For The Love Of It.....

A Study of the Relationship Between Who You Are and What You Do. Jonathan Bielaski has embarked on a new journey. We are seeking out the most interesting individuals that we can find. We want to know who they are, what they do and where their life has taken them. Young & Old; Blue & White Collar; City & Country; etc. it does not matter. If you LOVE what you do and it is a true reflection of who you are, then we want to photograph it. This is an ongoing project. Each person’s individual story and how they got there will be posted under their pictures. Photographer: Jonathan Bielaski www.jonathanbielaski.com

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Its Been a Long Time.... Questions

Should I bring back my For The Love Of It Project?

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Roger Wood/klockwerks Fredericton, NB originally, Hamilton now.

“The shop grew organically, starting with my dining room and moving gradually into successively larger studios” Where did your passion come from? Who knows? I’ve always like working with my hands and seem to have a good imagination, along with a love of old things.

Would you ever do anything else? Not a chance, well maybe a philanthropist.

“For the future my main goal is Survival. I’ll probably be doing this until I kick the bucket.”

Where do you see the business going? Who knows? I’m always exploring but It depends on the market for what I make.

Environmental Portrait Photography by: Jonathan Bielaski

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A NOTE FROM FATHER CHRISTMAS

Hello everyone and welcome to my toy workshop.  Father Christmas here, although many of you may know me by one of my many other names: Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, Santy or simply Santa – and that is just for the English speaking cultures.  In France I am known as “Pere Noel”, in Italy as “Papa Noel” and in the Netherlands I am known as the “Kerstman” – and these are just three examples that come to mind.   It is indeed a pleasure to have you stop by for a visit – so sit for a spell, have a cup of hot chocolate, warm your toes by the fire, and I will attempt to answer some of the questions that you might have for me.  Of course, you must understand that some questions I really cannot answer as the “magic and the mystery” of Christmas would be completely unravelled in the telling.   By the way, you will have to excuse the state of my workshop but, as you know, this is a very busy time of the year for me what with all the gifts that I want to bring to the many people around the world, both young and old. Now not only do I have many names, but I have also been given many looks over the years. Books, poems, paintings, movies, stories, legends, and folklore all have their time and place in who I was, am, and have become.  They are all wonderful versions of me and I, over the years, have thoroughly enjoyed the creative processes that have morphed me into the many versions that you now see – from the fur robed kindly old man bringing Christmas wishes, to the jolly little man in the red and white suit riding a sleigh pulled by eight tiny reindeer that was made so very popular by Clement Clarke Moore’s poem – “The Night Before Christmas”.  Why, this year, I have even been morphed into a “designer Santa” in magazines and malls.  I must say, I had a great laugh when I first saw this newest version of me.  If you ask me though, he really should put on a few pounds!!

As for my age, let’s just say that I have been around for a VERY LONG TIME.  I will divulge that I am a direct descendant of the pre-Christian god “Odin” who bears the Old Norse names Jolnir, meaning “yule figure” and Langbaror, meaning “long-beard”.  With the arrival of Christianity, this winter solstice legend was blended with the birth of Christ and thus, Father Christmas was created to bring the news of Christ’s birth to everyone, as well as to encourage great festivity and merry-making at this magical time of the year.  During that period of history, those were my gifts.  Of course, there have been times, where such carrying-on was discouraged and people unsuccessfully did their best to do away with me and the joy that I wanted to bring to others.  Fortunately for me, the idea of spreading joy, peace, and goodwill to others is a very strong human belief and thus, I was able to survive those onslaughts. There has always been great speculation as to where I work and live and many cultures hold on to their unique beliefs of my whereabouts.  In general, it is commonly believed that I live in the far north.  I was ever so delighted in 2008 when the Minister of Citizenship for Canada awarded me citizenship status and said in his official statement: “The Government of Canada wishes Santa the very best in his Christmas Eve duties and wants to let him know that, as a Canadian citizen, he has the automatic right to re-enter Canada once his trip around the world is complete.”  What a wonderful gift that was!  I was ever so tickled.

