Fresh 48 sessions take place 24 to 48 hours after baby is born, usually at the place of birth, this can be the Hospital, at your Home or a Birth Centre — wherever you gave birth.

An intimate and tender time when you are still marvelling over your little one. You want to engrain all of the tiny details of your perfect baby into your mind forever. You want to remember your daughter and son's face when they meet their new sibling.

We happened upon the most beautiful golden light this warm summer evening. In retrospect, nothing else would have been good enough for this glowing goddess.

Have you ever thought about getting your family's photos taken but have been concerned that your children might not "behave" for a family photo session? Are you worried that they might run around, play in the mud, throw rocks in the river and never let go of that one perfect stick that they found!?

What would you say if I told you this is EXACTLY what I, as a photographer thrive on — it's kind of what I want! I love to capture children as they really are; endless bundles of energy, sassy and sweet, curious and full of wonderment.

A long time from now, this is how you will affectionately remember this season of your life and I want to remind you of how beautiful it really was, amidst the chaos.

ONE

It is literally the story of how your baby was born. Birth photography is an honest, documentary-style portrayal of this incredible life event. The moment of relief and pure joy once baby is born, or the first time your eyes lock or the expression of pride as your partner holds his little girl. There are so many intense moments and emotions surrounding labour and delivery, understandably recollection of this time can be blurry. Birth photography captures these precious memories for you to treasure and reflect upon forever.

TWO

With the caesarean birth of my second son there were some minor complications and he was taken to the NICU. However, I wasn’t told about this concern until after my recovery when I was shown an empty room, expecting to see my husband with our baby in his arms. Six hours after the birth of my son I finally held and nursed my baby for the first time. I believe that this lead to an inability to bond with my baby and sent me down the long and terrible road of postpartum depression. There is of course no way of knowing for sure, but I think having had photographs capturing the first six hours of his life and the moment we were reunited may have helped my recovery. For a family experiencing a traumatic birth these images can be healing and therapeutic.

THREE

Birth is incredible and women are amazing. Period. There is a disconnect between society and the way women's bodies and birth in general is viewed. I want to show our community how beautiful birth is and how strong all women are. Your journey to motherhood and the way in which your baby is birthed is unique but all of our stories are equally as beautiful. Creating portraits of strength and showing the variety of ways in which women birth; at the hospital with a doctor, a water birth with a midwife or as an elective caesarean — sharing these different experiences fosters connection in our community and our lives. This is just one way of contributing to create a normalcy around birth.

Did you have any of your births photographed? Would you ever consider it, why or why not?

The Paisley Earth Studio is situated in the former Beaverlodge library building. A beautiful and eclectic arrangement of intricately handcrafted pottery gleans in the afternoon sunlight. The light filters through the windows, dancing, as my eyes trace through the gallery, akin to the birds and bumblebees flitting from flower to flower that adorn the beautiful pieces on display.

“Through the artistic process and play of materials gifts of the art can be discovered, but only through the practice of the art itself. It leads me through one exploration into the next. I am in search of a beauty that stirs my heart, that butterfly in the stomach sensation. When I feel it, I follow it " explains Dori Braun, owner of Paisley Earth Studio.

Paisley Earth Studio focuses on creating handcrafted, one-of-a-kind wheel thrown, table and giftware. Through the various distinct styles portrayed in her ceramic work it is apparent that Braun has a diverse creative background, with a Diploma of Visual Arts and training in printmaking, drawing, graphic design and painting. Braun first began to explore her love for sculpture as a young child upon discovering local clay and creating unfired sculptures. At the age of 17 Braun took the first of many ceramic classes at the Northern Lights College and by 21 began teaching ceramics to children at the Richmond Arts Centre. “Teaching others is equally satisfying and rewarding. I love sharing some basic pottery skills and lessons with my students and watching their excitement and creativity blossom into original ideas of their own,” remarks Braun.

“My favourite part of the ceramic arts is the endless possibilities in combing the elements of earth, water, fire and air. It is demanding, challenging and altogether fascinating,” clarifies Braun.

By this time next year, Braun will have a full time studio with an adjoining gallery featuring her work along with the works of other local artists. The gallery will be open to the public Friday evening and Saturday during the day. Paisley Earth Studios is currently offering group classes and private lessons in beginner, intermediate and advanced ceramics. Check in with Paisley Earth Studios on Facebook for updates.

Paisley Earth handcrafted goods are sold at the Dawson Creek Art Gallery, Picture It Framing in Dawson Creek and the Cultural Centre Gift Shop in Beaverlodge, AB.

After a personal challenging experience into motherhood, Alicia Michetti realized that many women struggling in similar situations may also be feeling isolated or alone. Through the use of carefully chosen stones strung upon the wrist, Michetti’s newly launched company: Journey Tree aspires to create an uplifting community of women with hopes of creating or expanding their family who may be on a similar painful journey. After two agonizing years of trying to realize their dream of starting a family, the Michetti’s were blessed with identical twin boys on February 12, 2017.

