Meet Sil: Business Owner (Batavia by Sil) and Mom.
Sil: Owner of Batavia by Sil
Batavia refers to the old name for Jakarta, Indonesia where Sil was born. Once a Dutch colony, Batavia was also the name of a ship from the same era. Sil grew up in Jakarta and in high school, moved to Kansas where she stayed with a host family. Returning to Jakarta for college, Sil got married and moved back to Kansas with her husband who was studying there. And, on a whim some years later, they moved to Canada. Together they now have 3 children, and Sil runs her business out of her well-lit studio here at the Cotton Factory. However, the creation of her business was entirely unplanned.
In fact, it was the visit of her mother-in-law in 2008 that set the wheels in motion. Anticipating that her mother-in-law might get bored here during her three weeks in Canada, Sil bought her a sewing machine. When she left, Sil decided to try it out for herself. Beginning with creating goodie bags for her children and transitioning to purses at the request of a friend, Sil began to sell her wares at Bazaars and craft shows – eventually opting for larger shows such as the One of A Kind Show. One thing led to another and before she knew it, Sil was registering her business name and making it official!
Sil uses recycled fabric in her creations (so cool!) and feels happiest here at the Cotton Factory where she shares a large studio space with 5 other artists and makers.
Her creations are available for sale on Etsy and through her website. Be sure to follow Batavia by Sil and check out her bags at Batavia By Sil!
https://shopbatavia.bigcartel.com/
Meet Audra: Private office in Cowork
Meet Audra: Entertainment Insurance Broker, Wedding Officiant & Spiritual Counsellor
Audra occupies one of the private offices located in CoWork and has been here for just over a year now. As the previous Director of Operations for Fan Expo and the owner of Dark Carnival, she initially visited the Cotton Factory in search of an event space. By chance, she ended up walking through the coworking space and loved the vibe!
Audra has been running the Ministry side of her business since 2013 and works as a Bereavement Counsellor, Past Life Hypnotist, Spiritual and Marital Counsellor, and in the field of Weddings, Funerals, and more recently, Smudgings and Blessings. Audra is comfortable working in many traditional, non-traditional, and non-religious scenarios. She has recently become acquainted with Pagan and Indigenous practices and has been invited to perform ceremonies alongside the elders of First and Six Nations. Since Audra can facilitate the signing of legal documents, she is often sought out to help perform such ceremonies and holds a deep respect for the practices that she engages in and with.
Some of the practices and rituals that Audra has performed include handfasting, the jumping of the broom, Persian ceremonies, fairy weddings, Pagan weddings, Indigenous ceremonies and more. All without judgment, one of Audra’s many talents is her openness to the many different ways of officiating ceremony and the special moments in the lives of those who use her services.
If you’re interested in working with Audra in one of her many capacities, add her on Instagram @ hitchedinthehammer and send her a DM to inquire. You can also email her at one.soul.awakening@gmail.com.
To inquire about joining the CoWork space, email cowork@cottonfactory.ca
Meet Gayle: Acrylic/Mixed Media/Abstract Artist
Gayle: Member of Share Space 1.0
Gayle has been at the Cotton Factory for two and half years now. Her studio – located in ShareSpace 1.0 – displays her beautiful paintings in a burst of colour.
Gayle’s artistic journey began 18 years ago. At that time, she was focused on watercolour and had started taking classes. A decade later, a friend asked her to attend an abstract acrylic workshop, and though she didn’t think she would like it, she said yes. It’s a good thing she did because Gayle fell in love with the medium! And, after years of taking classes and experimenting, Gayle feels comfortable in her technique now.
Referring to herself as an intuitive painter, she lets the canvas and the paint guide her. Painting in layers, and letting a piece sit for several days to dry allows her to come back to the work with a fresh perspective and reconsider her direction.
I ask Gayle why she likes acrylics so much and she tells me it has to do with the texture and the freedom to change the flow of the paint from thick to thin + the ability to mark or crackle it. The surprise of it all keeps her coming back day after day. (Literally, Gayle is in her studio most days of the week!)
Though Gayle has enough space at home to house her studio she says it’s not the same as having defined boundaries where the phone and other things can’t interrupt. Being around the other artists and their work – even when they aren’t working in the studio, is inspiring.
Find Gayle and her work on Instagram at @ gayle_yak.
Steve: Office Building
Meet Steve: Industrial Designer.
Steve is one-third of OHM Industrial Design. Comprised of Orzel, Hills, and Mosna, OHM Industrial Designs works with established and start-up businesses designing hard goods. They have worked with Fox 40 Whistles, Thalmic Labs, and have designed products like Sprng Clip – a helpful little device that keeps Apple earbuds in place while wearing.
Steve and his partners are environmentally sensitive and try to minimize waste through good design and by creating a quality product that will stand the test of time. Steve says “it’s about function, not flashy-ness. It has to work well.”
Steve has been at the Cotton Factory for 10 years now and remembers when the many floors were wide open and he would go exploring with his youngest daughter. From a family of ten, Steve is the eldest boy, and he likes to stay fit by bike riding and going to the gym. He plans to be around for a while so living a healthy lifestyle is very important to him.
He tells me that half of what comprises his house was made by him. After all, he’s just “wired to make things”. Often making gifts for his family, Steve is currently building his nephew a toy (it looks awesome btw!).
There are lots of exciting things on the horizon for OHM, so be sure to check them out at http://www.ohm.ca/. Oh! And to order a pair of the Sprng Clips, follow this link: https://www.sprngclip.com/
See you next time for #facesofthefactory.