Maureen Wheeler
01/27/2010
Here we are in 2010. All the staff at the Breeze hope you had a great 2009, a great Christmas Season and exciting New Years…
Come into the Breeze and check out the new artwork, as well as the new artists…like:
Lynn Connor, Chris Wahlstrom, Chris Sadler, Marion Zaruk,
Heather E.(S) Armstrong and our very own staff member Suzanne Wright.
AND this week our front window…we’re all decked out for the upcoming olympic torch, coming through this Friday January 29th…2010.
“Go Canada Go”
Maureen Wheeler is a Quesnel artist working primarily in acrylics. She has been drawing and painting most of her life. Working for the city, she has done mural restorations and completed a large outdoor mural depicting the endangered Mountain Caribou. She designed “Sockeye Run at Likely” which was chosen to be made into the banner that hangs on light standards around the city. The Pacific Salmon Foundation also bought prints of the work, which depicts sockeye salmon in their spawning cycle, to auction at their various functions around BC. Maureen is a member of the Quesnel Art Gallery, and a regular participant in the annual August Art in the Market.
Here we are again coming up to the Christmas Season. We have loads for you to look at, from artists pictures to silver jewellery as well as beautiful diamond jewellery.
November 20th is our kick off the the Christmas Season. It’s are annual Moonlight Madness…We we will have in store specials as well as a Loose Canadian Diamond Event. Come in look around and enjoy the nice warm atmosphere.
We look forward to serving you. This is our second year as The Breeze Gold and Gallery….
From all the staff at
The Breeze Gold and Gallery
The Breeze celebrated this special 1st year anniversary on June 12th, 2009 with many wonderful people. A special thanks goes out to all the Artists, Family and Friends who attended this special event, and for all your support over this last year. We are excited to be here, to help you with all your gift giving ideas. Please come in and see all the new Artwork as well as our ever growing Jewellery lines.
Thank you from the staff at the Breeze Gold and Gallery. Have a wonderful Summer 
*PS*
Our Blogging posts are still under construction. Please bare with us, as we work on improving this part of our services to you.
Melanie Wasylyshen
05/03/2009
I’ve always like to be busy with my hands. I have been creating thing since childhood, and have always been encouraged by those closest to me. My inspiration has come from my very artistic family including my parents, my husband, my brother and both my grandmothers. Anything I can create with my hands, I enjoy, and have tried my hand at sewing, cooking, pottery, painting, photography, jewellery, soy candles, and glasswork.Creating pieces of art is a powerful experience. I get lost in creating. The colors, shapes and textures of things I can work with inspire me. Even if I am not making something, I enjoy just looking at my treasures and wondering what the possibilities are.
Here at the breeze we are very excited at the response this talented local artist is getting with her Infused Glass Jewellery, as well as her plates and coffee coasters, and her flattened wine bottles which can be used as a cheese tray. To see this new line of product come into the Breeze Gold and Gallery and see for yourself, and while you are there check out all the other local artists products and new arrivals.
Joan Ramsey Harker
03/24/2009
Kona Flower Seller
Blog March 21, 2009
It’s Saturday afternoon, and contrary to the prevailing economic mood – or at least contrary to the prevailing economic propaganda – it’s busy at The Breeze. Maybe people are invigorated by the warm spring wind and strolling the downtown streets with an optimistic eye on things. Or maybe the new Breeze Website is drawing them down to our shop. (Thanks to Amy Q. and Sundance T. for their great work setting everything up.)
I mention the busy day as a quick excuse for not getting at this blog more often. The problem is not that there is nothing to talk about, but to find time to talk about it. Between Lonnie, Stan, and Suzanne, we should start forming better work habits about this pretty soon. One of the things we plan to do is pass along some informational segments – anything from “How we size rings or set stones?” to “What makes a Canadian diamond unique?” to “How does a person properly care for an oil painting?”
Those of you who already know everything need not want to waste your time on such details.
What’s new? Lots of stuff. Kameleon and Pandora keep attracting attention as new pieces arrive. Our jewelery sales reps should be coming through Quesnel soon, which will make for even more sparkling surprises.
And then there’s Joan Ramsey Harker. She’s brought us about a half dozen new pieces, and every one is a bit of a surprise. It seems to me that she’s on a roll, creatively speaking, and everything that she tries turns out beautiful! I must try to pin her down long enough to talk to me soon, and I’ll blog you later….
PS….Please bear with us, as we are still learning to add photos to our Blogs, and Blogs to our photos…
Kameleon Jewellery
03/08/2009
Kameleon Jewellery is now at The Breeze…..Interchangeable Jewel pops make it easy to match any outfit regardless of color. Whether you like pink , blue, red or green. Sterling Silver Jewellery, Earring, Pendant, Rings and much more….
