Browsing “The Proof”

A strangely-shaped rock, an abandoned memento, a tattered boot, a lonely stump…these are not the things ordinary people seek to find, but then Soizick Meister is no ordinary person. Always on the lookout for natural or discarded oddities, these objects become the backbone behind the latest whimsy in Soizick’s paintings.
Having known Soizick for several years now, I can say with certainty that she has more kick in her step than my friends in their mid-twenties. No doubt it is the 60 years of sunshine, long seaside walks and the steady diet of raw carrots and broccoli that accounts for this!
Though her curious paintings tell a dreamy story, set in the most tranquil beautiful of places, Soizick herself is far from fluffy and timid.  It is perhaps this wonderful and fiery tenacity that I enjoy most about her. Never kowtowing to the dotted-line, Soizick certainly marches to the beat of her own drum; a beat that has lead her across the world time and time again – seeking out the extraordinary.
Nothing is ever unoriginal and no moment is ever dull.
- Pennylane Shen

The Proof

01  V for Vancouver, the city, my family and I moved to 12 years ago from Switzerland. We are now a part of the Vancouver community and happy to live here. I shot this picture from Burrard Bridge.

02 I am an early bird and I usually have my breakfast at 7AM in a coffeshop downtown. I always have my camera in y pocket giving me the opportunity to shoot morning sceneries like this beautiful one

03 This is Albert, my husband, walking on Long Beach, Tofino. He is always ready to play my model as Mr. M and to pose for a picture even if the situation is tricky!  No worries the bear was okay after the shooting. Thank you Photoshop.

04 I collect “things” I find anywhere: rusty metal caps, driftwood, stones, used books aso…. They are all over my house telling me their stories.  I made the little paper house with written messages on the walls to use it as a model for one of my paintings.

05 I love buying sketchbooks in a variety of sizes and shapes with different covers which I usually personalize. They are important in my creative process and I always have one by my side, wherever I go. It is like a secret garden full of little notes, thoughts, pictures and drawings.

06 This is one of my paintings with Mr. M sitting on a log at English Bay Beach. I have been painting this Character for many years and when I moved from Switzerland to Vancouver, Mr. M became a transplant from somewhere else a traveller in both mind and space, pursuing the sometimes conflicting pleasures of exploration and the wish to put down roots.

07 Here I am in my studio/home where I spend most of my time, surrounded by my books, brushes, paints, laptop and music. I feel so lucky to live and work in this beautiful place with a view on Burrard Inlet and the mountains.

08 For the painting exhibition: “The red Thread” I made this big red rope ball used in the gallery window to symbolize the show. The meaning of the red thread idiom is a Chinese belief about the connection linking human beings to one another.  I really believe without true relationships, friendships and love we are nothing.

The Questions

What neighborhood do you live in?
I live on 13th Avenue and Alma, a very nice street lined with cherry trees.

What do you do and where?
I am an artist/illustrator. I work as self-employed from my studio/house.

What are you working on?
I am working on a new series of paintings for my next exhibition.

Where can we find your work?
You can follow my work on www.soizimage.com  and on Facebook.

It is hard to pin point exactly what Kenny does for a living. Although he is the creative director of eighteen karat, his passion for art, nature and love extend into everything he does. After attending Emily Carr University, a year in London, UK we left the city to re-connect with nature. We wanted to raise our kids with their hands in the dirt and attempt to be as sustainable as we could on the West coast. His photos kind of look like he has the life of an eight year old and that’s because his energy for life and all things he creates is just as infectious as a kid’s. I don’t think his mind ever stops dreaming up things he can create or experience and I feel pretty lucky to be around that kind of passion. He puts just as much energy and attention into his garden as he does his paintings and when he’s giving that much love out to the earth, you can’t help kinda love him back. Being married to Kenny is being married to a way of life, a creative ball of energy and we’re working hard at instilling that into our kids and the nature around us.

- Katie Sweeting

The Proof
01 An existing tree fort on our property, which of course Kenny and Uncle Erik spend more time in than our son.

02 Painting room in the studio, which is a good hundred year old original home on the property that we turned into a studio/wine drinking cabin.

03 Our eldest, Ewan, painting with daddy, clearly in daddy’s shirt.

04 A painting from the series ” The Journey,” showing April 12th at 18KARAT on South Granville.

05 The wife, pregnant at the time with our daughter, Mable, in front of our chicken coop that grandpa built for us. He gets a lot of free eggs as payment.

