montreal love

I love my city. I love walking in it, and I love that is a walkable city. I love looking up at the distinctive rooftops of my neighborhood. I love that although it is busy, and urban, and a city, Montreal has an unmistakable small town feel. Parts of Montreal sleep, in a way that larger cities never do. Parts of Montreal breathe, too, in a way that I notice when I walk home late from the studio and look up up up, with the only sound being the monstrous snow removal trucks that prowl our streets like monsters in the night. And, since Dot & Lil began as a little project 4 years ago (Can you believe it! Four years!), I have loved seeing the "underbelly" so to speak, of Montreal's handmade and craft communities. I love profiling other makers, which I used to do after almost every show I did. I have fallen out of that habit, and so I wanted to give you a little rundown of the Montreal makers that I've been a fan of in the past few months. And what better month to try and point out this city's good points than February, when we have all, even if we love our city, lost a little hope that true spring will ever come.



 1. Jane from Jane Heller Photography.
 I love her images, and I love what she makes with them, too! My homesick sister in Los Angeles received (and I after my recent visit, I can also say is using) a Montreal Landmarks calendar that matches the magnet set above. And as for the rest of her work, I have been looking for a long while, but am just about ready to pick out what I want, for my walls at home and my walls at the studio. So evocative! You can see her work here and also visit her etsy shop.



                                                                               2. Joanna Szkiela from Red Sofa. 
Ok so here's the story: I have been obsessed, yes, obsessed, with a certain ring that Joanna makes since the first time my eyes landed on her work, at least two years ago by now. "Cast and formed in solid sterling silver from slender budding twigs, the ring features a translucent, naturally faceted and double terminated rock crystal (called the Herkimer Diamond because of it’s provenance.)" I knew from the start, too, that this was a ring I wanted to buy for myself if I was to have it. But, as I have a complete mental block when it comes to spending money on myself, I simply visited "my" ring at every show we did together.  For two YEARS. Then, late this fall, after a long, hard year-- where I worked as hard as ever, and finally quit my day job, and built my business, and rarely took a break--I decided that it was time. It greatly helped that Joanna, being the kindest woman ever, is obsessed with Dot & Lil soap. And so that picture down there? That's me, wearing MY ring. The ring that soap bought. And I wear it constantly! Best soap I ever spent. You can see Joanna's other gorgeous work here. Her talent never ceases to amaze me!

Stationned next to Elisabeth for Puces Pop over the holidays, I couldn't help but end up gifting a bunch of her work for Christmas. Lovely colours, great details, gorgeous shapes. And very reasonably priced, too. You can see more of her work here.  








 links:
Jane Heller Photography
Red Sofa
Restez Pour Souper

And what about you? What Montreal makers do you love--and what do you love about Montreal?