In all frankness and honesty, I must admit that I have certainly had to evolve over the centuries in order to meet the increasing pressures of the modern world.  They have been challenging times for both myself and all of my employees, the elves.  I have struggled with many of the concepts and requests that have been sent to me and I have, and always will, do my best to meet those requests as long as they remain in the spirit of the season.  In return though, I ask that each one of you, in reading this blog, to not forget the greatest gift of all and that gift is NOT the brightly wrapped package under the tree with your name on it, but rather, the “gift of giving” – for it is only in the giving to others that you truly receive a priceless gift in return – the feeling and the knowing that you have made someone’s life just that much better with your thoughtfulness, kindness, and generosity.   Unfortunately, as time is pressing and I need to attend to my reindeer, I ask each and every one of you to use your passion, your love, your skills, your talents, and most importantly – your heart to (just for a moment) make the world a better place with your unconditional gift.   Thank you for the visit.  I am so glad that we were able to share these few moments together and in saying farewell, I want to wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas and splendid year ahead.  Bless you all.

Father Christmas

Photogrpaher: Jonathan Bielaski Producer: Leisa Mercer Set Design: Tara Ballantyne Hair and Makeup: Gabriela Soares

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Names: Shawna Reiter and Jonathan J. Davis
 Location: Toronto, Ontario
 Occupation: Puppeteers

Both Shawna and Jonathan had a love of art and through different life experiences they were led into the direction of puppetry.

Shawna started out teaching fine art to kids in schools and galleries. As well she volunteered at a Toronto nursing home. She found when volunteering the residents responded very well to puppets. There was one woman in particular, this woman who had never shown interest in anything or anyone the entire time she had been a resident in the nursing home was transformed in the presence of this little gorilla puppet. The opportunity to experience the act of bringing a puppet to life and seeing its effect on others was life changing and set Shawna on the path to becoming a puppeteer. Where Jonathan just loved the many different aspects of creativity intersected with Puppetry, visual style, problem solving, hands-on physical creation, and even programming when creating mini-LED lighting effects for parts of the show, controlled and programmed.

In 2009, Shawna and her original partner Kyla started to work on a script and by 2010 CLUNK Puppet Lab became a reality. Not long after that Jonathan joined Clunk in Calgary.

They started full time creating the puppets, props, set design and finishing the script for the show. Kyla has since moved on to other adventures, but Shawna and Jonathan will never forget their first meeting and the time they shared together creating CLUNK’s first shows, the dedication and creative energy she brought to the work and the amazing friendship that resulted from the first collaboration.

They then brought CLUNK back to Toronto and continue to work on new shows, workshops, and creations.

When we asked Shawna if she could imagine ever doing anything else she says “A lot of what we love to do comes together in the running of the company. Puppetry is such an all-encompassing art form, we write, build and perform in our shows, not to mention the administrative work that serves the creative side: grant writing, advertising, marketing; fostering connections with other puppeteers; shooting and editing videos; developing and programming the CLUNK website. We also teach puppetry workshops and collaborate with other artists creating puppets, special effects and performing for film and television.” There really is so much going on behind the scenes of CLUNK that you could never get bored.

As we all can see today puppets definitely have a strong draw especially now. Puppetry is experiencing a renaissance, working its way into the mainstream with shows like the Lion King and War Horse, and in film, puppetry is still used alongside computer-generated effects. With the passion and experience CLUNK brings to the industry we look forward to watching what the future holds for them.

Advice for those wanting to do what they love “Don’t take yourself too seriously, enjoy the process of experimenting, and embrace failure as a step you take toward success.”

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“I want to preserve the old methods.”

