On Saturday, August 22, from 11am to 4pm (with some activities continuing into the evening), more than 50 artists will be stationed along College Avenue from Broadway to Alcatraz at what may be the largest art exhibit to take place in Oakland—this year’s Rock-N-Stroll.
We highlight three participating Rockridge residents below:
Irina Tsekhmistrouk: From Software Engineer to Ceramicist
Look for Irina at Preserved, 5540 College Avenue
Before becoming a full-time ceramic artist, Irina Tsekhmistrouk worked as a software engineer. She took her first ceramics class at Laney College just as the pandemic began in 2020. Soon thereafter, she set up a studio in her home office and used her computer desk as her pottery workspace.
“What started as a way to stay creative quickly became my passion,” says Irina. “I had been introduced to Japanese culture through taiko drumming and eventually became fascinated by Japanese ceramics. That led me to study in Seto, Japan, where I trained with 12th-generation potter Hiroshige Kato. There, I helped my teacher lead community workshops where people could make their very first ceramic piece.”
Looking ahead, Irina hopes to bring this experience to a future Rock-N-Stroll or other community event by offering a hands-on pottery workshop where participants can create their own ceramics and return later to pick up the finished, glazed, and fired pieces.
Irina has lived in Rockridge for 20 years and finds it to be “full of curious, creative, and supportive neighbors who appreciate handmade work.” Her son grew up here and attended Chabot Elementary School, and Irina said her neighbors warmly welcomed her from the start.
Irina’s greatest passion in ceramics is atmospheric firing. She explains:
“Unlike an electric kiln, the kiln atmosphere actively shapes each piece. Ash, soda, vapor, flame, and heat leave their own marks on the clay—creating subtle variation in color, texture, and surface that can never be repeated exactly. The final result isn’t entirely under my control. Every firing becomes a collaboration among the potter, the clay, and the fire.”
To see more of Irina’s work, go to www.ezhclay.com.
Jen Ahlstrand: The Floral Designs of Westwind Succulents
Jen Ahlstand will be at the Rockridge Improvement Club, 5515 College
Jen Ahlstrand studied painting and sculpture before discovering that her favorite artistic medium was living plants. Now, she creates one-of-a-kind succulent and floral designs for weddings, events, and everyday moments—right here in Rockridge.
Jen says that working with succulents brings a more sustainable element to floral design since they last much longer than cut flowers. After an event, unlike flowers, they can be easily replanted.
“Most of my business has grown organically through word of mouth and Instagram,” says Jen, who lives in Rockridge. “I also sell my work through custom orders, pop-ups, and local events like Rock-N-Stroll. I’ve been really fortunate that happy clients continue to recommend me to friends, family, and other businesses, and that’s been the biggest driver of my growth.”
Jen also says that she has never felt more connected to a community than she has since living in Rockridge.
“The support everyone has given me and the friends I’ve made have brought so much joy to my work and expanded what I knew I was capable of.”
To see more of Jen’s work, follow her on Instagram at @westwindsucculents.
Olivia McArthur: Healing and Patience through Pottery
Olivia McArthur will be at Ensarro, 5897 College Avenue
When Olivia McArthur was growing up, she enjoyed taking a series of ceramics classes. But then she became a social worker and didn’t get back to ceramics until the pandemic prompted her to look for a hobby. She hasn’t stopped since, finding this “hobby” a welcome relief from her day job.
“As a social worker and therapist, I am constantly reminded about the struggles of the world—people’s struggles, societal struggles, inequities,” Olivia says. “Doing pottery is probably the only time I am able to truly turn my brain off and just create.”
Olivia has lived in Rockridge for the past five years and loves that she can find almost anything within walking distance. She draws inspiration from the many beautiful yards and gardens she passes while walking her dog.
Although pottery may be a stress relief for Olivia in many ways, it’s also a patience-testing process. This is how she describes it:
“After I throw a piece on the wheel, I have to wait until it dries and becomes leather hard to trim it. After trimming, the piece will be fired in the kiln and become bisqueware. The last part is glazing the piece and firing it again so it becomes stoneware, i.e., watertight. From start to finish, there are a million things that can go wrong. It requires patience, and teaches you the art of letting go.”
You can see more of Olivia’s ceramic creations on her Instagram account at @potterybyom.
