Featured Artist:
Local artist, Patty Dowler has been creating wonderful baskets using kelp since the 70's. In this photo you see her working on a bull kelp basket that involved several strands of kelp. At Richview House she has created "Kelp Art" for each of our rooms. In the Spoon Room you see the two "fish-like" creatures on the wall. They are made of Sea Palm and Kelp. In the Frog Room the sun-like piece above the bed headboard is made entirely of bull kelp and in the Garden Spa Room, Patty wove the kelp around old milk bottles for the bedside lamps.
"The best part of creating Kelp Baskets is the beach walking. At least half of my time is spent gathering material and enjoying the beautiful environment that we live in on southern Vancouver Island. The colours and texture of the Kelp and the "found" objects are inspirational. Each piece is unique.
The gathering time stretches from March to October so each year is a new beginning. I gather the Kelp when it is dry and has been on the beach for some time. I reconstitute it when I am ready to make a piece and after completion it sits on the porch to dry. I always apply a little lemon juice to highlight the colour.
You can visit my studio.when I am not at the beach!!"
With the wonderfully creative atmosphere in the Sooke area, it is no surprise that artists flourish in their many creative endeavors. But artists need the public to find them and to that end all visitors to the Sooke Region can use a local "self-guided tour" map. Everything from "Fused Glass" creations, stunning one-of-a-kind Wood Art by Aivars Logins to a Llama farm where you can visit the Llamas and see the wonderful wool they produce.
It is a wonderful tour where you will be amazed by the diversity of the talent in the Sooke region. If your time is somewhat limited, you can visit local Art Gallery's and the Sooke Region Museum where you will find interesting displays of the same artists and more!
