‘Yellow Treehouse’ pillow by Jenna Rose

So technically Jenna Rose is from Hamilton, ON, but her work is so darn sweet I’m going to bunch her in with ‘Toronto Spotlight’ anyhow. I first saw Jenna’s work at the Cabbagetown Art Fair and I couldn’t help but walk by her booth about 3 times before I could no longer resist buying something. All of her textiles are hand-printed in her studio in Hamilton using non-toxic pigments on natural and organic fabrics. She illustrates each pattern by hand and then transforms them into lovely pieces of useable art. I purchased a little purse made with her ‘Seafoam Honeycomb’ fabric, and I just adore it.

by Jacob Rolfe

Jacob Rofle is a superb artist. What more can I say? Well, a few words more I suppose. He pulls all his own prints in his studio and has shown his work proudly at many art/craft festivals around the city.His art depicts dreamworlds and fantasy places which he visits in his imagination and dreams. They usually include strange candy-like islands, crazy, fantastical doodles, and odd little animals. He is quite a talent, and I suggest that if you want to buy a piece of art, buy one of his. I myself have acquired the image posted above, and I just love it. Take a gander at his other delightfully whimsical illustrations - you won’t be disappointed.

‘Yellow’ by Shuyu Lu

This textile artist and craftist has a very unique approach to her work. Using scenes based on photographs, she screen prints the outlines onto sheer fabric and embroiders bits and pieces. This specific piece is from her collection entitled So Far, So Close where she depicts imagery found around Toronto, a city she has recently moved to from China. Her other collections, exploring imagery from her heritage and homeland, contrast these works very nicely. All her pieces come with the embriodery hoop they have been created on, which makes for a unique and lovely frame.

Organic Linen Mason Jar teatowel by Freshly Printed

Freshly Printed is a quaint little business run by Jen, an eco-conscious Torontonian woman. Her booth at the Cabbagetown Art Fair was stocked with her aprons, teatowels, napkins, and other silkscreened delights. Her use of imperfect lines with hints of bright colours give her textiles a homegrown country vibe. Jen uses only eco-friendly dyes and fabric paints (including her own dye made from the husks of black walnuts!) so your kitchen won’t only be outfitted with cute items, but green ones too!

‘Trinity Bellwoods Neighbourhood’ map by Marlena’s Maps

I first saw Marlina’s work in her booth during the Queen West Art Crawl. She is a Toronto illustrator who has put her focus into drawing maps of different neighbourhoods within the city. I really enjoy her cartoony style and the imperfect nature of her illustrations. She uses great colours and her maps simply exude cheerfulness!