"Every time someone shares their individual journey with me I get more inspired and am continuously reminded as to why I am doing this, the reason why I started Journey Tree,” explains Michetti. After feeling that no one understands, having women share their personal stories with one another brings a glimmer of hope and a smile to women who previously felt alone but now feel support and connection during some of their darkest days. The bracelets were conceived as a symbol of connection — a support network for women on their various paths to motherhood or in some cases, already in motherhood. The delicate bracelets serve to act as a physical and spiritual reminder that there is a bigger picture, even if you may not have the strength to yet see it. "My hope is to not just provide you with a physical piece of jewelry but also a spiritual gift of healing,” Michetti emphasizes.

There are six bracelets, representing five different journeys; infertility, miscarriage/infant loss, adoption/fostering/surrogacy, pregnant mothers, new mothers/PPD awareness and support. The sixth and final bracelet is for general support and awareness and comes in both adult and child sizes.

The bracelets are sold at Littles Boutique and Vintage Restoration & Love in Dawson Creek as well as at www.journeytree.ca. Journey Tree will be a vendor at the Northern Vintage Winter Market at the Encana Event Centre on November 18 and 19 2017.

If you are an artisan or maker and would like to be featured please email hello@sevan.ca

It all started, as many ideas do, with a desire or need for something better. When doctor recommended applications ceased to render results on her infant daughter's stubborn eczema, Stephanie Slon along with her business partner Aimee Binks, realized that they could indeed do better. Armed with old-fashioned wisdom and techniques they mixed up their first batch of “Everything Ointment,” a soothing, antiviral, anti-fungal and antibacterial balm that has an endless list of practical uses. The success of the ointment quickly spread via word of mouth and the two partners began mixing up subsequent batches for friends, family and soon, many customers.

A demand for high quality, natural products has propelled Chickweed & Clover into expansion, they have outgrown their previous residential basement space and are now housed in a beautiful, quaint workshop located on Binks' property in Teepee Creek, AB. The dedicated space has enabled the partners to maintain a back stock of product, plan their Annual Woman & Wombs Event and of course hand craft and package their products for shipping and distribution with ease, or as much ease as possible while also caring for their (combined) 5 children.

With many ingredients foraged directly from Binks' land, Chickweed & Clover is committed to providing locally sourced, certified organic herbal skincare solutions for the whole family. We ventured into the fields, Aimee with a baby strapped to her front and Stephanie with baskets and scissors in hand, along with their four children in tow. Wading knee deep through wildflowers and various types of grasses, we searched for and filled the baskets full of rose hips, goldenrod and bedstraw. This is just some of the locally harvested flora that is used in these handcrafted herbal products.

As mothers, both Stephanie and Aimee share a philosophy of being open to talking about the unpleasantries that can accompany pregnancy, childbirth, newborns and the postpartum period. "Our children and our motherhood experiences have definitely been our biggest source of inspiration. We are always looking at what we need and comparing it to what’s herbaly available to us,” explains the duo. "Meeting with other mothers, offering them all natural, local and effective solutions and making really amazing authentic connections is so rewarding. We feel like we are doing what we were meant to be” reveal the two women.

Chickweed & Clover products can be found in many stores in the Peace Country including the Health Food Store in Dawson Creek and online at www.chickweedandclover.com

A large volume lays open on the table, pages delicately stacked upon each other. Small white threads are loosely and randomly draped between the sheets of golden paper. What almost appears to be braille from afar, reveals itself to be the most intriguing texture. Upon closer inspection, I realize that each printed letter on every page is carefully covered in a relaxed hand-stitched manner, creating layers of intricately woven patterns. The book represents a year’s worth of painstakingly slow work, symbolizing living in Italy with the inability to speak the native language, allowing Jennifer Bowes to immerse herself in the unheard 'voices' in process-based work. Each piece of art created by Bowes is a testament to her immense patience and passionate perseverance for the process of creating. Through the repetition and the continuance of her work, Bowes finds her artistic expression. The largest piece of work stands 8’ x 14’ tall and is produced entirely of individually hand folded, one inch origami boxes shaped from the pages of Jennifer’s old diaries and notes. Each box is sewn together to form an incredibly sophisticated and compelling structure that captures and holds your attention in a most enigmatic way.

A full-time Mother to her 18 month old daughter Ellie, as well as the co-owner/operator (with husband Trevor) of Riverside Farms, Jennifer has currently undertaken another immense task of running a community based weekly market garden delivery program from her home. With a Master of Fine Arts in Drawing, Bowes is the epitome of a creator, always busy pursuing a variety of new projects. "Some are useful and practical, others are purely aesthetic with my main interest being in process-based work — this can manifest itself in art projects or farm related work,” explains Bowes.

