of doing right by the wonderfully interesting and creative people we represent,” added Martin-Stuart.
She explained how artist relationships are very important.
“It’s a step back to a time where quality, originality and personalized service are valued. The quaint setting on an old farmstead with beautiful surroundings and a personal touch really complete the experience for everyone. It fosters an appreciation of traditional techniques and fine craftsmanship. It is a slow, contemplative process of discovery, learning and connection. This is what give us meaning and purpose; it aligns with our philosophy and core values not only as artisans but also as gallerists," said Martin-Stuart.
"We know the people we represent personally and we want to give them the best opportunity we possibly can to foster relationships that will help them continue doing what they do,” said Martin-Stuart.
This will be the fourth installment of the series so far.
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