Having made the move from Canada to Cornwall, Maya received a swift welcome into the community, and is now keen to put her art out there into the world, while giving others the chance to discover the power of creativity. What started out as a market stall has grown into something incredibly exciting. 

‍

We had a little Q&A with Maya, ahead of the grand opening on Saturday…

‍

Hi Maya! Congratulations on the opening of Maya’s. Tell us, how did it all begin? 

Maya’s began this spring as a little market stall at a craft fair. My last ‘real job’ was pretty terrible, and had a very negative impact on my mental health, so I left and ultimately decided I had no choice but to try something different! I’ve been doing and selling art my whole life; it’s a skill that runs in all the women in the family, so it was only natural that I should explore that more. 

I did my very first market stall selling my hand printed Lino in May, and although I only sold one thing that day, I still felt really good about it

I continued to upgrade my market set up, continued doing markets all over Cornwall, and eventually found the places and routines where I did the best! I also started printing on t-shirts and tote bags, which was very successful as it’s a fairly unique result printing on fabric with lino. 

I met so many lovely people this summer, both customers and other traders, it really felt like I was where I belonged.

Quite regularly I had people asking me whether I would be teaching any classes, and when I started asking even more people whether that’s something they would be interested in, the response was amazing!

I started looking for a space to hold classes, and originally I actually had secured a small space in a new permanent market in Newquay, but that didn’t work out how I had hoped, so I started looking again. Once I saw this beautiful space in Falmouth (where some of my best markets were), I knew it was the one. A few quick weeks later, here we are!

Amazing! What inspires you when it comes to your art?

I grew up involved in the local art scene in my hometown in Canada, which meant I was exposed to a lot of indigenous Canadian artwork. I think that has influenced my art style quite a lot! I’ve always been a fan of the use of bright, bold colours, and crisp black line-work. I also love to incorporate nature, but in my own way. I’m not a fan of doing realism, so I’ll do something like adding black sun rays to the background, or abstract flowers, things like that. Basically, make it colourful and make it bold. I also take inspiration from the things around me, like my most recent cocktail series inspired by my years as a bartender!

How important is it to you to be involved in your community?

It is so important to me to be involved in my community. As an immigrant and a serial cross-country-mover, I really have to put in the effort to make friends and settle wherever I am. Cornwall, and specifically the Cornwall artist and maker scene, has been the most welcoming and fulfilling environment I’ve ever been in, and I’m so eager to start giving back to the community and people who have been so warm and supportive!

I think particularly in Cornwall, a lot of us are reliant on tourism in some way or another. A lot of businesses sell and sell all summer, and then brace themselves the rest of the year. I don’t personally think this is sustainable, and I want my business to be something that is fun and exciting for tourists, but especially for locals. We have to leave the house, have fun, socialize, and that shouldn’t just be limited to beach days in the warmer (busier) months! 

You're onto an exciting chapter with your very own independent shop in the heart of Falmouth - what can people expect from your shop?

I am indeed doing something very big and exciting! In my shop, I’ll be selling unique and sometimes even one-of-a-kind, hand-printed clothes (some new, some upcycled vintage), tote bags, and art prints. The thing I’m most excited about, though, is the creative workshops I’ll be hosting! I’m going to start off with lino printing workshops, and I hope to quickly branch out and offer a large variety of other classes. Painting, collage, mosaics - you name it, I want to do it. I also am really excited to be hosting other creatives to teach their specialties, so if anybody out there has a skill they can teach, please reach out to me!

Classes will be for everyone (ages 15+), of all skill levels. I envision a fun, warm space for people to come and just have some fun and be creative - maybe even learn something! 

Tell us about your grand opening on Saturday!

The big day is THIS SATURDAY! 5-8pm, free drinks, fun music, cool art and hand-printed clothes for sale, come say hi and celebrate!

Regular opening hours to start the week after, then a little break for Christmas and New Years, and then we’re off!

Regular opening hours will be Wednesday-Friday, 11am - 6pm and Saturday 11am - 5pm (maybe open earlier in the summer), and holiday hours will be posted on Instagram!

Good luck, Maya!

‍