Kristin in the Toni Duster in Pink Chevron & The Georgia in Black and White Wavy Stripe

It is time for another very exciting HIWI! As we welcome spring and all the joyful things it has in store for us, we hope you find this read blooming well!

We had the lovely opportunity to chat with Kristin Sjaarda! Based in Toronto, Ontario, Kristin is a versatile artist renowned for her captivating work in photography, textiles, and ceramics. Graduating from The Colorado Institute of Art in 1994, she specializes in lush, large-scale still-life images featuring local flora and fauna. Notably, Kristin collaborates with The Royal Ontario Museum, incorporating real bird specimens into her arrangements. She also designs silk scarves and ceramics, conducts workshops on floral arrangement and natural-light still life photography, and has provided insight on the intersection of art and ecology at institutions like Sheridan College and the Ontario Science Centre. Her work has been featured in prestigious publications and exhibited internationally, including a solo show at Smokestack Gallery in Hamilton, Ontario, in October 2022, highlighting her significant contributions to the art world.

Before we dive into this very exciting HIWI, we wanted to let you know that Kristin will be exhibiting her work at The Artist Project this month, details below, and she has a special discount for those of you who wish to attend!   

I have 2 pairs that I especially love. PUMA RS-X 2023 trainers with a wild colour way of hot pink, mustard and zebra stripe get tonnes of compliments. Puma should re-issue them and I would get another pair.  I got this year’s version but they are much more pastel. I have really big feet so often I can’t even buy women shoes. My Clarke Wallabies (men’s) are super comfortable and came in a groovy tie-tie blue. I like these shiny ones:

https://www.clarks.com/en-ca/search?query=torhill%20patent

https://ca.puma.com/ca/en/women/womens-rs-collection

2. Please tell us a public figure you admire and why!

Katy Hessel of The Great Women Artists podcast has introduced me to a history that I didn’t even know existed. I loved the episode about Artemisia Gentileschi (episode 48) 

I recently went to the Gardiner Museum to look at the ceramics of Magdalene Odundo and it was one of those art experiences that hit me in the solar plexus. The forms the Ms. Odundo makes are so luscious, so accomplished and so gorgeous I highly recommend catching the show. 

1. What are you watching/reading/listening to right now?
   

I CANNOT wait to see the new Dune movie. I am a die-hard sci-fi fan and Dune was one of the books I tore thru in my teens. I loved the first movie. 

Now that the library is back up and running one of my holds came through and it is Lauren Groff’s devastating The Vaster Wilds. I loved her book Matrix (not science fiction!) with a powerful nun as the main character. 

The book I always recommend is Kim Stanley Robinson’s The Ministry of the Future, a sci-fi book that talks about climate change. 

1. Bonus… if you want, but no pressure- you can skip it if you cant think of anything! your fave fashion tip/hack
   

Ok. My first instinct was to talk about how I often wear all blue: blue&white cotton button down, jeans and a blue sweater. Or a blue and white dress, blue wallabies and a blue blazer.  There are dozens of blue on blue patterns to pick from in the KA collection and I often layer these up! But this year I have been so in love with my Puma shoes I just match the colours and patterns! I have a leopard print jacket from Red Sky, a hot pink vintage sweatshirt that I layer over a Black & White Claude shirt, plus jeans. Throw the shoes on and there is a pleasing harmony to all the items that you never would have guessed would match!