Stormy
Director of Marketing and Parties
Does all the rest of the things too
Stormy
Director of Marketing and Parties
Does all the rest of the things too
Working from home this mastermind paints all of the sample pieces, organizes online classes, parties and events and works her marketing magic.
Janna
Head Honcho
Janna
Head Honcho
As our fearless leader you can meet Janna in person at the studio most days. She is always happy to greet new guests and make friends.
Q: TELL US A BIT ABOUT WHERE YOU COME FROM?
Janna: Well, I like to say I am from everywhere. Growing up I moved with my parents about every two years. We journeyed from Ft. Mc. Murray Alberta where I was born, all across Canada and back. I landed in Victoria for university in 2006 and fell in love (with the city first, but also with a man) which kept me here through my school days, with a brief eight months stint on the big island of Hawaii. Theoretically, I am from hard work, determination, play, and thinking outside the box.
Q: WHEN DID YOU BEGIN YOUR ART JOURNEY?
Janna: A looooong time ago in a land far, far away. Well, maybe not that long ago. I can’t remember the first time I picked up a paint brush, but I do remember the day I fell in love with painting on ceramics, it was a birthday party at a paint your own ceramics studio when I was 5. And the rest, as they say, is history. Through school, in every class I was “that kid” who got on the nerves of every teacher because she was drawing instead of listening. I was lucky to be moved to the fine arts program where I felt more at home.
Q: WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF FIRED UP!?
Janna: I like to think I have an adventurous spirit, I enjoy finding new places and doing things I have never done before. I also like to swim, run, see movies, and spend time with friends and family. Outside of the usual distractions I like to pay attention to world events and speculate on what I would do if I ran it (the world, that is), then debate with my counterpart Ryan who always has two cents to put in. We now have two additions to our family, our sons, Garon and Finton, who keeps us very busy all day (and some of the night) and I am very much enjoying learning about the world through their eyes. I am also very excited that I have my own babies to do loads of hand and foot print examples!
Q: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOUR?
Janna: Red! For as long as I can remember. It’s such a great colour to describe any feeling; passion, fear, excitement, romance, anger, joy, you name it.
Q: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TEA TO SIP IN THE STUDIO?
Janna: Depending on my mood I usually like to sip Ruby Pagoda or Anglewater when i’m feeling like something calming and herbal. When I need a pick-me-up I go strait for the Roasted Yerba Mate.
Q: WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE OUR GUESTS TO KNOW?
Janna: I am a sucker for a good pun! Once I was in a drama about puns, really it was just a play on words.
Ryan
The Doer of the Things
Ryan
The Doer of the Things
“The brains of the operation”
Q: TELL US A BIT ABOUT WHERE YOU COME FROM?
Ryan: I’m of two minds on this one, so this will be a choose your own adventure sort of game. If left brain dominant, choose response A. If right brain dominant, choose response A’. If you are a well balanced individual or have some free time, take the derivative of response A and integrate A’.
Response A:
I came, by way of the interior, to Uvic in 2001. Six years, six COOP’s and 150+ credits at Uvic culminated in my degree in Mechanical Engineering and a dabbling in a business minor.
Response A’:
Assembled in the cosmos, twice fully digested and respirated thousands of times by dinosaurs, dictators and donkey’s, Ryan’s current form was assumed in 1982AD. Born a leo to 30 years of rainless summer birthdays, he was nurtured as a special benevolent with the ego to match. Always conflicted and driven half mad by the constant bickering between the raging capitalist libertarian and the sock and sandal wearing hippie in his mind, Ryan settled on the west coast as a product of his weakness for scholarship money and as a balance to all those sunny birthdays.
A climate most conducive to socks and sandals only sweetened the deal for both sides given the increased consumerism required in excess wool sock wear, with additional dryer time being offset by the decreased use of foot odour products
Q: WHEN DID YOU BEGIN YOUR ART JOURNEY?
Ryan: I’m not a believer in the arbitrary delineation of beginnings and ends. As a founding principal of my Consequence of Proceeding Events (COPE), art has always been a part of my life, suppressed at moments, exhibited in many forms, especially through my high school and engineering years.
Q: WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF FIRED UP!?
Ryan: I operate the company Emergent Access which so far unsuccessfully aspires to accommodate all of the fleeting passions that I have. I also spend an excessive amount of time imagining the iterations of paths that I could choose to follow and seeking perfection.
Q: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TEA TO SIP IN THE STUDIO?
Ryan: I tend to sip, nay, guzzle large cups of Chai with honey and cream.
Kristin
Creative Director and General Manager
Kristin
Creative Director and General Manager
All things pretty and glitter. That’s Kristin
Q: Tell us a bit about where you come from
A: I come from a land far away. Where the sky is purple and the water is 82 shade of blue/teal/aqua. Animals and people live together and I regularly had tea with Aurora the Moose and Liam the Stag. I actually was born and raised in Victoria and area, except 6 years when Alberta seemed like a cool place to live. But I’m an island girl and this is home.
Q: Where did your art journey begin?
A: It began before I can remember. It’s always been my passion and my heart. I love to create and feel antsy when I’m not.
Q: What is your favourite colour?
A: Purple!…and aqua…and the rainbow(with pink instead of red) and glitter!!!!
Q:What other things do you do outside of Fired Up!?
A: Explore beaches and forests with my husband and our two kids. I also spend time as a face painter.
Q: What is your favourite tea to sip in the studio?
A: Angel Water or Early Grey
Q: What is one thing people should know about you?
A: I have emitephobia. It’s real and I am not making it up. And I know it’s weird.
Q: What was the last thing you donated to a thrift store?
A: Books