THE RAVE'N'IRON (Intuitive Urban Art)
Location:
Hours of Business:
Phone:
Web Address:
Store closed but home studio continutes operation, with products available online
www.theraveniron.com
Chosen for:
Using Reclaimed Steel to Make Art
Supporting Local Artisans
Local Products - always something new!
On Saturday, February 3rd, 2007, Grapevine participants entered The Rave'N'Iron, a shop just inside the main gates of historic Market Square. This month the surprise was on us – because neither owner was on site!
Assistant Jessica has worked in the shop since the business opened in May of 2006 and so was able to give participants an educational tour. Meanwhile, Barbara filled owner Tim Andrew in via his cordless phone - that unfortunately did not have speaker mode to allow Grapeviners to hear his excitement.
In contrast to the metal sculpture, delicate
glass ornaments reflect light from the
window
- all photos by Tony Parker
Tim and his business-and-life-partner Giselle Duval are artists living in Metchosin. Like the artisans whose work is on display, they create their art at home.
Initially, Tim and Giselle sold their artwork at craft fairs, where they met seven years ago. "She offered me a cool drink on a hot day," says Tim ... and the rest is history. Eventually the couple decided to open their own shop and support themselves and other artists like those they'd befriended on the local market circuit.
Even on this rainy Saturday, Rave'N'Iron was bright with two sides in floor-to-ceiling glass and well-placed overhead lighting. Giselle designed the welcoming space with display items interestingly grouped and lit. In one corner of the shop, a video screen silently showed the featured artists at work on the very objects for sale.
Displays change constantly. Currently, Rave'N'Iron features five metal workers, two glass workers, a clay sculptor, four photographers, a Jamaican doll-maker, and some graphic artists.
The artists all live in Victoria or the Gulf Islands. One artist a month is invited to be featured in the shop. The owners encourage them to have openings and give them a $250 ad in Focus magazine that complements the Rave'N'Iron ad.
Tim fell in love with metal-working when he and his father made a knife out of a railroad spike when Tim was 12 years old. He did aircraft sheet metal work for five years before going into tool and die work for another six years. Since 1998, he has been self-employed as a metal worker. Tim makes stained glass and metal-edged pieces - . cleverly dubbing them 'T'-lites (think 'Tim-lites') because they're made for displaying with a candle behind them.
All metalworks are made of reclaimed steel, supporting the
store's desire to Reclaim, Sustain, Remain.
"The planet we live on has a core of molten iron some 4,000
miles in diameter, or about half that of the earth itself."
(Quote from Rave'N'Iron business card)
With a background in antique furniture restoration, banking and interior design, entrepreneur Giselle has had small businesses in handmade journal-making and hand-painted clothing. She is a self-taught artisan in jewelry design, fine metalwork, oil stick pastel, clay, graphics, and fabrics. Her work is displayed in pendants, belt buckles, funky clocks and pastels throughout the shop. Somehow she manages to run both the gallery and a home.
Here are just some of the items that particularly caught our eye: hand-crafted belt buckles with leather belt included, an intriguing outdoor fountain of recycled pipes, wheels, beads and gemstones (artist: Doug Walker), unusual metal clocks, delicate glass ornaments hanging in the window to reflect light, glass oil lamps, metal-framed mirrors, and striking sea rock wall hangings framed in metal.
Artist/blacksmith Jake James made the napkin rings and fire-side tools. Tim made the cool coat hooks and door knockers. On the counter, we found unusual earrings and pendants in subtle gorgeous colours, as well as vintage domino bracelets ($46).
The whimsical Revi Doll is entirely constructed of wool,
hemp, and recycled fur and feathers. With shell-button
eyes and a metal heart, it's unusual and endearing.
Putting his own spin on his country's traditional medicine doll, Jamaican artist Rev offers the whimsical Revi Doll. Entirely constructed of wool, hemp, recycled fur and feathers, the doll is available in pocket size for $20. Each one is different, and with shell-button eyes and a metal heart, they're unusual and endearing. The large doll is priced at $165 and comes with a card telling buyer the doll's name, the theme its design embraces, and what kind of good medicine it brings.
Do you really want to be noticed? Just drape a python necklace around your neck! Utilizing stoneware and other high-fire clays, wildlife sculptor Tina Fyfe sculpts on a found stone or other object for her wearable art.
Although the python necklace looked so real that some of us gave it a wide berth, Tina's tree sculptures with hanging bats made quite a hit.
Rave'N'Iron products are diverse and come in price ranges to fit most budgets. Note that you can view many of the above-mentioned products – and more - on the website (click on "Gallery").
Our "youngest Grapevine member
ever" record was broken this month
when regular attendee and new mom
Kim arrived with 8-month old Karolyn,
who promptly fell asleep.
Have you got steel lying around your yard, basement, barn, or beach? Wouldn't it be exciting to see that unused metal turned into an object of art? If you live on Vancouver Island and think you have something that could be recycled into art, contact Tim.
Add Rave'N'Iron to your downtown must-see destinations. A great place to browse and find a special one-of-a-kind gift!