“…peaceful pastures and dim, quiet forests, satisfy my need for the unpeopled places.”
HONICA ZYLSTRA”…peaceful pastures and dim, quiet forests, satisfy my need for the unpeopled places.”Honica Zylstra, Tofino Blue.
By her own admission, Honica Zylstra prefers the company of stones. The well-known BC jewelry designer has tens of thousands of stones in her collection and while she is familiar with each one-its texture, shape, heft-she waits for the stones to tell her how they should be used.
“I’ve had some stones for more than 25 years,” Zylstra said. “I wait for the right opportunity…the perfect piece for each one.” Her patience-and deference to the stones-has earned Zylstra scores of loyal clients, a reputation as one of Canada’s most talented designers, and space with retail giants like Saks Fifth Avenue.
At last count, Honica (who admits to having only three pairs of earrings, one broach, a necklace, and a couple of bracelets herself) had 35 different collections all made from semi-precious stones, glass, minerals, silver, brass and copper sourced from around the world. Several collections have become classics-changing slightly over time–while others follow consumer demand and nuances in the marketplace.
“There is a constant ebb and flow in the market,” said Zylstra who admits that while marketing is not her forte, there is nothing quite like meeting her clients in person and hearing first-hand why her work speaks to them.
Zylstra’s work has been speaking to people for more than 30 years. Originally from the Netherlands, she grew up in Manitoba and comes from a family of artists. Zylstra dabbled in painting, sculpting, quilting, and weaving before discovering the art of jewelry-making in the early 1990s. She said that working with her hands is both physically and emotionally satisfying and that she has an “absolute need” to make things.
Fortunately for her clients, Zylstra’s need to create things is as strong now as when she began. She has no plans to retire or to ease up on her workload. Most days, for hours at a time, she can still be found in her Victoria studio, near the “quiet forest”, waiting patiently for the stories of her stones.
Honica Zylstra’s work can be found at Side Street Studio in Victoria. For more information visit http://www.sidestreetstudio.com/