Name: Jeff Fenwick Location: Lanark Highlands Occupation: Cheese Maker 

Since he was a young boy growing up outside of Guelph, Jeff Fenwick has always liked the outdoors and working with his hands. He liked cutting down trees and looking after his parents’ property. Now he has a property of his own and it came with an artisan cheese business. 

While living in Hamilton, he and his wife started looking for a different lifestyle. When they saw an ad for Back Forty Artisan Cheese and a farm an hour outside of Ottawa, they went to look at it and they were instantly sold. Jeff apprenticed under the previous owner and quickly found that he loved making cheese. 

For Jeff it was about creating good food – something he always enjoyed – but now in the old world way. Jeff’s cheese shop has no industrial equipment. He grinds, mixes, adds cultures, stirs and flips all by hand. He even hand pierces each wheel of blue cheese over 100 times. Using the old-world foundation, recipes and techniques, Jeff makes a cheese with more flavour. And it’s never exactly the same because with each season, and even each milking, the lamb’s milk changes. “When you get a feel for the curd, you can adjust the recipe,” said Jeff. “It’s trickier doing this all by hand, but you learn a lot more.”

His sales background makes it easier for Jeff to run the business smoothly and deal with customers. But for him, Back Forty Artisan Cheese has been about realizing that cheese is alive – he’s learned to appreciate everything that goes into making cheese from what the animal eats, the farmer milking without ever taking a holiday and the hard work Jeff puts into every batch. By being able to get back to his roots, enjoying nature and the outdoors, Jeff is now finding his work more meaningful and rewarding.

Photography: Jonathan Bielaski Words: Jodi Szimanski

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Name:  Geoff Dillon 

Location: Beamsville, Ontario

Geoff Dillon grew up in Muskoka, Ontario. Throughout the years he has lived in Toronto, London but now calls the Niagara region home. His dream was always to start a craft distillery; the biggest challenge he faced was convincing the right people and building the perfect team. It took nine years from the initial planning stage to get Dillon’s to where it is today. His passion came from growing up with a chemist father, a fascination of spirits and a drive to do something just a little bit different. He couldn’t ever imagine doing anything else. When asked what sets Dillon’s apart from others? Geoff says, “We do everything different. From using local wine grapes to make our vodkas and gins, to the 100% Ontario rye based whiskies we will have coming in the next years. We use fresh, local ingredients to make unique, flavourful spirits that showcase the fruits and grains they came from.” In the future Dillon’s hopes to continue to grow organically while staying true to why they started. They hope to see some of their unique products, like the rose gin and the 100% Ontario rye whisky, making a splash in both the Canadian and US markets. These are spirits that are such a departure from the status quo that he believes people will be blown away by them. He wants to continue to be at the forefront of the cocktail scene, working with mixologists to constantly create new and exciting products like vermouths, bitters, amaros, etc. The trends Geoff sees happening in the industry is a growing demand for grain to the-glass artisanal spirits, not unlike the explosion of craft beers in the past 30 years. Consumers are taking more interest into where there spirits came from and what they are made of. The cocktail scene is bigger than ever and mixologists experimenting with new spirits, flavours, and techniques are still on the rise. People are constantly searching for the next great drink.

“Dream big, make a plan, and follow-through.”

Be sure to check out www.dillons.ca

Photography By: Jonathan Bielaski

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For The Love Of It visits Village Cigar Co. & Barbershop   

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I love everything about it. I love the beautiful and colourful palettes. The brushes. The lipsticks and pots of gel liners. But most of all, I love turning people around to a mirror and having them light up in front of me. It's like they didn't know that they had it. Every women, with the right tools in hand, can transform themselves into different beautiful versions, or alter egos, of themselves." 

Name: Gabriela Soares Location: Waterloo Ontario  Occupation: Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist 

Even as a little girl, Gabriela Soares always had a fascination with the idea that one could alter their  physical appearance in ways that could make them look like a different person. She would watch in awe as her Brazilian mother changed her hair colour and her makeup style regularly. "Every time my mom would switch something up, it was like a part of her was reborn. The sense of confidence and excitement that a new lipstick, hair cut, highlights, etc. gave her has always stuck with me. I couldn't get over how much someone could change themselves physically and how it impacted the way that they felt inside," she says. 

