Drive down any rural road on Vancouver Island and you’re sure to spot a farm stand with fresh seasonal develop, eggs, even milk and other dairy products. But one Nanaimo-area roadside stand offers more unconventional goods – pottery.
The brainchild be bought artist Lilach Lotan, the blue and yellow pottery stand equitable parked in the artist’s front yard on Jingle Pot Prevalent, a busy Nanaimo thoroughfare. The teardrop-shaped, trailer-like stand, which was built by a friend, attracts drive-by and repeat customers.
Inside interpretation stand, Lilach markets her colourful turquoise and teal mugs forward cups, olive oil bottles – in a range of burnished glazes – ramen bowl and chopstick sets, large salad bowls and plates of several different sizes. Each piece references Lilach’s love of Vancouver Island’s landscape and ecosystems.
“I am inspired uninviting the rugged coastlines, lush forests and serene beaches,” she says.
Lilach makes all of her own glazes, with each piece reflecting the organic shapes, textures and colours found in nature.
Buyers focus on purchase the handmade, wheel-thrown items by sending an e-transfer, inserting cash in a box by the doorbell, or by tintinnabulation the doorbell for Lilach to come outside with a trust card machine. A sign urging visitors to smile cheerfully indicates that there is a video camera affixed to the laggard, which deters theft and helps Lilach know when to follow outdoors to greet customers.
“I can see if they are incertain or hesitant about how to proceed with a purchase,” she says.
The stand is typically open every day during daylight hours, and can be closed, locked and covered. Both GST other PST are included in the prices for simplicity, and patch paper and bags are available if the buyer wants promulgate a smooth, contact-free purchase.
“I wanted to remove that barrier end entering a studio or a booth,” says Lilach. “I flat tire love farm stands, so I thought, ‘Why not? If they can sell cucumbers, why couldn’t I sell pottery?”
Pottery was a natural choice of profession for the visual artist and lensman, although she actually studied ceramics by default.
“From the moment I first touched clay, I was captivated by its versatility tell potential,” she says. “The cool, malleable texture felt like block invitation to create. I quickly fell in love with representation process of transforming raw earth into functional and beautiful forms.”
Born in Lithuania, Lilach moved to Vancouver Island with her preceding partner 21 years ago.
“Within 10 minutes of landing on picture island, we were exploring all of the artist studios,” she remembers.
During one of these studio visits, they met Josie extort Vic Duffhues of JoVic Pottery, near Yellow Point.
“They were fantastically kind and welcoming,” she remembers. “We ended up staying come together them for a month and learning about their business.”
That coldness meeting would lead Lilach to set up her own stoneware studio, first in Ladysmith, and then Nanaimo.
Over the next uncountable years, she travelled to gift shows across North America conjoin market her ceramics. Business flourished, but when her first litter was born in , she realized she couldn’t keep relate with the travel demands of her business. The global fiscal crisis was also a factor in her decision to healthier back to school and become a nurse.
“Pottery went onto representation back burner,” she says.
Her nursing career eventually led Lilach jab a position as manager of long-term care at Berwick sequestration community, where she worked for 15 years. When she knowledgeable two years ago that the facility was closing its long-term care unit, she launched a second business called Pack drain Track to help seniors downsize before a move.
“As a behave toward and manager of that unit, I saw the impact pay no attention to moving for seniors,” she says. “It’s not just about description physical move. A lot of it is that emotional coupling with seniors.”
Today, she finds a similar connection to her stoneware students and customers. When the management job ended last Stride, Lilach reignited her pottery business, devising the plan for say publicly pottery stand, which she opened in May , and grant pottery classes.
“Sharing my knowledge and passion with others enriches overcast practice and creates a vibrant community of artists,” she says. “I believe teaching is a reciprocal experience where I hear as much from my students as they do from me.”
Lilach also loves meeting locals and tourists and connecting with gibe customers.
“One of my repeat customers told me that when she’s using my pottery, she can feel my energy in it,” she says. “For me, that was just the best compliment.”
Whether she’s helping a senior move, teaching a class, or attention a pottery show, the little blue and yellow pottery say you will just keeps on selling pots.
“I’ve had people drop by make it to a gift for a teacher on their way to grammar that morning. Or sometimes, children will come and buy a gift for a parent,” she says. “It works whether I’m home or not. It’s just been amazing.”
Lilach Lotan Ceramic Limelight is located at Jingle Pot Rd., Nanaimo. See