Heathyr Francis is a bit of a wild child and a weirdo.

She is an Ontario Certified Visual Art and Biology teacher.  Heathyr received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology & Anthropology from Trent University in Peterborough and her teaching qualifications in Art and Biology from Queen’s University in Kingston, with an emphasis in nature-based education.  The transformative experience of earning her Master of Science degree allowed her explore what it means to come to know something in-depth and balance all of life’s learning opportunities. It was during this time that PIN Studios was started in Buckhorn Ontario in 2013.

The combination of art and science continues to be a key driver in Heathyr’s life and work. She lived in the Kawartha Lakes area of Ontario before coming to Charlottetown PEI in 2019. She works out to the PEI Potter’s Studio and longs for the days to be reunited with her raku kiln so she can keep experimenting and playing with clay and fire!

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Artist’s Statement:

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I have been balancing the duality of holding multiple perspectives, between both art and science since I was a child.  The constant flowing river in my life is a love for the land and cherishing the waters.  This has been enriched by my lived experiences, my educational background, and more recently, coming to know Turtle Island from Indigenous perspective, primarily Anishinaabe and Mi’kmaq.  I can now articulate learning about something and learning from the experience as well.  Teachers can be found in all my relations. This is represented in my artistic practices and creations.

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For more ways to keep up to date with Place in Nature Studios, visit:

https://www.facebook.com/PlaceInNatureStudios
https://instagram.com/PIN_Studios
https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/PINStudiosShop
pin.studios@gmail.com

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Land Acknowledgement

I want to acknowledge that land that we are gathered on is unceded!
Meaning never surrendered, never given up, never conquered, never signed over.
It is stolen land.

It is called Epekwitk. It belongs to the Mi’kmaq, it is their territory.

The Treaties of Peace and Friendship was signed in 1725.
Those treaties did not deal with the surrender of lands and resources,
but instead recognized Mi’kmaq title
and negotiated a path toward an ongoing relationship between nations.

So what does this mean to me?

I have been coming to know this place, the land, and the people for the past 3 years.
I do this by establishing relationships where I can.
Putting time, effort, feelings, and understanding into these things.
Giving and receiving. Listening and advocating.
To me, that’s what it means to be a friend.
To have a relationship.

Old stuff:

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PIN Studios started in 2013 in Buckhorn Ontario by Heathyr Francis,  Ontario Certified Art and Biology teacher. Heathyr received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Trent University in Peterborough and her teaching qualifications in Art and Biology from Queen’s University in Kingston, with an emphasis in outdoor education. The combination of art and science continues to be a key driver in Heathyr’s life and work. She has lived in the Peterborough area her entire life and has drawn inspiration for her art from the native species that call the lakes and forests of this area ‘home’. Heathyr’s studio work is profoundly inspired by her passion for Species at Risk and her drive to understand the technical nature of her artistic endeavours.

PIN Studios started with June, 2013 with the assistance of summer company funding from the Province of Ontario with Raku-fired ceramic toad houses. Over the summer Heathyr established ‘Place In Nature Studios’ as a commercial pottery studio and had the pleasure of attending events in Orillia, Bobcaygeon, Lakefield, Bridgenorth, Haliburton, Peterborough, and Alderville. Her toad houses are currently sold in a number of stores in Ontario including Avante-Garden in Peterborough. Heathyr is an active member of the Kawartha Potter’s Guild and participates regularly in their gallery showings, most recently at the Gallery on the Lake in Buckhorn. Teaching continues to be an important pursuit for Heathyr, ranging from working with local Aboriginal youth to teaching pottery classes to various other opportunities that are pursued to enhance her understanding of the natural world around her.

Heathyr’s diverse artistic background draws inspiration from many different forms of art and artists. Sculptors like Joe Fafard help drive Heathyr’s passion for constant evolution and experimentation in her work and the unpredictability of Raku.

“I try things, rather than just repeating the thing that had already proven successful. I take the attitude that I’m like a scientist who want to experiment and discover things and dig out the truth.”

Environmental artist Andy Goldsworthy inspires not only the passion for nature in art but of directly incorporating nature into art. He embraces in his work the impermanent aspect of nature and the role that time and the environment around him play in his art. Heathyr’s use of local plant sources and seasonality in her work embrace this approach in a small but meaningful way.

“I think it’s incredibly brave to be working with flowers and leaves and petals. But I have to: I can’t edit the materials I work with. My remit is to work with nature as a whole.” – Andy Goldsworthy

Current member and Children’s Pottery Class Instructor at PEI Potter’s Studio. 

Previous member and workshop & handbuilding instructors at the  Kawartha Potters Guild. 

This business got its start with funding from the 2013 Ontario Summer Company Program. Find out about the ways they support me here.

Media coverage:

Here’s a clip from an episode of the Garden Gate, on CHEX TV.

And more info about it on the Avant-Garden’s blog:
http://www.avantgardenshop.com/blog/garden-gate-episode-22-toad-houses-and-slug-pubs/

Here’s some insider info as we prepare for winter from the Kawartha Potters Guild website: http://kawarthapottersguild.com/working-on-our-christmas-wares/

Here is a feature piece on me on the peterboroughcanada.com site:
http://peterboroughcanada.com/summer-company-student-combines-science-art-nature/

Here is a clip from a show we attended. Colin can be found in it glazing some pieces in the first 10 seconds of the video:
http://www.chextv.com/2014/05/18/buckhorn-craft-show-gives-tourism-a-boost/

Here is an excerpt from the Peterborough Examiner’s coverage

“I wanted to create a business that had an environmental purpose,” explained 29-year-old Heathyr Francis.
Although Francis has a couple of science degrees, she had difficulty finding work in the field. Thus, she decided to create Place in Nature Studios, a hand-made ceramics business. She creates lawn ornaments that also function as tiny houses for toads, which she sells at art festivals throughout Buckhorn.
“I’ve learned skills that I wouldn’t find sitting in a school classroom,” she says. “It’s so important to learn by experience.”