Opaloma Gift Guide 2025
Someone buy this Kaley Flowers x Carson Teal Opaline mirror before I do! 😅
I've been making gift guides professionally for over a decade now, and I am so excited to spotlight the work of local artists, designers and makers here. Whether you’re looking for something functional that has a surreal twist (i.e. Sirius Glassworks’ cheeky egg-topped carafe) or an item that speaks to the recipient’s true loves (i.e. a Passion Flower scarf for a garden girlie), these pieces are all equally loveable. I originally sent my gift guide suggestions out via the Opaloma newsletter, but decided to post my selections, as well as a few more, here as well – and not just because my husband ended up buying me Drea Cohane’s gorgeous painting Whipesnade after seeing it in my guide….
Because we live “In this economy….?”, each item in this array comes in under $500; it’s what I consider to be a more than palatable price-point for a piece of local original or limited edition art. The assortment boasts a range of materiality and one suggestion, the custom yarn portrait by Alisa McRonald, will take some time to make; but this gives you the chance to get crafty and make a little card explaining that what's to come is well worth the wait! And for the fabulous Sara Angelucci scarves: Orders to arrive for Christmas must be made by December 5th.
Practical Ceramics & Glass
Nothing beats a beautiful gift that also serves a purpose! Who wouldn’t want to place something wonderful in Dianne Lee’s lovely figurative planter set that’s part of the Toronto-based artist’s Handy series? I’m especially drawn to it because the bowl component has drainage holes – something frustratingly rare with many plant pots for some reason.
We have a couple of pieces by Julie Moon in our place, and both are superbly functional and pleasing to look at. Her hexagonal dish could hold all manner of things from rings to fragrant dried flowers. And Sirius Glassworks’ whimsical carafe begs to be filled with wine, water or anything in between at future brunches. Ditto Courtney Downman’s elegant half-matte serving bowl!
For more eclectic sorts, the magnificent mirror collaboration between local ceramic artist Kaley Flowers (we have a few pieces by her, too) and glass artist Carson Teal is absolutely a must.
Wearable Art
As a person who has successfully grown a Passion Flower plant on our Toronto balcony, I was immediately enamoured with Sara Angelucci’s powerful, printed in Montréal accessory; and once I knew the backstory behind her project Small Angel Productions, I was even more endeared to the design. Proceeds from Sara’s scarves go towards a fund she manages for her friend as they navigate addiction recovery; so, these botanical scarves are sewing some very important seeds.
There are two whimsical wearable ceramic items here; one by Toronto-based artist Kendra Yee and one from Winnipeg’s Meghan Greenlay. And for statement jewellery lovers on your list, Jude’s ring and Warren Steven Scott’s earrings are perfect touches.
Works For The Walls
Thrilling 2D and 3D works made from an incredible range of materials will lift any room’s ambiance. For fans of abstract works, there’s Che Ree Kwon’s bold Breeze #5 mixed media painting and Emily Zou’s Fairly Glen, which is fabricated from found objects.
I love the graphic lines of Camille Jodoin-Eng’s Robot Arm (made of newspaper, adhesive, and metallic leaf), and David Brown’s encaustic monotype and acrylic with tessellation fold wall work. Luke Painter’s Fountain screenprint also has a pleasingly geometric language to it.
If figurative works are preferred, all manner of mediums abound. Alisa McRonald’s custom yarn portraits can be done of a loved one, pet or celebrity and take six-to-eight weeks to complete. Lilly Mia Black’s oil painting, To See but Not Feel, and Emmanuel Udeh’s charcoal, graphite and coloured pencil piece, Nonchalant, are both deeply captivating in their abstracted realism; the same can be said about Franco Deleo’s photograph depicting a woman holding a photo of herself. When I saw it in person last year, I couldn’t stop thinking about its tricky effect on the eye! Cape Dorset-based artist Pitseolak Qimirpik’s lithographic work, Shaman Transformation, is equally enchanting, as is the depiction of Sedna riding a sled in textile artist Veronica Manilak’s felt wall hanging.