Jennifer has recently embarked on what may well be her most time-consuming project thus far. Pursuit of certain specific tactile and fibrous qualities which are not widely available in Canada has led Bowes to take it upon herself to up-breed the type of sheep that will produce the luxurious wool she envisions. The early stages began with hours of hands on research; spinning, knitting and cataloguing a large variety of raw wool from countless types of rare and heritage sheep. “This all relates to my love of process and understanding all aspects of the material. The more you know about the very basics, the better you can understand the entire process,” clarifies Jennifer. The farm is currently home to a number of different breeds of sheep including the rare Gotlands sheep from Sweden, which produces soft, rippled, almost fluid-like, silvery-blue, brown and black wool. With the advantage of being able to oversee the process and origin of materials, Riverside Farms will have raw, roving and spun wool with sheep rugs available for purchase locally in the late fall.

"My art related work has become seasonal out of necessity. The summer is very demanding, being a mom is very demanding. You must allow time for reflection, to give yourself the time and space to realize the beauty around you so that you can get some distance from what you are doing in the everyday, ” reflects Bowes.

*** If you are an artisan or maker and would like to be featured please email hello@sevan.ca to be considered ***

I love capturing each child's personality during a family session. Whether it is a bold independence, an infinite curiosity for everything around them or a quiet kindness towards others. It is all so beautifully them and deserves to be remembered forever.

This session was so sweet with snuggles and books and a sunset walk.

The third feature in the artisan/artist series is Raquel Dos Santos of Honeybee Patisserie. If you have had the pleasure of meeting Raquel you have most likely come away from the encounter positively cheerful -- feeling uplifted and refreshed! Raquel is one of those extraordinary people who has a way of radiating joy to those around her and this is clearly instilled throughout her work.

Inspired by providing people with reasons to get together and enjoy delicious desserts, "I love to give people a reason to have a party!” explained Raquel Dos Santos, Red Seal Pastry Chef and Owner of Honey Bee Patisserie. Raquel brings first class pastries to the Peace Region by combining special techniques and flavours cultivated while working with chefs in five star kitchens across Canada and Europe. Honey Bee Patisserie was opened in 2016 and is not only a full time job, but also a passion project. Raquel is currently operating out of the Encana Events Centre kitchen, working five days a week on custom orders and catering for special events.

Honey Bee is focused on bringing delight and sharing specially hand-crafted and lovingly made confections. Using only fresh, local ingredients whenever possible, each dessert is layered with flavour and texture. Honey Bee brings high-tea inspired desserts, full of excitement and whimsy to her clientele. Raquel is greatly influenced by the people of the community and the opportunity to meet and speak with them at the Dawson Creek Farmer’s Market each week.

If you haven’t experienced Honey Bee’s indulgent offerings, I would recommend any one of the macaron flavours. Every single flavour I have ever tried are absolutely fantastic. I have also had the pleasure of trying two different types of cakes; the Salted Caramel and Chocolate cake was incredibly rich and luxurious with it’s brownie like texture and opulent ganache filling. While the Early Grey Lemon and Blueberry cake was summery, light and refreshing, with layers of flavours — full of sweet blueberries and tart lemon buttercream with a subtle essence of Earl Grey.

Raquel's passion for bringing an array of beautiful and elegant desserts to her clients is evident. “Work hard, be yourself, conduct yourself with integrity — life is full of opportunity, so do what you love and have fun!” is advice offered by Raquel to any entrepreneur.

Check out and join the #honeybeeinthewild contest on Facebook and Instagram, running until the end of summer. Delicious cakes, delectable macarons and delightful tarts can be purchased at the Dawson Creek Farmer’s Market every Saturday from 9 am to 2 pm. Special orders can also be ordered through Honey Bee’s Facebook page. Bon Appetit!

Ana incorporated so many beautiful details into her multi generational session, including heirloom tea cups and her Great-Grandmother's pearls. We felt that a tea party would be quite fitting for this session and it would be extra special if we included some of Honeybee Patisseries' incredible tarts. Here we have the second installment of #honeybeeinthewild. Make sure to send Honeybee any photos you snap of yourself, friends or family enjoying Honeybee treats in the wild to be entered into a draw to win even more treats and a photo session from Sevan Photography!! Contest runs until the end of summer so you still have some time yet.

Makeup by: Jenna Dayle Makeup Artistry

The second feature in the artisan series is Angela Fehr, internationally know watercolour painter and teacher. It was a pleasure meeting up with her at her beautiful studio and finding out how she has made a career out of being an artist.

My first impression of Angela Fehr was how gentle yet vibrant she is, from her soft tone to the kaleidoscope scarf elegantly wrapped around her shoulders. I compliment the colourful scarf and she humbly explained that it is from one of her own watercolour paintings. Inspired by the landscape and flowers of our region as well as places encountered on her travels. Angela notes that she tries to paint the feeling of experiencing a place rather than pinning down every detail — creating the impression of painting a memory.

