2405 Beacon Ave, Sidney (upstairs on Beacon)
250.516.7653
• Vintage Clothing • New Clothing • New to U Clothing • Lingerie • Jewelry • Accessories • Shoes • Purses • Memorabilia
fantasy artist & tarot card reader
Alison Spokes by Doreen Marion Gee
778.351.3553 alisonspokes.ca
Comfort. Functionality. Style.
Hook & Hook Renovations
› Interior Design › Custom Cabinetry › Project Management › Historic Home Renovations
250.893.8124 handhrenovations.com
Groom That Dog by Janet Lynch Expert Dog Grooming A Safe Place for Your Dog Pick Up & Drop Off Available Now Featuring:
Anesthetic - Free Teeth Cleaning for Dogs & Cats by Cheyanne Cave www.happytailsteethcleaning.com
Flexible Hours • Pick Up & Drop Off Available 778.977.3647 • 10109 McDonald Park Road (Near Slegg Lumber)
Give us your books – take back your life!
Bookkeeping, Accounting, & Tax Services 3-2490 Bevan Avenue in Sidney 766 Hillside Avenue in Victoria 250.590.5162
The Gift of Wonder!
securityhouseaccounting.com
This is part of a rotating series of articles on members of Sidney Meet Up, featuring people in business on the Saanich Peninsula. Alison Spokes does not live in the ordinary world. Her neighbourhood is a magical place full of mysterious creatures, otherworldly beings, fairies, visionaries and fantasies. The gifted "fairy and fantasy" artist invites us into a mystical realm of imagination and magic. We all need to escape reality once in a while. Alison offers us something precious: the gift of wonder! “Stuff your eyes with wonder!” implores Ray Bradbury in his tale, Something Wicked This Way Comes. Alison Spokes' breathtaking images of a magical alternate world invoke the same sense of childlike awe when beauty and mystery intersect. She utilizes digital technology to manifest her vision, combining an electronic drawing tablet and a computer drawing application with her far-reaching imagination to create one-of-a-kind fantasy illustrations. Tree trunks become magical beings, an ice princess sports white elk antlers and fairies ride large spiders in Alison's exquisitely detailed depictions of an enchanted nether-world. Her magical touch beautifies prints, bookmarks, pendants, cards, necklaces, leggings, tote bags, journals, mugs and more. The talented founder of Ethereal Earth Fantasy Art sells her creations online and in-person at local markets, fairs and festivals. The artist is also well-versed in the art of Tarot and does card readings at Upstairs on Beacon, by appointment only. Her advice to sceptics is “to leave any preconceived ideas at home.” Alison is not a fortune teller: “The best way to predict the future is to create it yourself. I want everyone who has a reading with me to feel empowered and in control of their own destiny and adventure. Everyone has an inner dragon to slay in their life. I use Tarot to help people find that dragon and the courage to overcome obstacles in their own adventure. Book a reading with me and I will help you identify the magic within you.” The playful nature of Alison's art belies more serious intentions: “I want to use my practices to show others how to live more fulfilling lives, or at the very least show them that the world can be a little more magical if they allow it. If nothing else, I want my art to elicit thoughts or feelings of enchantment and wonder in the world, thoughts that maybe there is more there than we know.” The products and services offered by Alison Spokes add another spiritual dimension to our lives, one of childlike wonder and joy at the beauty that surrounds us. We also get a glimpse into another world of fairies, angels and magic. By expanding our own personal universe, we make our overall existence richer and better. And maybe, as Alison says, “we can all be heroes of our own stories.” For more information, visit www.art.alisonspokes.ca.