Heather Goldminc wears a broad smile and her eyes come alive as she describes her art.
“It’s a labour of love,” she said. “I always want to see if my ideas can spark enough excitement in people as they do in my head.”
Since childhood, the clay artist has been fascinated with colours, textures and shapes.
Rows of plastic containers filled with glaze line the shelves of her studio. Nearby a drafting board holds a pencil sketch, the place her ideas first take physical form. And her chair bears the marks of hundreds of past creations.
Her father, Vic Gilbert, bought her a kiln when she was 21.
“I began my business right then and there,” said Goldminc, now 49.
In her studio her sculptures are handmade. She also designs pieces to be produced commercially and many are sold in Costco stores around the globe.
She sculpts whimsical tea lights, wall art, Christmas decorations, Renaissance stoneware rings and more. The beauty of Vancouver Island inspires her.
Goldminc said her business is very grassroots and family-oriented. Her father and mother, Duff, stop by to help with events and her fiancé, Will Bottoms, creates all the wood pieces her clay sculptures rest on.
“We work really hard, but it’s a beautiful working environment,” she said.
The open house at Clayworks Studio, located at 7060 Arbutus Cres., is Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 3-4) from noon to 5 p.m. The event features displays of her work, mulled cider and coffee and a pop-up bakery with sourdough breads, cinnamon buns and other tasty creations visitors can purchase.
People can also jaunt through a pumpkin patch, which was donated by McNab’s Corn Maze and Produce Farm, and select one for a donation. The money raised goes to the Canadian Red Cross to support Syrian refugees coming to Canada. Studio visitors are also encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item for Loaves and Fishes.
reporter2@nanaimobulletin.com