With this cosmetic fascination always looming in her mind, Gabriela naturally gravitated towards a love of barbie dolls:

"I was absolutely fascinated by barbies! So much so, in fact, that I now have a tattoo of one on my arm. How did Latina barbie look so different then blonde barbie when all that was changed was her hair and makeup? The same features on the same body, yet, a different barbie altogether. It's kind of funny because I see the models that I work with and the clients that I have as my grown up barbie dolls and somehow I have the privilege to be able to change them into different and beautiful versions of themselves." 

After completing a degree at the University of Waterloo, and finding herself rather bored and unmotivated, she enrolled in a makeup artistry program taught at Audrey Wilson's Gemini Modelling Agency and never looked back. 

"Gemini gave me the most wonderful introduction into the world of fashion shows, commercial print work, makeup, hair, etc. The makeup course that I took, taught by the amazing Sarah Davidson, awoke an incredible passion in me. I love everything about it. I love the beautiful and colourful palettes. The brushes. The lipsticks and pots of gel liners. But most of all, I love turning people around to a mirror and having them light up in front of me. It's like they didn't know that they had it. Every women, with the right tools in hand, can transform themselves into different beautiful versions, or alter egos, of themselves." 

Following Gemini's program, Gabriela enrolled and completed the challenging "Comprehensive Makeup Artist Program" at  Complections International School of Makeup Artistry in the heart of downtown Toronto.  From there, she was signed to Judy Inc. agency as a makeup and hair artist and immediately started working in the film, television and fashion industry.

"Those next few years were just incredible. I found myself in so many different and interesting places all of the time. One day I would be doing makeup for a music video for Nelly Furtado, the next day I was on set styling models for a Sears catalogue, then I was on a plane to Jamaica for a magazine shoot. Everyday was different and so very exciting! As my business grew, I learned so much and picked up more and more tools to add to my beauty toolbox". 

Having met the love of her life and feeling the need to move back to Waterloo and settle down, Gabriela decided to attend Gina's College of Hairstyling, get her hairstylist diploma and work in a more stable environment. 

"Hairstyling is a whole other beast to battle. Having seven years of makeup industry experience under my belt, going back to school and starting a career from scratch was incredibly challenging. I am proud to say that I did it and had a lot of great experiences while doing it!"  

Gabriela Soares is now working as a part-time film, television, commercial and fashion makeup artist and as a stylist at the prestigious So Chiq Salon in Waterloo. 

"My life has really never been better and I have never felt happier. I love going into the salon, being surrounded by so many talented stylists and creating such incredible relationships with my clients. I love giving them confidence to try new things and change up their looks. I am constantly challenged and because of that, I learn and grow everyday". 

Photography: Jonathan Bielaski

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For the Love of It - Manual Labour Coffee

Check out the video that goes along with the latest post!!!!!

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“Passion itself is so cool – follow it and share it.”

Name: Katie Browne and Matthew Taylor Location: Hamilton, Ontario Occupation: Owners of Manual Labour Coffee

Their coffee journey started at a coffee shop in Toronto where Matt was a partner. Katie worked at a design shop down the street and would go just to see Matt. A relationship started brewing and eventually the two married.

After a while they moved to the country and a friend suggested that Matt run a manual brew bar at a table at her stall at the local market. Matt’s love of coffee is contagious – not just for the customers but Katie too. They never imagined that the little coffee table would grow into Manual Labour Coffee and that they would work it seven days a week. And they wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Matt’s passion for coffee paired with Katie’s passion for design balanced perfectly into a funky, retro trailer that they serve coffee out of; and they love to share it. Their key to spreading their love of coffee is in making it all approachable. Coffee tasting doesn’t need to be intimidating or pretentious. Matt will even come to your house and show you how to brew the best cup of coffee with your very own machine. 

