Category: Makers Stories

Sharon Ho – Ceramics and Assemblage, Optimism and Co. Sharon Ho is a contemporary ceramic and assemblage artist whose works express movement and life through hand built, organic forms. Vessels are bulbous, ripe with possibility and invite holding. Surfaces suggest fluidity, relying on undulating hand built texture and softly layered glazes to reflect light in […]

Mary Jane Elgin – Ceramics and Classes, Orcas Island. Mary Jane’s ceramics evoke the natural world and are reminiscent of the Arts and Crafts movement with pierced, sculptural, textured surfaces finished with earth and plant colored glazes. She is actively involved with the Orcas Artworks Coop Gallery in Olga and co-leads the annual Orcas Artist […]

Maria Bullock – Swamp Sticks, Grower / Weaver, Orcas Island. Maria lovingly grows and harvest over 20 varieties of colorful basketry willow on the Bullock’s Permaculture Homestead. With a keen eye for color and pattern, she harvest the willows once a year, sorts by color and size, and then designs the style, pattern and colors […]

Nik Shulz – Two Hands Furniture, Design and Manufacturing, Orcas Island. Nik’s goal with Two Hands Furniture is to design and build exceptional furniture and housewares. All of his pieces are created with high-quality materials, including island grown woods, and are made-to-order or built in small batches on Orcas Island. Some of the pieces are […]

Margaret Schafer – Ibis Element Jewelry, Orcas Island.   Margaret’s unique handmade jewelry recalls styles of antiquity but remains modern.  She uses the lost wax casting method, also known by its French name, “cire perdue”. This method involves carving an object out of wax and then replacing the wax with metal. All of the designs […]

Zackarya Leck – Blacksmith and Sculptor, Orcas Island. Having grown up in a creative household – blacksmith father, textile artist mother – Zack has always been engaged with the making of things both practical and artistic.  He started blacksmithing after watching his dad at work in the backyard and during high school began receiving commissions […]

Fall is a great time for learning about local food and supporting island farms. As we move into Thanksgiving after the successful Farm Tour events, ‘where’ our food comes from becomes an increasingly relevant conversation. Recognizing Island Farm Heroes is a good way to help support our local food system – and ensure the future […]