06 Another shot of the studio and the fireplace that warms our feet and gladdens our hearts.

07 Walking in the forest by the salmon baring creek, behind the studio with Ewan, who loves being outside rain or shine (or snow, and more rain).

08 Year one of canning, growing, pickling and gathering all things homemade.

The Questions

What neighborhood do you live in?
I live in and around Fort Langley. A little bit country, a whole lot of nature as I am surrounded by a green belt of trees and creeks.

What do you do and where?
I am the Creative Director of 18KARAT. I am a Graphic Designer, Artist and Product Designer. I love making things!

What are you working on?
Right now I am working on the seeds of 2013 spring/summer line for Eighteen Karat and a new series of paintings initially inspired by a beet. Beets are good!

Where can we find your work?
You can hit up 18KARAT on South Granville or online or come for a visit in the studio. Maybe call first. We have a big gate for times we feel like being hermits.

Tif works and plays hard, she’s up at the crack of dawn and stays up late into the evening provided you keep her hooked into a steady line of coffee.  I’ve been with her for nearly eight years and I’m still constantly surprised by her spontaneous initiatives. Furthermore her smile is infectious and I’ve yet to meet anyone who hasn’t gravitated to her and her energy immediately.

A complete risk taker and adventurous to the bone both professionally and in her personal life, being around Tif is quite simply a lot of fun.  If I had to put a label to her personality I’d call her a Weekend Explorer rather than Weekend Warrior – she’s always seeking out new things to try out or see with a devotion bordering on mania.  Since graduating as a Botanist she’s travelled extensively worldwide and held a seemingly eclectic array of professional designations.

All that aside though, clothing is clearly her passion and it shows with her latest label, Bangers and Mash.  I’ve been waiting for years for a mens line from her as her women’s lines have been made with such care and consideration for her client’s comfort that I was candidly jealous (not so far as to try anything on mind you!) but enough to be very happy to see her open up to us guys.  It was worth the wait as she’s put together what I would call her crowning achievement to date.  The new line is not only trendy and fun, but she’s spent nearly a year refining it into a sophisticated blend of fashion, comfort, and performance that is meeting with rave reviews.  Quite simply – she’s got game, I can’t wait to see what comes next!
- Owen Lambert

The Proof

01 This is the view from my eastside studio.

02 First day in our 2200sqft studio. Didn’t quite know what to do with the space at first as it was 4x the size of my condo.

03 Tyson is a rescue from the Animal Protection Society in Richmond.  He is a terror.

04 Bob is a rescue from the Vancouver Animal Shelter on Raymur.  He loves food.  My suspicion is that Bob and Tyson are tight but I’ve never been privy to this.  However, I did catch them spooning once…

05 I have a weird obsession to take pics of food everywhere I go.  This is a pic of the namesake of Bangers & Mash.  It was the first meal I had after the first day of our tradeshow launch in Vegas.

06 This pic was taken by a good friend of mine on a chilly day in Vancouver. This guy definitely lives by our philosophy of work hard, play harder!

07 I love this picture of my god-daughter – it just makes me laugh everytime

08 This is my favorite picture of Owen when he was five living in Africa.  I still get this look – some things never change.

The Questions

What neighborhood do you live in?
I live in Coal Harbour and its just awesome for a dog owner – the seawall is just steps away and there are plenty of green parks close by.  I watched all the buildings around me go up, pretty amazing how this neighborhood has changed in a short 10 years.

What do you do and where?
I am a clothing designer and I just recently turned my focus on my guys line, Bangers & Mash.  I commute back and forth from my home office and my Strathcona studio.

What are you working on?
I think to be a indie designer you have to have a little A.D.D.  I’m doing sales, adjusting prototypes, finalizing and grading patterns, organizing production (made here in Vancouver), and starting to think about Spring/Summer 2013.

Where can we find your work?
Bangers & Mash is in its infancy so our distribution is still growing.  You can find us in boutiques in the US and in Japan or online at www.bangersandmashgear.com

Sara is the only person on the face of the planet who can make me laugh so hard that I pee my pants. She is chilled out and down to earth, and even a little bit shy at first, so if you only met her once, you’d never believe that she regularly dances around her house singing in nonsensical dialects and made up accents.
Language is truly her gift. She has never been afraid to say anything to anyone. When she was young enough to be wearing pink onesies with feet in them our dad complimented her jumpsuit. Without a trace of fear she responded, “It’s not a jumpsuit you jerk.”
Imagination, conversation and an intuitive cultural sense continue to be some of her finest traits. It is no wonder that she has become a fantastic freelance writer. She has been dedicated to developing her craft for more than a decade. Her English degree from UBC and her fluency in several languages seem only natural given her early and prolific ability to communicate with the world around her. I am truly in awe and a little jealous of my sister.
–Benjamin Tollestrup

The Proof

01 I love that Vancouver is only 90 minutes away from one of the most beautiful places in the world –Halfmoon Bay. I’m fortunate that my grandpa had the foresight to buy land there in the 1940′s.

