On a warm and sunny Saturday, the St. Albert Farmers' Market was buzzing as crowds of people walked through the hundreds of stalls set up by vendors. Among the booths is Gypsy Jane Pottery, which has had a booth at the market for 15 years.
Standing behind the table is Linette Schurko, owner and creator of Gypsy Jane Pottery, welcoming shoppers into her compact but vibrant space.
Shelves, tables and baskets are overflowing with hand-painted ceramics. Mugs, plates, bowls and more are stacked in colourful arrangements.
At one point, eight people had squeezed into her booth, drawn in by the playful patterns and bright colours. Some people inspect the pottery looking for a cute fruit-themed piece to take home, and others look for the floral-themed mug perfect for their morning coffee.
"These are the ones I love the most," Schurko said, motioning toward a wicker basket filled with some of her favourite pieces. Inside were mugs and plates decorated with multiple hand-painted images ranging from houses and bicycles to florals and dotted designs.
Schurko explained that she draws her inspiration for her pottery and designs from the garden, where there are many flowers and colours to observe.
Schurko has been creating sculptures and pottery since 2010. She started as a sculptor but shifted her focus after realizing pottery was more practical for her to create, and for people to carry home.
"I started out sculpting and then, you know, who's gonna buy sculptures, so we kind of evolved into this [pottery] just to make it more long lasting," she said.
She now brings a new batch of pottery every week, rotating styles and designs to keep things fresh for regular visitors.
"I make a certain amount of stuff every year, what I like, and those are the pieces that I bring," she said, explaining that she then selects a certain amount of products to bring with her to the market each week. "Then each week I add something new, so there's always something different to see."
Each piece takes several days to create, progressing through multiple stages, including shaping, drying, painting, and finally firing in the kiln.
"I make the most of it throughout the winter," she said. "It takes a couple days to make each piece because it comes in stages. You have to make the cup. You got to wait for it to dry, then you got to paint it, and you got to fire it. So it's a long process."
Despite the lengthy process, she said that coming to the market makes it worthwhile.
"I can't complain. I mean, it's perfect," she said. "You get people from Edmonton, you get people from around the area, you get people from St. Albert, you get everywhere."
She said that some of her customers have been with her since the beginning.
"I have some great customers like, they are the best, and they've been with me from the beginning," she said. "I just appreciate St. Albert and the market. It's a great place to be."
You can find Gypsy Jane Pottery at the St. Albert Farmers' Market every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on St. Anne Street, St. Anne Promenade and St. Thomas Street.