Angela has been painting since 1995 but it’s only been since 2013 that she began teaching watercolour online and has been able to convert her hobby into a full time business. With over 9,000 students enrolled and 45,000 subscribers to her YouTube channel Angela is an internationally known watercolour artist and art instructor, teaching in a loose and expressive style. Angela has a five year goal to establish herself as one of the top ten online instructors. It is no wonder that Angela is booked up for the next year with in-person workshops in locations including Vancouver BC, Jasper AB and Ireland.

Angela recognized an opportunity to use her passion to connect with students across the globe, to encourage those who might have become discouraged or hold the belief that they “don’t have what it takes” to paint in watercolour. Angela becomes energized by helping others to overcome that fear and say “yes" to something that might otherwise feel intimidating. Angela gives this advice to any artist trying to find their way, “Every big goal is built on the foundation of a hundred smaller goals and those smaller goals are achieved through patiently taking small steps in the approximate direction of your dreams. Take a small step every day and don’t let guilt over wasted time or missed opportunities paralyze you.”

I chat with Angela as she prepares for her weekly live broadcast on YouTube. Immense joy can be heard in Angela’s voice as she tells me how excited she is to demonstrate to her students a clearer way to explain a brush handling technique. It is very clear that Angela has a great passion for teaching watercolour techniques and processes as well as encouraging artists to have faith in the process, to practise and they will improve.

As a founding supporter of last year’s World Watercolour Month Angela will be hosting an online challenge designed to encourage her students and viewers to continue painting over the summer. Angela has partnered with some well-known art manufacturers who will be sponsoring big prizes and giveaways throughout the event. Come September Angela will also be offering classes at her studio on Tuesday evenings. For more information visit www.angelafehr.com

**** If you are an artisan or maker and would like to be featured please email hello@sevan.ca to be considered ****

I am so excited to announce that Sevan Photography has partnered with the Dawson Creek Mirror on a bi-monthly basis where I will be interviewing and photographing local artists/artisans and makers. The Peace Region has so much amazing, albeit underexposed local talent. My goal is to shine some light on these gifted creators, introducing you to some fantastic artists and businesses that you may not have heard about yet.

The first artisan I would like to introduce you to is Pamela Broad, owner of Freedom Flow Tea.

I feel a sense of calm and peacefulness as Pamela Broad greets and welcomes me into her home. I Immediately smell a beautiful array of herbs; lemon balm, hibiscus, and orange peel.

An intriguing crystal grid is set up on Pamela’s dining room table. Pamela tells me that she tries to prepare her herbal teas on a full, half or new moon, to blend with intention rather than going through the motions. On the summer solstice and before beginning to blend the Women’s Balance tea, Pamela begins with the burning and smudging of dried sage to purify the air.

Reading from handwritten notes Pamela weighs and pours labeled jars of colourful dried herbs into a large bowl for blending. Freedom Flow Tea products are made in small batches using only organic herbs sourced from Certified Organic suppliers. There are no additives, sweetners or artifical flavours, only pure herbal goodness. Currently three different blends are offered: Skin Glow, Detox Me and Women’s Balance, all with their own individual health benefits.

Pamela explains that Freedom Flow Tea is a collective creation. A small tribe of women have supported this company from the ground up. Pamela launched Freedom Flow Tea in May 2017 with no expectations other than to learn and grow from the process. “The best part about Freedom Flow Tea is the creative process and grounding for me, two things that I need in my life!” says Pamela. A mother of two and the full time owner of a busy massage therapy practice, Essence of Flow Wellness, Massage & Yoga (run out of a local acupuncture clinic), Pamela has found a passion that is just right for her — a creative outlet to help create space for reclaiming herself.

Once the herbs are blended Pamela puts the kettle on so that we can sample the newly blended mix. I highly recommend the Skin Glow blend, with it’s delectable combination of peppermint and cinnamon. Freedom Flow Tea can be found locally at the Dawson Creek Health Food Centre and the House of Healing Clinic. All of the blends can also be purchased online at www.freedomflowtea.com

Spotted -- Honeybee in the wild.

A sunset picnic which included books, bears and the most delicious salted caramel, chocolate cake and of course, macarons. Followed up by a long walk with some furry friends.

Show us your #honeybeeinthewild adventures over the summer and be entered into a draw to win a session with Sevan Photography and loads of treats from Honeybee! Share your pictures on Facebook and Instagram and be sure to tag both @honeybeemacarons and @_sevanphoto_ for your entry. A winner will be chosen at random on August 31, 2017

Stay tuned for more adventures!

If you are lucky enough to know these three you know they are the absolute sweetest family. Kate is adorable and this session was absolutely magical.