02 Almost every day I have veggie juice for breakfast:
2 red beets
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
1 apple
4 kale leaves
a loonie-sized chunk of ginger

03 I’ve had nine months of pregnancy and one month of raising a newborn to realize that I’m a mom, but it’s still a bit surreal. Now toys like this knit RCMP doll are all over my house.

04 No matter how old I get, I still feel like a 4 year old when I cross the suspension bridge at Lynn Canyon. I love the massive cedar trees that line the trail to 30 Foot pool too. (Chris Owen photo)

05 Finch’s on Pender has the best sandwiches in the city. My two favourite menu items are the Pear, Brie and Prosciutto baguette and the Gypsy Salami baguette. It’s also a great place for people watching because everyone from grannies and hipsters to suits and bike couriers eat lunch there.

06 My husband Chris says the answer to every question is six. I laugh and roll my eyes when he says stuff like that, but truthfully I love even the most ridiculous things he says and does.

07 This is the most recent addition to our art collection and the best Christmas gift I’ve ever been given. Ben Tour is so talented. It’s also pretty rad that he lives and works in Gibsons not far from Halfmoon Bay.

08 The chairlift at Mt. Seymour doubles as an office and a place of refuge for me. Some days I use the time to answer emails on my phone. Other days I just stare at the snow-covered trees and breathe in the mountain air. (Chris Owen photo)

The Questions
What neighborhood do you live in?
Lynn Valley – born and raised, and I have watched it change in many ways. It blows my mind that the ugly pastel homes I grew up around are now million dollar fixer-uppers, but I love that the woods I played in as a little girl still surround the area.

What do you do and where?
I am a freelance writer and copy editor. I  also do some social media and marketing.  My workspace is wherever my laptop is whether that is my kitchen table, a cabin in the mountains or the Langdale ferry.

What are you working on?
My husband and I had a son just over a month ago, so these days most of my time is dedicated to raising Julien. With a baby in one arm and one hand free to type, I’m working on stories for the 2012-13 issues of Snowboard Magazine, Snowboard Canada Women’s Annual and whatever Lifetime Collective throws my way. For fun I’m contemplating/dismissing the idea of starting my own blog and learning to shoot various film cameras in my husband’s collection.

Where can we find your work?
www.snowboardmag.com and the print editions of the aforementioned publications. Lifetime Collective’s zine #2 is coming out next month along with their Spring ’12 line and  www.lifetimecollective.com.

“Gayle is a professional artist who is very committed to her craft. She attended Emily Carr University immediately after graduating high school. Her determined attitude got her in many exhibitions and she had two solo shows by age 23. That year, 2010, she painted herself into getting tendinitis. Her main passion is for painting, but it doesn’t end there. When it comes to picking music I can always rely on her to get some great tunes from any decade. She’s always had an innate talent for music, and even writes and sings for our band. Although at first she was too timid to sing in front of just me, when she gets on stage now she can interact with a crowd of strangers and create a positive atmosphere. Even though she works so hard at keeping herself busy she always has time for the people around her. She’s a happy and confident woman, and her assertive attitude has a certain friendly warmth to it.

Even though we have a lot in common when it comes to personality, it seems like she has a different perspective on the world around her. I can’t say I’m shocked at the way she can solve problems sometimes. Being in a relationship with Gayle is quite the experience. Her wit and charm always keep me laughing, and I’m happy to have her as my best friend.”
-Justin Symonds

The Proof

01 This is a piece that I painted live for a charity event. Its Justin’s eye.

02 Justin and I at a recording studio while waiting for our band  “No one like you” to be edited. We are half the members of The Strangest Days. You can download it for free here: www.reverbnation.com/thestrangestdays .

03 Here is my best friend at Buntzen Lake Reservoir (my favourite place in the GVRD). We loved to hike up the mountains and in the summer swim together there. He had an amazing presence that I will always hold dear to my heart. Bear Arnold 2001-2012.

04 Here I am with my mom, dad, brothers, and their girlfriends. I’m the baby of the Arnold family (my dad was the youngest of his generation as well). My big brothers mean the world to me.

