The Avant-Garden Shop: Your Garden & Bird Store

GARDEN GATE: Episode 284 – Susan Robertson Pottery! (Jan 19, 2024)

Susan Robertson is an and artist and potter from Broderick Saskatchewan. She has been creating beautiful pieces for over 35 years. We have carried her items in the shop for many years. Her pottery is made from stoneware clay so they are dishwasher and microwave safe. We have a variety of designs available in mugs, … Read more

Garden Gate: Episode 119 – A mini “studio tour” in the shop

CHEX TV airdate: July 7, 2017 Click link to watch this episode online Often customers ask how we find some of our artists. It can be a lot of work researching online or we can happen to find them during a studio tour or while we’re on holidays. On this episode I tell you a … Read more

Garden Gate: Episode 98 – Two new artists in the shop! (Sept. 16)

CHEX TV air date: Sept. 16th, 5-5:30pm Click link to our YouTube channel to watch this episode online. We have spent much of the summer relaxing and doing nothing….right? Not.   Here at the shop we’ve been busy travelling and searching for new artists to bring into the shop. This year my husband and I … Read more

Garden Gate: Episode 50! – Maxwell pottery & Madoc Rocks

red canoe

CHEX TV air date: ?Friday Nov. 14th, 2014

Click link to watch this episode.

On this episode of the Garden Gate I showcase a couple of items which are great for people who love to entertain, live on a lake or spend time at a cottage!

Dip sets shaped like canoes and stone coasters from Madoc!

In 1991 Daniel Maxwell and his wife Jodi returned home to Northern Ontario to establish their Pottery Studio. Using a strong stoneware clay, all work is made on the pottery wheel or is hand built. With his own recipe of glaze colours, Daniel hand paints each piece in one of his many unique designs.

Daniel attributes his pride of craftsmanship and tasteful use of colour to having studied and worked at Sheridan College School of Craft and Design in Oakville, Ontario for nine years.

Daniel says to his customers “I make funtional pots. I want people to enjoy them for their utilitarian qualities as well as their decorative appeal.”

Daniel’s lead free pottery is dishwasher, microwave and over safe and brings many years of pleasure.

coaster40Nick Butts creates wonderful stone coasters out of rock he mines near Madoc and Nephton. The rocks are cut down to coaster size in sets of four. At this point some stones have designs such as loons or moose added. Then they are coated to protect and bring out the textures and colours.

Again these are terrific items for a cottage, but also a great gift for a man. He can use these in his “man cave!”

Garden Gate: Episode 22 – Toad houses and Slug Pubs!

mushroom

CHEX TV airdate: Fri. Oct. 4th, 2013

Click here to view this episode of?The Garden Gate.

Local Artist Heathyr Francis was my guest this week.? Heathyr is a potter who calls her business

This is her first year in business and I was honoured to be asked to mentor her through the Summer Company Program?.?? Place in Nature Studio.? As the name suggests she creates works that find their Place in Nature!

Heathyr is very creative and seems to come up with new ideas almost weekly. We carry her beautiful toad houses and slug pubs! These make very special and unique gifts for the gardener in the family. Each piece is one of a kind and stunning.?

 

The Avant-Garden Shop