“If Matt could talk about coffee all the time for the rest of his life, he’d be a happy man!” says Katie. He’s on a mission to get people excited about tasting a difference in the beans and roasts. They even base their travels on where there are great coffee shops to visit, and share that knowledge too. 

They still pinch themselves – there was no business plan. Manual Labour Coffee just evolved out of them and they love that people are so accepting of it. They’ve helped people realize that coffee can be enjoyed by everyone – and their passion just keeps catching on. 

Photography: Jonathan Bielaski

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F.T.L.O.I. Video with Garren Dakessian

Jonathan Bielaski’s For The Love Of It project continues with the second video companion to the Environmental Portraits and Interviews.

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“I could not imagine doing anything else. I get to build awesome guitars that make incredible music.”

Name: Garren Dakessian Location: Oakville, Ontario, Canada Occupation: Guitar Maker

Loucin Guitars was officially opened in September 2002 by owner Garren Dakessian.

Garren was born in New Zealand & moved to Toronto, Canada in 1969. He moved to Oakville, Ontario in 1980, where Loucin Guitars is now located.

He started building electric guitars at age 15, after he met with the legendary owner of the Twelfth Fret in Toronto. That afternoon of discussion about guitar construction and craftsmanship gave Garren the confidence to build his first guitar, which he did in grade 10 wood-shop, with a little help from his ultra- cool wood shop teacher Mr. Jim MacMillan at White Oaks Secondary School in Oakville, Ontario.

As Garren says, “I wanted to build guitars my way.” He has been making custom hand-made acoustic guitars for almost twelve years now. His cites his biggest influence as being Eddie Van Halen. He saw that Eddie made his own guitars out of parts and thought, " I can do this too.” His late mother Loucin always told Garren to follow his dreams and so he did.

When you take money out of the equation and do what your passion is, success is guaranteed to follow as there is no better success then actually loving what you do. Garren never wanted to work for someone else. He wanted the creative freedom to design and handcrafted the guitars as he imagined them.

“My guitars are very light and responsive because they are hand-made,” says Garren. “There are no "made on Monday" guitars here. So much passion goes into each guitar. I also have uniques such as my "SLANT" arm-rest.”

Garren has been incredibly fortunate to have some absolutely amazing clients, both professional and hobbyist. The list started with Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Phil X (Bon Jovi), Jason Hook (Five Finger Death Punch), Zakk Wylde (Ozzy & Black Label Society), Richie Faulkner (Judas Priest) & recently Sammy Hagar (Van Halen & Chickenfoot). He is hopeful to soon begin working with Ben Harper, Kim Mitchell & Sarah McLaughlin in 2014.

Loucin Guitars also has a Guitar Building School www.buildaguitar.ca where students learn how to build a guitar and get to leave the class with a guitar they have built. The best part of the last 10 years is that so many more artists are performing and recording "unplugged" acoustic guitars.

The only advice he has for musicians and guitar makers is to out & meet people face to face, talk to them, listen to them and don't expect things to happen overnight.

For more information on Loucin Guitars please visit www.loucinguitars.com.

Check out the Video Companion to this blog post on my youtube channel HERE

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“I make patterns that are meaningful.”

Name: Jenna Fenwick Location: Lanark Highlands Occupation: Textile Designer 

Jenna Fenwick comes from a long line of seamstresses and quilters. In high school she sewed her own clothes and thought about a career in fashion. When she started working in her Mom’s quilt shop, she was introduced to fiber art and gained an interest in fabric patterns, and knew she wanted to combine her love for drawing with her new love for textiles. 

In her last year at NSCAD University she worked on projects where she could illustrate the design, screen print them into the cloth and create a beautiful finished piece, and she knew she found her passion. After graduation she started Jenna Rose which she opened in Guelph and later moved to Hamilton. 