05 My amazing parents. This photo was taken in Maui on a family holiday. They are two of the most gentle and loving people I know. They started with nothing and worked their butts off to become extremely successful and I am proud to have them as my parents.

06 This is my cat, Kitten, in my studio. As you can see, he is a great model.

07 Here is a shot of one of my storage shelves in my studio. My novels, sketchbooks, oil and acrylic paints and mediums are shown.

08 Here is a shot of my band, The Strangest Days. I am blessed to be in a band with three very talented individuals. Photo by Derrick Chesterton.

The Questions

What neighborhood do you live in?
I live in Coquitlam, a suburb of East of Vancouver.

What do you do and where?.
I work from home as a Professional Artist, but I have started a second occupation as “Art teacher” in Vancouver (multitasking is something I’ve always enjoyed). My second solo exhibition Regardez-Moi was completed during a residency in Montréal, and I was in a group exhibition in Toronto. I would like to continue showing around Canada.

What are you working on?
Commissions, organizing and participating in events, teaching, leading the band to a record and more gigs, and a series about fashion marketed to China.

Where can we find your work?
Art: www.gaylearnold.com
www.facebook.com/gaylearnoldTSD    
Music: www.reverbnation.com/thestrangestdays

Ashley Forshaw is an experienced, enthusiastic and passionate makeup artist practising her craft in the Vancouver area. She is proficient in all aspects of makeup application from fashion to airbrushing to prosthetics.

Her experience includes makeup for movies, weddings,  promotional campaigns and magazine articles to name a few.

She loves sharing her knowledge and is currently an instructor at Blanche MacDonald School.

Her most recent special project was a year long effort creating a series of photo shoots which she incorporated into a dayplanner that was sold to raise funds for the ALS Society of Canada. (www.adreamcometrueforals.com)

When not pursuing her desire to learn and practice all aspects of makeup, she is an eager outdoors enthusiast as she loves to snowboard and skateboard.
Dance is also an interest as shown by her involvement in both hip hop and Zumba classes.

The Proof
01 My work is all about painting the body and face. In an average week there is always one nude model in my house.
This model was painted to show the animals effected in the BP oil spill.

02 My Inspiration board, without this I would never get anything done, or at least never get anything done well.

03  I also create small prosthetic makeups, and in order to do this it is necessary to take a life cast of the model or actor.
This image is a stone replica of an actresses face. From this I created a fake nose and chin, that was applied to the actress.

04 Last year I created a 2012 calendar for the ALS Society of Canada. I produced 13 images all based around fairytales.
This is one of my favourite makeup. Face prosthetic, head to toe body paint, fake teeth, and a fuzzy fur texture covering the full body.

05 Some of my brushes, without these my work would look quite rough. It’s like being an online editor without a computer.

06 In addition to designing and creating the face and body makeups for the models, I also created the skirts. I am no fashion designer. My skill with fabric, consists of duck tape, fabric glue and chicken wire, but surprisingly one would never know.

07 In action. This was a body paint I designed for the Vancouver IMATS show. when you wore the appropriate 3D glasses, all of the organs appeared to come out from the body

08 A great combination of all things makeup. Beauty makeup, prosthetics, paint, and contact lenses.

The Questions
What neighbourhood do you live in?
I live in North Vancouver

What do you do and where?
I am a makeup artist and body painter. I work freelance all over B.C. as well I am an airbrush instructor at Blanche Macdonald Centre for applied design.

What are you working on?
Currently, I am designing a body paint for a competition in Florida

Where can we find your work?
www.fairytalesforals.com
http://www.facebook.com/ashley.forshaw
http://gallery.me.com/ashleyforshaw#100008
www.canadiantalentfarm.com
Google Me.

“Binge work lifestyle and international wanderlust.  Fine single malt and champagne powder. Lil Wayne as business coach, Burning Man as spiritual home town.  If you squint, you can see elements of design theory in a life lived like this one. Contrast, texture, asymmetric balance, negative space; I wish he’d clean the goddamn office fridge.”
- Andrew Simpson  - partner in crime.

The Proof

01 This is the view onto Pender street from one of our windows at The Still Brandworks. We are in the 101 year old Duncan Building in Gastown. I like things with history and legend behind them. I’ve also spent a lot of time building this company.

02 This is something I recently worked on! 8 pound, hand blown, gold / silver inlayed, hand calligraphed and engraved special bottlings of scotch and tequila. They were gifts for our clients this Christmas. Each one has immensely thick glass walls to transmit the colour of the spirit they contain.

