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Our Story
My sisters and I were born and raised in Tofino. Our father was too. Growing up, Tofino was a very different place than what you see today. It was more a village than a town. The nearest shops were far so we learned to make or trade things to meet our needs and wants.
Our mother made our clothes and taught us to sew. Her blackberry jam is famous. Our father built our home. He’s also a stained-glass artist. Our friends and neighbours are crafters, artists and fishers. We remember our folks trading boat repair services for seafood. In other words, you had to be creative to survive. We learned many of those skills and share those values.
Creative Tofino exists to connect locals and visitors to the handmade traditions we grew up with. We love to learn and share what we know with anyone who wants to take the time to slow down and do it by hand.
The Creative Team
Founder / Instructor
Willa Bradshaw
Willa Bradshaw has many feet in many canoes. She holds a Masters’ degree in medical illustration which combines her passions for science and educational design. She loves travelling abroad and coming home. Willa spent a semester of her High School years in Thailand and a year of her undergrad in Wales. She took three years of Japanese lessons following her visit to that country simply because she loves to learn. After learning pysanky (the Ukrainian art of decorating Easter eggs) from her mother she started leading workshops teaching it, because she loves passing on her skills.
Classes
Modern Hand Embroidery
Watercolour Details I
Watercolour Landscapes I
Sketched Landscapes
Brass Himmeli
Team Mascot
Ella Capshaw
Ella Capshaw spends most of her time sleeping but she is always ready to voice her opinion or hop on our laptop to tell us it’s quitting time. She can often be found in a sunny spot or on top of the cable box.