Ravensara Store

Their Bijou Collection consists of pieces crafted in sterling silver, with some accented by semi-precious gemstones, freshwater pearls, and Swarovski crystals. The images themselves are miniature photographs or original photo-montages printed on an archival paper and sealed into the jewelry with an optical quality, shatterproof polycarbonate plastic. There is an exquisite jewellery art piece in the collection for everyone - each creation is stamped with artists signatures.

Fairy Art

Iron Fairies are beautiful cast iron sculptures by Australian artist Ashley Sutton. The fairies slumber in a state of suspended animation until they’re sprinkled with magic fairy dust, and touched by the first light of the morning sun. Then they are free to roam the world, making wishes come true.

Art by Frederica Tomas

Frederica Tomas attended the Ontario College of Art where she studied her two loves, printmaking and Book Arts. Her work is in private and public collections in Canada and around the world.

Frederica’s linocuts are primarily portraits of saints, sinners, pop culture icons, fashions, and strange beasts. Her images are hand printed on Japanese paper with her own Vandercook proof press, following which she adds colour to each print by painting over the oil based black ink with watercolour paints. Each of her pieces reflect her unique creative imagination, caring attention and love of printmaking.



Ravensara featuresa range of Canadian art including original oil and acrylic paintings, etchings, ceramic art, photography and sculpture. We choose and highlight artists whose work reflects the Canadian experience and reveals the intimate expression of their creative spirit. The distinction between art and craft is often a tenuous one, but at Ravensara we take the broader view and encompass the creativity of all artisans. So besides traditional paintings, you will also discover the perfected artistry and aesthetic beauty of Rita Meyer's finger and hand-puppets, creative ceramic works from women artists from the Badlands in Alberta, Waterloo, Ontario and Montreal, Quebec as well as the fabric art of hooked rugs
		Greg Shafley, Printmaker Greg Shafley has spent most of his adult life in Northern Ontario. His art prints capture and reflect the natural beauty of his northern Ontario home. As a printmaker, Greg involves himself with two essential processes in the creation of his art -- the technical aspect of working with acids on metal, inks and presses and the aesthetic response to the subject matter. These two processes are interwoven and as they work in harmony, beautiful pieces of art emerge. “In my work I try to develop a sense of universal emotion and feeling. If I can leave a person with somewhat heightened feelings, I have succeeded.” Greg Shafley received his Bachelor of Fine Arts at Mount Allison University in Nova Scotia in 1975. He has since become a member of the Ontario Society of Artists, as well as the Society of Canadian Artists. In moments between working and creating, Greg enjoys designing and building his house on the north shore of Lake Huron.
		Jewellery as Art - Art as Jewellery Dawn Estrin and George Wilson have been combining forces since 1995 to create a unique vision of what jewelry can be. The artists have lived and worked together for twenty years, both exploring many mediums and materials. Their work together reflects a common interest in themes such as art, romance, and humor. Their Bijou Collection consists of pieces crafted in sterling silver, with some accented by semi-precious gemstones, freshwater pearls, and Swarovski crystals. The images themselves are miniature photographs or original photo-montages printed on an archival paper and sealed into the jewelry with an optical quality, shatterproof polycarbonate plastic. There is an exquisite jewellery art piece in the collection for everyone - each creation is stamped with artists signatures.
		Fairy Art Iron Fairies are beautiful cast iron sculptures by Australian artist Ashley Sutton. The fairies slumber in a state of suspended animation until they’re sprinkled with magic fairy dust, and touched by the first light of the morning sun. Then they are free to roam the world, making wishes come true.
		Art by Frederica Tomas Frederica Tomas attended the Ontario College of Art where she studied her two loves, printmaking and Book Arts. Her work is in private and public collections in Canada and around the world. Frederica’s linocuts are primarily portraits of saints, sinners, pop culture icons, fashions, and strange beasts. Her images are hand printed on Japanese paper with her own Vandercook proof press, following which she adds colour to each print by painting over the oil based black ink with watercolour paints. Each of her pieces reflect her unique creative imagination, caring attention and love of printmaking.
		Recycled Drum Art Haitian drum art provides an ornamental method of recycling steel oil drums. Using a hammer and chisel, the artisans create intricate designs and give new life to the metal. Being handmade, reclaimed metal art maintains a character and quality that cannot be replicated through modern means of mass production. Haitian drum art is a socially-conscious art form that provides fair wages to Haitian craftspeople; this recycled art is produced according to fair trade standards and is eco-friendly. These sculptures are made to be used inside or outside. Outside they eventually do begin to turn a beautiful patina if they are not treated with a gloss finish.
		Ceramic Artistry of Deidre Wilson Inspired by harmony and balance, Deirdre Wilson creates fascinating pieces which marry function with grace. On the wheel in her 19th century farmhouse studio, Deirdre enjoys exploring the clay’s many forms before exposing its final shape. By combining matte and lustrous finishes with bold and earthy colours, her work is as much a tactile pleasure as an aesthetic one, with the simplicity of each of her designs invoking a serene elegance
\		The Magical World of Charles Van Sandwyk Charles van Sandwyk was born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1966. In 1977, he emigrated with his family to Vancouver, Canada. By the early 1980's, he was selling his drawings and watercolours in a style reminiscent of the old prints and paintings which hung in the family home. Van Sandwyk studied graphic design at the Capilano College art programme in North Vancouver. Upon completion in 1986, the wanderlust of younger years sent him travelling to the South Pacific. He discovered the Fiji Islands, and fell in love with a remote island and its inhabitants In that same year, van Sandwyk won an Alcan award for his limited edition book A Selection of Neighbourly Birds, illustrated with etchings printed on an antique intaglio press. This first attempt at publishing prompted a passionate venture into the world of handmade and private press books and prints. He began to divide his time equally between Vancouver and Fiji, leasing land from the neighbouring family and building for himself a simple home of grass thatch, in the traditional island style. Van Sandwyk settled into a pleasurable routine of winter seasons in Fiji filled with painting and writing, the results of which were brought back to Canada each summer and prepared for exhibition and publication each autumn. His watercolours, etchings and books are now collected across North America and in Europe. Van Sandwyk continues to divide his time between Vancouver and his beloved Fiji.
		Recent publications by Charles van Sandwyk offered at Ravensara include: The most recent illustrated marvel by Charles van Sandwyk for the first time takes on a Canadian theme. A treasure for the imagination. A recent addition to Charles Van Sandwyk's collection of wonderful books is "Mr Rabbit's Symphony of Nature". A joyful story of Mr Rabbit carefully directing a spring symphony of mother nature in all her glorious variety. A tender and lovingly created celebration. Animal Wisdom A hand-sewn, delightfully illustrated book on acid free paper created and self-published by the artist. The calligraphy by the artist weaves simple wisdom (arrows of wisdom fly straight from the heart) with exquisite images. Affairs of the Heart Touching portraits and enchanting verses of love in the lives of birds, rabbits, butterflies, squirrels, and bears makes this a perfect gift between lovers, family and friends. The multi-talented Charles van Sandwyk did the illustrations, the verse,the calligraphy and directed the printing. Sketches from the Dream Island of Birds An exquisite visual feast with 18 tipped-in colour illustrations echoing the world of Charles’ second home in Fiji.