“FLUX” at Two Rivers Gallery
02/25/2009
Now showing at the Two Rivers Gallery in Prince George is a collective show titled “Flux”, featuring Judy Crannis – a talented Quesnel artist whose work you can also find here at The Breeze.
Judy Crannis is a Quesnel quilt maker and fabric artist. She is passionate about quilts and her work speaks of strong feelings on traditional family morals and values, as well as filling her creative needs.
She has attended International Quilt Conventions in Vancouver, Edmonton, Saskatchewan and Pennsylvania, attended Island Mountain Arts in Wells, and taken classes with Wendy Lewington Coultor, Valerie Hearder, Pam Godderis and Diane Jensen.
Her awards include: Viewers Choice, Top 10 in Prince George Regional Art Show in 2000, and Judges Choice at Quilt Canada in 2007.
“Flux” is on display currently and will be showing through May 10, 2009 at the Two Rivers Gallery. You can find directions, and admission information here.
Fresh art for February
02/21/2009
I just wanted to share some fantastic new pieces currently showing at The Breeze. The new year has brought with it many new works which is very exciting for us.
Artist :: Bert De Vink
Artist :: Judy Crannis
Potter :: Marie Nestel
Artist :: Paula Scott
Images Copyright 2009 All rights reserved.
Introducing Anna Ashcroft
02/21/2009
Anna Ashcroft is a new exhibitor at The Breeze, and I thought I would introduce you to her this week. Anna lives in Quesnel, and presently works full time as a sculptor in her home based studio gallery. Anna attended the Kootenay School of Art in the 1970′s majoring in applied design, and after years of working in graphic design she has now returned to her first love – sculpting.
Anna says of her work:
” I am primarily a figurative sculptor, currently obsessed with stone. I like the way the material itself influences the piece – the original shape suggests the image within, and as flaws, cracks or veins are revealed they are incorporated into the flow of the emerging sculpture. The final texture and colour is only revealed after Tung Oil is applied and is always a surprise.
My pieces are subjective statements. Like an anthropologist of my own life and culture, I am exploring themes that have an intimate quality to them. These themes have appeared in my life again and again, forcing me to look more closely at them.”
Anna’s award winning piece (pictured above) “If Summer Was a Woman” toured BC’s interior galleries with ArtFest 2005, a showcase for emerging artist of the BC Central Interior and is now available at the Breeze. We are very privileged and grateful to have Anna sharing her work with us. These are just a few of the pieces currently showing at the Breeze, so be sure to stop by to see more of Anna’s fabulous work.
introducing Katja Kovanen
02/21/2009
This week I wanted to introduce you to Katja Kovanen, one of the artists whose work is a part of The Breeze Gold and Gallery. Katja’s work is stunning, and her sense of colour and style are fantastic.
I interviewed Katja a little about her work and process and here is the results of that interview:
Can you tell us a little bit about your background as it relates to your work or how you came to be doing what you are doing now?
I took two years of study at the Kootenay School of the Arts in Nelson. My studio was Jewellery & Small Object Design, but they also had classes such as Drawing and Design. I was making beaded jewellery prior to going and wanted to be able to do more, but I still like making the beaded items. I learned how to do the silver work and the most important thing I learned was how to draw. It’s good for designing jewellery pieces and just a good skill to have.
What inspires you when you are creating?
Everything. Sometimes I just cut pictures out of magazines like National Geographic and draw whatever the picture makes me think of, then try to make it into a jewellery design. I try to find designs in everything, but especially nature.
What kinds of materials do you like to work with the most and why?
I like it all. Especially when I get new beads, that’s always fun. I currently use semi-precious stones and glass, but if I could find the right beads out of other materials, I’d like to use those too. It’s just a matter of finding the right materials. I really like the silver work,too, but am not doing as much with it right now as I would like.
Do you have a favorite piece of work?
I really like my flowers made out of silver. I’m planning on doing more of those. And my silver tree, I really love that.
What kinds of things are you pursuing for the future of your business? How do you hope to see it grow?
I hope to take a web design course so I can update my own website. Right now my sister designed my web site, but if I want to change anything I have to go through her, which is difficult since she’s in Ontario. With the internet, I hope to be able to reach more people and hopefully sell more items. Right now, I have a website, but it doesn’t display all my work. I hope to continue with both the beaded and silver work, but come up with more and better designs. It’s a fun job and I’m glad to have a place like The Breeze to sell in.
Thank you Katja for sharing your story with us! If you would like to see more of Katja’s work you can check out her website here, and of course you can always find her designs at the Breeze.
