Art, music, yoga and jewelry at Toadally in Orillia are a totally awesome mix for local artist Jessica Martin.
With a recent expansion of her space, the sky is the limit and she is looking forward to offering her services in an accessible and inclusive way.
“Art has always been a part of my life. I’ve always been artistic and loved making things. It’s really exciting to step into something like this and have people come into the studio and design something with them, and then we make it and it comes to life. It’s a really cool thing,” said Martin.
She is holding an open house at Toadally, 120 Brant St. E., on Friday, Sept. 27 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., offering a welcoming atmosphere to drop in and chat, learn, and even begin a project with a loose consultation. By 6 p.m., a yoga class will take place in the spacious yard outside, weather permitting, along with live music since Martin can often be found with her fiddle. People wanting to sign up for yoga can do so on the Toadally website.
She brings passion and drive to help design custom pieces. Her process involves a range of artistic practices, from sketching to the more gritty and technical metalwork.
She normally works by appointment, so the open house will be a day to meet and greet, gain recognition of her services, and ultimately grow a community built on a culture of individuality.
Martin’s story of art reaches back to her childhood, making jewelry with beads and creating other art. She fondly remembers working at Magpie Bead Co. when it was open in downtown Orillia, and she often wonders about the possibilities that existed with a business like that.
Over the course of seven years at Georgian College, Martin studied several areas of interest, including fine art and photography, which are incorporated in her work now. She ultimately decided to focus on jewelry and she expanded her goldsmith craft.
This array of skills, combined with her interests as a multimedia artist and passion for creation, were the lily pads for Toadally’s grand opening — a business idea she says has always been with her.
“The symbol of the toad jumping from place to place is like me,” she said, likening it to her love to explore various ideas, which allowed her to create the holistic space that is her studio.
It did, however, come from a little bit of leaping around. Martin has worked hard to bring her work to art shows, both locally and beyond, over the years, all while working with individual clients on repairs or creating unique items from previously loved jewelry needing a revamp or repurpose.
Some of her work involves a process known as anodizing. This is where the jewelry obtains a colour variation depending on how much electrical current she uses. She loves playing around with these details to see what she can create next.
“You can get anywhere from yellow, blue, purple, pink, sort of anything in there,” she said.
Slightly eclectic and far from shy to explore new territory, Martin’s drive comes from a love for combining wellness practices and art in a unique blend of activities and products. She notes how it often leaves people feeling happy and whole, a message that remains important across all of her endeavours.
From performing with her bands to teaching yoga and pushing the boundaries of her artistic expressions, Martin’s work overlaps technical practice with a magical wonder for the unknown. She is excited to broaden awareness of her work, made possible by deciding to expand her space.
Collaboration is also important to her. As part of a campaign to raise awareness of intimate partner and domestic violence, she worked with Green Haven Shelter for Women, which organizes the Take Back the Night event in Orillia, and other local businesses and artists to create and design bags raising funds for the cause.
Martin describes her brand as “fun and grounding,” key components in her personal story as well as her business endeavours. She views her studio as a space for everyone to be happy and themselves, so the open house will have a less formal but welcoming atmosphere.
“I feel like it’s really important to be grounded in this life ... It’s important to know who you are and be in that responsibility for who you are. Taking everything that we are and sharing that with people is the most important thing. I find when you do that, people find that they can be themselves, too, and it’s just a much happier place for people to be,” she said.
