Soigne is pleased to grow through many guest teachers from around the world.

Their passion, commitment and broad experience makes soigne a unique place to learn.

Beata Kacy

Originally from Poland, Beata Kacy is the creator and founder of Soigne. Beata is a PMC level1 Certified Instructor. She pursues her life’s bliss in the outdoors, finding art, in all its forms, wherever she goes. A bohemian at heart, most of her life was spent studying, experimenting with, and learning the behaviors of different medias. You can often see her expressing her creative passions on the streets of Vancouver with a camera, or in her art studio making and teaching jewelry. She has cultivated her artistic outlook during her travels around the ancient globe. As she grew into a full-fledged artist, Beata began experimenting with other mediums such as clay, concrete, resin, stone and glass. With a Master’s Degree in Marketing Management and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Computer Science, Beata further honed her artistic sense by attending Vancouver Film School. She is also a graduate from Emily Carr University where she studied Fine Arts in Practice.

On any given day, Beata can be found hard at work in her studio creating masterpiece quality jewelry and accessories. She runs her own studio alongside her partner Nik Palmer, called Octopus Studios (www.OctopusStudios.com on the East Side of Vancouver. Beata’s studio is currently home to 12 artists who are cultivating their own crafting expertise at the helm of a true artistic master. Soigne Atelier was born from her passion for metalwork, nature and photography. All 3 aspects combined together allow her to explore different methods of jewelry making using glass, wood, metals, cement, resin, images and found objects. Beata’s designer jewelry has been showcased in Ginger 62 at the Ayden Gallery. Locally, her designs are available at Portobello West.

Demer McIntosh

Demer received a diploma in Jewelry art and design at Vancouver Community College in 2003. Soon after graduation she won a bench scholarship at Object Design Gallery, where she launched a new line and created a solo exhibit. She also had hands on mentoring under master goldsmith Sako Khatcherian and Tamara Clark, proprietors of Object Design Gallery. In 2005 Demer set-up shop at her home, and continued to create custom made pieces of jewelry, and sell her line at Object Design Gallery, El Cartel on Robson Street and at other various boutiques. Most recently she has solely focused on only creating custom jewelry privately and experimenting with other forms of wearable art.

Demer is inspired by natures organic shapes, textures, and intricate patterns. Art Nouveau architecture and Japanese block prints often influence her style. She thrives to handcraft jewelry that is unique, personal and wearable. She works with silver, enamel, leather, hardwoods and gemstones. She often ornaments surfaces with granulation and etching. Demer enjoys experimenting with different techniques and creating new and inventive ways of applying them. Her goal has always been to push her creative vision into new dimensions, allowing herself the freedom to manifest whatever form it may take. She is excited to be a part of Soigne workshops, and looks forward to sharing her
inspiration!

Kristal Viñas Díaz

Since she was a child, Kristal already loved producing handmade products having taken her first steps learning different techniques to make hair accessories and her first jewelry designs during her summer school holidays at her auntie’s workshop where she also became a fashion jewelry instructor.

After completing the school she joined a design college in her native Venezuela where she graduated as an Industrial Designer. She continued learning and improving her jewelry making techniques, at different schools and with recognized jewelers in South America and in Spain where she moved to study a Masters in New Products Design and she lived during 7 years.

She came to visit Vancouver two years ago when she was quickly besotted by the city’s charm, recently settling here. Soigne is part of her new life and she will be teaching and sharing with us what she learned around the world.

Ina Stehle

Ina is a German apprenticed goldsmith and is visiting Vancouver for one year to find new inspirations for her work and to inspire others. She made her apprenticeship at a well known jeweller’s in Aachen from 2001 until 2005 to learn the traditional handcraft of a goldsmith. During this time she participated in additional goldsmith training for special techniques and won several prices from the guild of goldsmithing. After becoming a goldsmith she worked for different businesses to improve her technical skills and became self employed in Hamburg in 2007. She designed and manufactured mainly one of a kind jewellery – fascinated by modern design and the beauty of gemstones. You can see some of her work at www.inastehle.de

She taught several jewellery courses over the last three years in her atelier in Hamburg. The wedding ring, wax carving and casting courses were particularly popular. Now you have the possibility to learn the traditional metalsmith techniques from her.

Tibor Papp

Tibor received his Goldsmith Diploma more than 20 years ago in Hungary, Europe. Working in various positions he gained experience in practically every field of the trade. After years of practice he completed preparatory course, took the examination and became a Master Goldsmith. Later he established his store making his own jewellery for years while also pursuing his education in stone setting. He came to Vancouver in 2001 and found a job at one of the most reputable high-end jewellery stores in the city. 6 years later Tibor started his own business -Magic Deer Jewellery- creating his own pieces for private clients and other jewellery businesses across Canada and the US.

Tibor has a great passion about creating custom high quality fine jewellery. His style is contemporary design with simple, clean lines, but often inspired by elements and methods of “classic” jewellery making techniques. Solid “old-school” training and education in fine arts, combined with two decades of experience enables him to create his hand-fabricated pieces, that meet the highest quality standards and represent simple aesthetics and long-lasting value.

Tibor is a great fond of other art-forms such as film, music and photography, which is also one of his hobbies. He is also an avid hiker, kayaker, skier and fisherman. When not behind the bench he can be found in one of the remote corners of our beautiful Province enjoying the the Great Outdoors.

Check out his website at: www.magicdeerjewellery.com

Paul Tanner

Paul started his jewellery career through the co-op education program at his high school in Victoria, BC. Working at a number of shops, he did a variety of jobs including casting, repairs and fabricating silver jewellery and silverware.

After high-school graduation, Paul continued on the path to becoming a jeweller by working for several companies in the Victoria area and learning a range of skills. He worked at company called Porter Bolton, where he learned mass-production casting by making the brass badges for Princess Patricia’ s Canadian Light Infantry, and learned repair work by working on items for Birks. He also worked at a studio called Goldman Jewellery, where he completed commercial repairs for 13 Peoples Jewellers stores. Paul then moved to Shimmer Design Studio/ Atkinson Diamond Setters where he learned diamond setting in bead, channel, gypsy and pavé styles, and continued to hone his custom work and casting skills.

After many years of knocking on doors, Paul got an apprenticeship with Idar Jewellers, where he completed a four-year apprenticeship in three years and learned how to make hand-fabricated jewellery, to do engraving and stone setting and to fine tune his casting work.

After over five years with Idar, Paul moved to Van Isle Jewellers and Francis Jewellers, where he continued to practice his fabricating skills. Paul retired from commercial jewellery after 10 years in the field, but continues to create special custom pieces for private customers, friends and family.

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