About Ninth Wave Arts

Cheryl Gorman - Chair

I am so grateful for everyday moments of magic and mystery. They are what keep me filled with awe and focused on compassionate living. I come from a family of storytellers and crafters and have fond memories of the farmhouse kitchen of my Irish kin, crammed with family and neighbours dancing, fiddling, singing, and telling stories. Another memory lingers of sitting around a quilting frame with women and girls of all ages laughing and sharing news as the needles flew through fabric patches assembled into works of art. I get jazzed by things like camping with my partner in our tiny travel trailer and writing and hosting a Steampunk Murder Mystery based on true events in our neighbourhood in the 1890’s with parts for 50 neighbours. I have searched a long time for a community that welcomes those practicing Indigenous ways of being and knowing from many lineages. I love the focus on learning that Ninth Wave Arts is committed to. I am a ‘wayshower’ and at my best when I can support people in connecting with the Universe and their Highest Selves.

Evelina Proeva - Vice Chair

Bulgaria is my birthplace and where my heart lives in blood, breath and bone; the place of good cheese, yogurt, wine and roses. Mountains are my source of solace and old languages my inspiration. My studies of herbs, stones, essential oils and mysteries keep me in conversation with nature. My memories of wildcrafting, hiking, and making preserves at the side of my maternal Grandmother Sofia keep me true to the old traditions. Cuddling with kitties and tending to my flowers fill my days. Whispers of my work with ancient words and plants inform my love of folk remedies and folk stories.

Melanie Paquette - Treasurer

I like to make things and experiment with different types of divination. I’m inspired by moments of every-day magic, like seeing a beautiful spider web, or having a friend randomly contact me just as I was thinking about them, or singing a song and then hearing it on the radio a few minutes later. It reminds me that everything is connected. My grandfather was an amazing storyteller, and it seems to run in the family. I have great memories of sitting in my grandparents' living room (which looked different every time we went because my grandfather would decide to move the staircase or put up a new wall) listening to my grandpa telling the same stories over and over again. I’m inspired by the way NWA works with the idea of like-purposed-ness. That a community of people who may have little in common in how they think about things can come together and build something incredible is amazing. I also really like the balanced approach NWA takes to using the tools of today (like the internet) to reclaim the ways of the past.

Penelope Reed (Penny) - Secretary

I’m totally in love with plants. Some people call me a plant whisperer, and though I am a trained horticulturist, much of my joy for them comes from the conversations I have with them. I love to forage and harvest plants and conjure a variety of herbal remedies. Nature is my muse and inspires my multi-media art practice. I like to weave the healing powers and beauty of plants and crystals into sacred art. I’m constantly taking long walks in the forest and having relationships with trees and critters while dreaming about kitchen or garden projects. As a social service worker, sound healer and yoga instructor, I know how much nature can have an impact on well-being. NWA is a great place to be. I find myself saying over and over again ‘it’s happening’. I appreciate the stories that are rising out of this place.

Jessica Hibberd (Jess) - Member at Large

I’m an artist in my heart and have been creating art ever since I can remember. Although my practical job at present is with the Government of Canada, creativity is what calls to me, whether pottery, music, cooking or paddling down the Mississippi River in Almonte. The oceans, lakes and rivers speak to my soul, and the stars sing in the tone of the day for me. My latest pottery projects have be inspired by the whales and peacefulness of the sea. I’ve felt the pull to visit ancient sites and lands around the world and hope to travel to many more. I grew up with the music of my family having jam sessions in the living room, which encouraged my interest in multiple musical instruments. I feel a longing to bring back the old way of living, being, and creating together in community.

Meaghan Guthrie - Member at Large

I’m an avid gardener and love to paint and craft in my spare time, which is not very frequent given that I own a busy retail store filled with magical things. I love to go on spontaneous adventures finding new trails or places because nature truly inspires me. NWA bridges a gap, which also inspires me, by encouraging us to remember who we are and having a space for the community to wonder about this together. I’m a supportive sports mom and a regular human who believes in magic. I remember crafting with my grandmother, and those memories have kept me interested in all things folk arts. I still hold those memories close and do and learn all the creative things I can to keep connected to that energy. I make 'intention' candles as part of my business and love to watch people’s spirits light up when they find the perfect candle for themselves. The world is a magical place.

Wenske Pasman - Member at Large

I grew up as a “free-range” child, attending Waldorf school for most of my education. I remember my dad waking my sisters and me in the middle of the night to see the sea under the full moonlight, and my mum decorating our home with dozens of candles on the evening we celebrated Sint-Maarten, a Dutch tradition aligned with Samhain. Creativity, honouring the land, and living with the seasons have always been woven into my life.

Nature is my truest inspiration, light is my companion, and my family is my pride. I find deep joy in noticing the beauty of everyday moments, drinking coffee with my husband, listening to our son’s view on life, and translating the healing work of wise people into brand designs, websites, and online courses.

Folk wisdom and the arts are not relics of the past. They are medicine for the soul, the secret ingredient that makes life richer and more meaningful. Ninth Wave Arts is a generous space to learn, remember, and reclaim this wisdom and these arts for your own life.

Kristine Karpinski (Kris) - Founding Member

I find myself looking down at my hands as I bake or craft or stir and notice the hands of my mother and grandmother reflecting back. My grey hair reminds me that time is passing and with it the luxury of waiting. When I say the words folk arts and folk wisdom, the part of my soul that yearns takes a big breath and sighs in satisfaction. I’ve got things to do and trees to talk too. My days consist of working as a healing practitioner, teacher, mentor, creative, and my nights consist of dancing with the moon and singing with the stars. Star Trek offers my prime directive, and cats are my kin. My loud laugh gets me moved in restaurants, and my heart longs for the green mountains. My calling is in service to others and the greater story.