Drone photos of Newfoundland coastline inspire art project by visiting sommelier

Valerie Belislecame to St. John's from Montrealto be a sommelier at Raymonds, but she's leaving as an accomplished potter.

That's all thanks to the beauty of the Newfoundland coastline, which she explored from aboveon her days off.

"I have this tiny drone." she said."You can visit places through the sky, which is so much fun."

What she saw from above inspired her to get serious about her casual pottery hobby, and take on a creative challenge to make 100 pieces of pottery.

On each piece, she used custom glazes inspired by the colours of the ocean and the sharp contrast of the water meeting the beaches along the Newfoundland coast.

She's now sold each and every one, and she gave all the money $1,500 to RaymondsDinner For Levi fundraiser, which supports the neonatal unit at the JanewayChildren's Hospital.

TheRaymonds fundraiser was an obvious fit, she said.

"The reason why I came to St. John's is forRaymonds."

Watching from the sky

Belisleis originally from Ottawa and has worked at restaurants all over the world.

Her need to explore carried her all over the island of Newfoundland on her days off from Raymonds.

She'd explore the ground and camp in her van while her little drone explored the coast, soaring overhead.

The images it returned affected her, she said.

"I just realized how amazing it [the coastline]was."

She had started doing a bit of pottery before she came to St. John's, and the colours and shapeof the edge of the island inspired her to keep going.

She found TJ's Old Place, a pottery studio in St. John's, and committed to the shop's 100 Cylinder Challenge, making 100 cylindrical pottery pieces.

Each one was inspired by what she saw of the Newfoundland coast, with rich, bright blue and green glazesmeeting stark white and grey clay.

Normally, pieces that didn't shape right would be used again and made into new pieces.

But Belisledecided she loved the piecesjust the way they were.

'I had a feeling I would fall in love with Newfoundland'

She wasn't the only one to love the pieces: after a friend encouraged her to open an online shop,Belislesold all 100 pieces she made during the challenge.

Belisleis now heading to British Columbia for a different job, but she said she plans to keep up the pottery and eventually return to Newfoundland.

"I had a feeling I would fall in love with Newfoundland for some weird reason," shesaid.

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