Meet Jane

Jane went to her first pottery workshop in 2019 and had trouble sleeping that night as her mind raced with endless ideas for different clay projects she wanted to try. A self-professed Type-A woman who “has just never been an artistic person”, she caught the pottery bug and never looked back. With more than 5 years of dedicated ceramics practice, Jane is always looking for new and exciting ways to expand her knowledge in ceramics from new glaze chemistry to different types of surface decoration and hand building. 

As the owner of Saffron Studios, Jane gets a chance to combine her love of pottery with her passion as an entrepreneur to keep the studio running smoothly, while providing as many people as possible with a safe and fun community to play with clay!

You can follow Jane on Instagram: @plainjanepottery

Meet Beatrice

Beatrice first joined Saffron Collective Studios in order to support a family member but quickly found that she really enjoyed the art of clay. The studio has also provided her the opportunity to take on the role of teacher, mentor and maker.

Several years of shadowing an instructor opened the opportunity for her to teach others the skills of pottery. After 7 years of teaching she has excelled in the art of finding out what you are good at and helping you discover your own creativity that you didn't know you had. She also inspires many of our members to go outside of their comfort zones, as she continually goes out of hers. Always trying new ideas and techniques has made Beatrice one of our most diverse teachers.

Pottery has allowed her to discover her own creativity. "The opportunity to express myself with the use of clay has enriched my life and reflects my interests in nature and culture. I get a great deal of satisfaction and pride from creating, gifting and selling my pottery." says Beatrice.

You can follow Beatrice on Instagram: drygrass_pottery

Meet Leslie-Ann

Leslie-Ann Sartison started her ceramics practice in 2016 after retiring from a career in elementary education.  Her training includes Saffron's classes with Nicole and Beatrice as well as a workshop with Sarah Pike.  She enjoys learning with, and from, other Saffron studio members and friends, as well as making new discoveries alongside her students.

While she continues to experiment with a variety of pottery techniques and styles, she is mostly drawn to simple, clean lines and finishes.  One of the favourite projects has been using heirloom lace from her family's wedding dresses and handicrafts to imprint in her pieces.

Leslie-Ann is excited to share her experience in teaching and her passion for pottery by leading classes at Saffron.In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, spending time outdoors with her family and grandkids and building trails on her 40 acres of forest near Edmonton.

Meet Sly

Sly-The Impatient Paw-tter, (Silvia) started her pottery journey in 2000 when she was asked by a friend to join her in a pottery class and learn how to make a mug.

"I made many bowls of different shapes and sizes then one day, just like that, ahha, a mug was born! I was hooked!"

After taking many additional group classes and private lessons with Nicole, Sly became a member and now a teacher.

Sly teaches beginners pottery on the wheel and loves to see her students get their AH HA! moments.

When taking a class with Sly you'll get to jam along with music to relax the mind and get your creative side of the brain working.

Sly enjoys teaching group classes, privates, semi privates and parties.

Aside of teaching Pottery, Sly (Silvia ) is a Massage Therapist, Pilates Teacher and owner of 2Hands1Heart Massage Therapy in Cochrane.

Follow Sly on Instagram: slyimpatientpawtter.  Her dog Chief Takoda represents the classic paw marking on all her pieces. Along side from pottery, Sly enjoys water colouring and spending time camping and exploring Albera.

Meet Kendra

Kendra recently graduated from the Alberta University of the Arts Bachelor of Fine Arts program with a major in Ceramics, and her education and experience bring awesome new dimensions to the teaching of ceramics at our studio!

She is originally from London, Ontario, where she was first introduced to ceramics in high school, and later began to teach ceramics herself! Kendra enjoys wheel throwing, making utilitarian wares, as well as incorporating her illustrations onto the surface of her works. She is inspired to make works that elevates mundane daily rituals we perform. Kendra also has a passion for teaching and enjoys sharing skills, techniques, knowledge, concepts, and how to execute artworks with others.

Kendra works in a mid fire clay body, and primarily wheel throws. For the past two years, she has been learning and refining the art of making teapots. Her surface decoration process primarily uses underglazes to create illustrations and motifs inspired by folk art. A common illustration that appears on most of Kendra’s works are strawberries, referencing Ontario strawberries that grow during the summer.

You can see more of Kendra’s work and creative process on Instagram: @kes.ceramics