This holiday season we've partnered with our friends at on a series of videos where we're sharing some of the most awesome stuff happening down there. Here are episodes , and of 4. While we were filming I learned a ton about this gem of False Creek so over 12 days we're also bringing you inside with a series of blog posts.
I learned a ton and I also met a ton of people and really got to know the place better than I could have imagined. The Railspur District on the East side of the Island is a place I hadn't spent much time previously, and strolling in to each of the shops there I got an appreciation for something that was set up years ago and is really, really working; the artist studio as a retail space. Artisans inhabit these open spaces during the day and will be working on their craft as well as being available for questions and of course to sell their wares. These humans and their work make visiting the island to shop infinitely more interesting than most other shopping experiences anywhere.
One such artisan I enjoyed spending time with was Federico M茅ndez-Castro of . You really have to go inside his shop to see his pieces and the attention to detail, then stick around and be exposed to his passion for telling you all about the hows and whys of what he's doing. He's a true master of his craft, possessing more knowledge about wood and its properties than I likely know about... well... anything. At one point in our visit I glanced over at a piece of wood on a shelf and he told me the story of exactly what tree it came from in South America, and why it smelled the way that it did. I picture him working on it right now turning it into a beautiful piece that someone will one day own.
Photos: Christine McAvoy
J眉rgen Sch枚nheit at Forge and Form, pictured below, is a silver and gold smith whose skill at his craft might only be matched by his knack for conversation and bringing a smile to people's faces. He often wears a bowtie crafted out of pure gold (he also sells them!) and creates custom jewelry as well as household objects. If you're in the area, do stop in and say hello; he's the most jovial of all the characters I met while on the island and I plan to return and see what he's up to whenever I'm there.
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