Anna and Doug France WHAT Clothes Designer (Anna) and Potter (Doug) WHERE Near Perth, dfrance@superaje.com, 267-3729 EVENTS Perth Autumn Studio Tour, Thanksgiving Weekend, Oct. 12-14 One of a Kind Christmas Show and Sale, Toronto, Nov. 28-Dec.8 Anna - One of a Kind Spring Show and Sale, (www.oneofakindshow.com) France Studios Spring Tour, June 7 and 8, 2003 WHY "We wanted a life we could live together, rather than just zipping past each other in the kitchen on our way to work." Previous Artist Trading Cards

See samples of Anna's and Doug's work

Anna and Doug France - As Ye Sow...
By Sally Hansen

So shall we reap. The fruits of the labours of artists Anna and Doug France are abundant and breathtakingly evident as you drive into their country home a few kilometres west of Perth. It is the vast gardens, laden with brilliant flowers, fruit and foliage in spite of this season's harsh draught, that first bear testimony to this couple's gifts for creating beauty. They came to this site 26 years ago and lived in dilapidated buildings without facilities because they could afford it and they had a dream. It was a deliberate decision to choose a lifestyle over careers that would provide "a living". Their exceptional artistic talents and love of quality as well as beauty have enabled them to do both.

Doug's pottery studio and gallery are housed in wooden buildings built in the late 1800's. The blacksmiths who built them hewed and mortised massive wooden timbers with hand axes. Doug points out the solid oak pegs inserted for stability, and shows me the well-worn axe blade responsible for the antique gouges along each timber's edges. Anna's studio and gallery for her Zzaz line of one-of-a-kind women's clothing are a minute away, in the house Doug has spent the past quarter century restoring and renovating. He has also planted a one-acre "forest and game preserve", that now towers over the surrounding meadows and hay fields.

The Power of Two
Anna and Doug both grew up in small towns in the Okanagan, but met years later when their paths crossed at university. After holding conventional jobs (Anna was teaching fibre arts at Algonquin college and Doug was using his background in engineering and business administration working for the Federal Government), the two decided to make a drastic change. They took a year off, travelled across the country, and took art courses in Banff. Anna decided to grow her tapestry and weaving business, and Doug decided to devote himself full time to pottery making. "I liked the material, I'm handy with tools, I realised I could do this; it just took ten years of practise", he quips.

They are unanimous in their happiness with their chosen lifestyle. "We wanted a life we could live together, rather than just zipping past each other in the kitchen on our way to work." Another line I really enjoyed from Doug was "I really couldn't see any toys that were worth the game." It's impossible to disagree as you gaze across the sun-drenched garden paradise they have created, and admire the gorgeous artworks they create.

Doug France - Potter
Doug sold his first piece during his first year of potting, and the pieces on display 27 years later in his studio and among the gardens are dramatic evidence of the old saw "practise makes perfect". But like wonderful music, Doug's pottery reflects more than technical perfection. He brings his own spirit and interpretation into his pieces. "I enjoy the physicality of pottery - it's like gardening. The medium allows me to play with my appreciation of nature."

Doug combines that appreciation with extensive knowledge to create wonderful ceramic glazes that enrich the strong forms and clean simplicity of his bowls, platters, jars, and other pieces. His unique wood-ash glazing enables him to bring out the earthy tones of a high quality stoneware clay from Medicine Hat, Alberta, and add enormous visual interest. He produces his pottery entirely by hand using a potter's wheel and various hand techniques. To me, he somehow achieves an astonishingly satisfying balance between perfectionism and artistic freedom.

Anna France - Clothing Designer
Under her label Zzaz, Anna offers one-of-a-kind women's artwear of couturier quality. Her jackets, coats and vests are striking compositions of colour and form that are contemporary, yet timeless in design.

Anna defines artwear as art that starts with the body. The three-dimensional human form is the natural canvas that the fabric artist works upon with her rich palette of textures, colours and patterns. When the human canvas animates itself through movement, the real talent of the designer as sculptor is revealed.

Every day we exercise our choice of garb, making a statement about our personality, our mood, attitude and culture. Simply by changing costume we can transform ourselves. According to Anna, how the body feels in the clothes is just as important as how the clothing feels on the body. An interesting outfit can take on a life of its own and influence how we act and feel, as well as affecting those who see us in it. "I believe that a person who wears one of my garments should feel good about wearing it. Women who buy my clothing know they will be noticed. In a world full of power suits, T-shirts and jeans, it requires a dash of piZazz to wear exciting and unique garments that make a statement."

Unable to resist, I slipped into several stunning jackets. To my dismay, I found them to be as comfortable as they are gorgeous. Now I know what "artwear" can be when it is executed with the quality and pizazz of Zzaz. "Dear Santa..."

First Stop on the Perth Autumn Studio Tour
The France Studios (Stop 1) definitely should be one of your stops during the tenth anniversary Perth Autumn Studio Tour taking place this Thanksgiving Weekend, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, October 12,13 and 14, from 10AM to 5PM. Admission is free and opportunity for enjoyment is inestimable. With ten studio locations in close proximity, highlighting almost 30 artisans, this Tour is a wonderful showcase for contemporary fine crafts. I can't think of a more pleasurable way to get a head start on your Christmas shopping than to visit the unique homes and rural studios of fine artisans like Doug and Anna France! The website at http://perthstudiotour.com/ provides a map as well as details about the artisans and photos of their work. You can also contact them at dfrance@superaje.com.