Jenna still illustrates her own patterns by hand, whether it’s a treehouse she remembers or something simple that inspires her on a walk outside her studio on the farm she and her husband bought in eastern Ontario last year. She then mixes the colours and hand screen prints the cloth. “I love the tactile nature of textiles and the functionality,” said Jenna. “But it’s also finding the inspiration in daily life and having a customer connect with the patterns I find meaningful.”

The tranquility of the studio has given Jenna a renewed sense of focus. With the gardens her and her husband already use to grow food, Jenna plans to take her creativity to the next level and start growing her own dyes. For Jenna it only makes sense to follow her passion to create truly handmade and sustainable textiles.

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For The Love Of It Marek Mikunda

Check out the video of Jonathan Bielaski's photoshoot with Marek Mikunda from Steam Whistle

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“Be determined, pay attention to detail and respect tradition.”

Name: Marek Mikunda Location: Toronto, Ontario Occupation: Brewmaster, Steam Whistle Brewing

Marek’s love for brewing started at a young age in the Czech Republic. He always knew he wanted to be a brewmaster so he started at a brewing technical school at just 15. By 18, he had brewed his first beer at a brew house in Prague. The challenge was to make sure that the process was perfect, otherwise, the next batch wouldn’t be very good. 

Marek travelled the world before he settled in Canada in 2000. Five years later he joined Steam Whistle. Because Steam Whistle focuses on brewing one kind of beer instead of offering variety like the other brewers, they are steadfast in a focus on quality instead. With respect for the traditional methods instead of cost-cutting or wild experimentation, Marek can focus on delivering consistently great beer.

His passion for beer comes from the heart. “You need to put a lot of dedication in to beer,” says Marek. “Otherwise you won’t have a great product.”

You may think that brewing one kind of beer, a Pilsner, would make the job repetitive doing batch after batch of the same type of beer. But it’s not at all – it’s incredibly challenging. When dealing with yeast, malt, hopes and people, every day is different. Just as people have different moods, yeast can also randomly decide to work slower. 

Marek’s where he is so that he can be challenged and successful in resolving those challenges. That’s what grabbed his heart about this occupation and it’s why he can’t see doing anything else but being a brewmaster for the next 20 years.

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“It’s lovely to feel physically exhausted at the end of every day.”

Name: Vincent Perez Location: Kingston, Ontario Occupation: Pressman and Designer

The artisan in Vincent Perez sacrifices the easier, more modern digital press for the art of mid-century analog printing. He says it’s all about friction. Take social media as a modern medium for an example. It’s most successful when the platform demands the least of its user and therefore less friction. The challenge of the mid-century press and the physicality of its use entail friction ensuring hard work and a rewarding feeling alongside a tangible result.

There’s craftsmanship involved in using an old letterpress. Experimentation too – the digital press is too advanced to allow for that. There’s individuality to the final piece unachievable with a mass production press.

Vincent loves the holistic production. As a designer, he controls production from design to printing to distribution. Most designers simply email or FTP their design files to the printer and receive a sample at the end. But Vincent gets the satisfaction of combining manual labour and creativity to produce a beautiful, unique printed piece. 

It all started with an art project. Vincent received scraps from a printer to make books, and during that journey he realized that he wanted an education in design. While at NSCAD in Halifax, Vincent wiggled his way into Dawson Printing – a teaching print shop at Dalhousie. And his collection of old presses began as did his knowledge and experience.

A true collaborator, Vincent now works with his own clients to develop high-end designs and printed pieces in his own shop, Everlovin’ Press. “There are times when clients want me to do things I never intended, and I always have to think about being in a business to do what I love, and making a living. But my mentors taught me to always remember why I started this business and to always guide myself that way.” It’s led to Vincent’s version of success – the physical satisfaction of hard work, while servicing customers invested in the final piece of art.

  Photography: Jonathan Bielaski www.jonathanbielaski.com Words: Jodi Szimanski