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.

You can check out Sly's work on Instagram: slyimpatientpawtter.  Her dog, Chief Takoda, represents the classic paw marking on all her pieces. Aside from pottery, Sly enjoys water colouring and spending time camping and exploring Alberta.

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

Meet Danielle

Danielle is a student at the Alberta University of the Arts in Calgary, completing her Bachelor of Design in Illustration, but one of her main passions is clay. She is minoring in ceramics and is expected to graduate in 2025.

With her educational background centered mainly in storytelling, Danielle seeks to connect the maker with the user in both simple and complex ways, be it through surface decoration or through the material itself. She enjoys experimenting with a variety of styles, which means that no two things are exactly alike—which is one of the things about clay that she loves! Her most recent experimentations include the use of wild-collected clay as both a clay body and a glaze additive. Who says you need a science degree to be a scientist?

Danielle has worked in both hand-building and wheel-throwing since she started her studies, and she even bought her own wheel last year (her name is Big Bertha) to keep her skills sharp at home. She loves a good texture, and they appear often in her work, ceramics or otherwise.

Through her ceramic practice, Danielle continues to evolve and grow by connecting with other artists and trying out new things whenever she gets a chance. She is eager to help others begin their ceramic journey and hopeful that she will learn more right along with them.

You can keep up with Danielle’s ever-changing practice on Instagram: @schullustrations

Meet Joan

Joan has always been a maker. From her earliest memories, she has always wanted to express herself through art. She has a Bachelor of Fine Art from the University of Guelph with a specialization in drawing followed by a Bachelor’s of Education from Queen’s University. After taking a pottery class through the City of Calgary recreation program, she fell in love with clay and went back to school to earn a Certificate in Ceramics at Sir Sandford Fleming College. She now practices her art full time and works out of her studio in Bragg Creek, AB. She creates functional ceramic work as well as oil and acrylic paintings and Lino block prints.  One of her favourite ceramic techniques is sgraffito because it lends itself well to her love of drawing and printmaking. 

Her influences and inspirations come from many different sources but most significantly nature inspires her work. She is happiest when immersed in nature and hopes some of that happiness is transferred to her customers. Her love of nature is poured into the process of making each work of art and hopes to spread this love through her artwork.

You can see more of Joan’s work and creative process on Instagram: @joanmatsusakiart