03 I love riding bikes up, especially down and also in the general vicinity of mountains. In the last few years, I’ve gotten into touring as well as downhill mountain biking. This was something I had wanted to do since I was a kid. This is a photo of me by Ben Taft.

04 This is my 26 year old triathlon race bike, “Dave Scott”. I do not do triathlons. I found her on Craigslist two summers ago and rigged some saddle bags onto her for touring. Since then I’ve ridden / hobo camped all over the Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island. Last summer I spent a month cruising around the islands of Croatia. Hence the speargun.

05 I think I’ve been snowboarding for 17 years now and it is one of my great loves. Snowboarding has defined much of …READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY>>>

I met Kevin in art school 14 years ago. His face was pierced in 3 places and I wasn’t too sure what to make of him, really. Except that I was curious to learn more. I remember all of our first casual conversations and I can’t say that about anyone else in my life. To think, I married that guy 6 years later…I would never suggest it was love at first sight, but I suppose my intuition always knew he’d be an important part of my life. And that’s a gift in itself.

I’m really one of the lucky ones and met him early and boy, did I find a good one too! Never a day goes by that he doesn’t surprise me with his sharp wit, charm and absolute creative talent. He’s an idea guy (a curious one) and will try just about anything once, otherwise the thought of NOT doing it, plagues him. And me, as a result.

2.5 years ago while riding his bike home, a car hit him. A scarier time there never was for either of us. When you’re hit in the face with that amount of reality – it can ONLY change you. Since then Kevin’s become much more spontaneous, fueled with a renewed sense of adventure and craving new experiences. Always the avid mountain biker, he’s recently signed up for the 7-day BC Bike Race this June. I’m so proud of him and his love of life and how much he embraces his ideas and passions.

He’s definitely a good guy to have around. I love how much he reminds me of that, everyday.
Love, Mélanie Kimmett (his adoring wife)

The Proof
01 This is me and my wife Mélanie.  She’s my best friend, the love of my life, a truly phenomenal designer and illustrator and the reason we moved to Vancouver in the first place.

02 This is our cat Charlie, he’s always trying to cheer us up on those gloomy Vancouver days.

03 When I’m not on my bike or in front of a computer you can always find me covered with dirt at our plot in the Oak & 16th Community Garden.  These are carrots from my garden I planted way too close together.  I liked the way they fused together and created an exhibition of this vegetable oddity.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevinkimmett/sets/72157624467054559/

04 Enjoying the mind-bending spectacle of Animal Collective on stage at Coachella 2011.  We love multi-day music festivals, this was the 4th Coachella we have been to together. Music is always a part of my day – from when I first wake up to when I go to sleep at night.

05 Friends – check! Discreetly hidden drinks – check! Giant inflated outdoor movie screen featuring the classic film Ghostbusters – CHECK!  More than 2000 people gathered for the second annual Outdoor Movie Night in Yaletown on a 40’ x 20’ BIG screen.

06 I used to work in Toronto before relocating to Vancouver 6 years ago.  I still have a lot of conference calls with the old CBC team so I made this stuffed toy (as an effigy of myself) to ensure the team would never forget me.  He was named Lil’Kev and rumour has it he’s been put in many compromising positions.

07 BIKES! I love to ride.  When we first moved out here I signed myself up to the Summer Gravity Camp in Whistler – 6 days of DH – pure heaven.  I also commute to work, everyday.  When friends and family in Ontario ask how many times a year that is and I say 5 days a week for all 12 months of the year, I still think that they don’t believe me.  This year I signed up for the 2012 BC Bike Race, it’s 30km a day for 7 days all off-road!

08 My office workstation at CBC Vancouver.  I try and keep it nice and tidy – the mirror is so that no one can sneak up to jack me with a sock full of pennies while I’m absorbed in music/design.

The Questions
What neighborhood do you live in?
Just on the border of Shaughnessy.  (Oak & 16th)

What do you do and where?
I’m Senior Designer for the Digital Product Development team with CBC Media Operations & Technology.  We are a small team doing some big work. By exploring the ever changing and emerging media landscape we define ways for the CBC to better serve its audience through digital products and services including mobile, social media, advertising, and user interface/user experience. (i.e. I designed the first EVER CBC Radio and Hockey Night in Canada iPhone apps!)

What are you working on?
At work – Web and mobile apps, Connected Television, Second Screen interface and user experience research.  At home – my new web site, planning my garden, the ever growing pile of magazines and books, episodes of Mad Men/Breaking Bad/Dexter and training for the 2012 BC Bike Race.

Where can we find your work?
www.kevinkimmett.com!  Or you can google my name to see all of my social media endeavours.