Juried HerWORK exhibition at Stoney Plain Multicultural Center Art Gallery.

It is a wonderful feeling when work is juried into an exhibition. Hubby took this shot at the opening.  I always leave my spirit open for creativity in any manner that intrigues me. This exhibition is a wonderful opportunity to showcase what I have been creating since last summer. Earth Spirit Vessels, created for the love of our earth, its small insect inhabitants and native flowers. It seems that for environmental work I lean towards textiles due its ability to satisfy my sculptural interests.

New project in the making

Hubby and I spent about nine weeks living in a small travel trailer this past summer into fall. I loved it, we experienced new to us places, spent a lovely time with family and I started an tiny arts project fitting for living in a tiny space. Of course this project also carries an environmental theme as my previous Nest project does. It also has the mandate of using recycled items as in yarn scraps and beads bought at thrift stores and garage sales rather than new.

Anyhow, lets go back to the beginning. I knew when we left on our travels that as I need to keep my hands busy to still an over active mind that it would be a good idea to bring along crochet hooks and some yarn I purchased for making hats. Well into the third or fourth day bored with hat making I began playing with small crochet and ended up with a sweet tiny vessel. I was intrigued to stitch up another, so by the time we reached Vancouver Island I had two tiny crocheted vessels. Then to add interest of nature I thought to fill the inside of these vessels with found items that consider tiny environments. Well my wonderful sisters were onboard with my ideas and donated small butterfly brooches and bug fabrics to add to the vessels. Then of course to fit the mandate of found materials we needed to peruse thrift stores for crochet threads, and yarns as well as some small found vessels as all are not going to be crocheted, yet all will have handiwork in or on them.

The idea incorporates traditional handiwork with nature. The past ideology of grooming young women into marriageable prospects whom learned needle work and placed it into a chest for future use, though before my time I might add. The thought that these chests hold hope for the prospects of the future, for they were called Hope Chests.

Hope for the future of Nature is my theme. Using needlework and found objects to recreate nature  placed within tiny vessels. In a sense Nature is being segregating from self, confined within a tiny vessel.

 So far I have been working on crocheting many varied vessels.

 Some will be decorated outside 

 and some will extend the limits of the vessel as growth erupting from within.

Combinations of random freeform crochet hopefully elicit a feeling of growth on some vessels.

This is but a beginning so these vessels may look far different when completed.

Green Window City installation

Wow am I ever tired, its been a few fast paced weeks of creativity. Thinking, designing, planning, re-thinking, re-building or I should say sewing. A few failed ideas but in the end came up with a great display that the Colour Blind Store staff loves.

 Balloon nest on post is my statement against balloons and balloon releases due the deaths they cause to wildlife, birds and even whales.

Ironically on the tree outside the window is string and balloons caught up, so of course I made sure to photograph it with the upcycled mobile made from plastic mesh used in industry for large screen printing. The mesh kindly donated by Kim from the Paint Spot art supply store. Thank you.

Taken from across the street today by my main man installation team of one; my loving husband.

Hubby took this photo last night after installing the project.

A tired yet happy artist photo by art roadie installation specialist my husband. Thank you dear one, you do what I cannot and for that I am grateful.

I was graciously granted extra space to display the Upcycle butterflies, dragonflies and feathers on a side wall at Colour Blind. Thank you Roslyn.

I've enjoyed this project. It brings attention to our environment and what we can do by reusing waste rather than burying still usable materials in landfills which generate methane gas which burns the feathers right off birds that sit on top of the pipes that are used as release valves.

May your week be wonderful and before you chuck something away ask yourself, can someone use this? Is there a Goodwill or recycle depot in your town. Reuse, recycle, upcycle, enjoy re-creating.

Hugs, and may your easter be blessed.

textiles art furniture

It rained all night and is snowing all day. I need to photograph a painting just completed but the tripod attachment was left in the car and the car is not here so I will have to wait till tomorrow to do that so instead I decided to snap a few images of one of my recent projects; refurbishing a rocking-chair.

For awhile I was collecting scraps of heavy material with the objective to create some pillow shams till  an alternative idea caught my eye. Cruising online I came across two designers, Hoda Baroudi and  Maria Hibri who created "Bokja Design"  these two very talented ladies created a line of refurbished furniture using varied textiles in patchwork designs to give a fresh new look to cast off furniture.

 On the left is what the original chair looks like, as we have two I need to start collecting more heavy fabric scraps to cover it as well.

 Gerald had to bring the chair downstairs so that I could cut and sew to fit, otherwise I would have not been able to create this art chair.

 I don't follow patterns when I create a large project as this. I just pin, assess, cut, stitch, cut, alter, pin,  re-assess continually till the piece takes shape. Decisions on randomness of color and fabrics are made off-the-cuff so to speak. Its all double stitched and top-stitched for durability. In all it took four full long days to complete, whew, what a process. And through it all I only had to rip out stitching twice, now thats amazing.

Initially I was going to sew the textiles to the chair but then decided for ease of cleaning to make it as a very fitted cover, so its actually two sections that can be removed plus the seat cover.

I like eclectic furnishings, art and ideas that bring out ones creativity in varied areas. 

Enjoy your day, hugs!

first rejection letter of 2011

My creativity level was hampered a little this week as traipsing after owls through deep snow last weekend took me a bit to recover from. Sometimes it sucks to be a gimp, but the reality in life is everyone has something to deal with and in my case its not such a big deal. I am grateful to be able to walk even though I may need technical assistance and I do know my limits, but I choose to push them at times, especially to get such wonderful images as I did. So after dislocations and pain this week do I still feel it was worth it, Darn Right! An artist must create despite all odds.

Today I received the official rejection letter from the submission I sent to create pieces in conjunction with the Children's Festival. Its alright as the pay offered was really lousy and if I had gotten the commission they would have gotten way more than their monies worth. As it is I can now share my submission with you. In photoshop I altered butterfly photographs so they look more textile like. I then pigment printed each image onto quilters fabric and 24 hours later coated each image with acrylic gel to set the pigment to the cotton. Then I cut and sewed and in general had fun creating each as a individual hanging. The finish touch was to sew on antique buttons. The triangle hanger is recycled coat hangers. Wouldn't one of these look great hanging near the front door advertising the joy of spring/summer. I love the beauty and diversity in creation and I love diversity in creating. I am sure I will find a place where they would be happy to sell these for me. Each hanging is about 8 x 21 inches.

SOLD

SOLD

Spring is on its way, hugs and enjoy your day.

Oh ya, I also have good news of being accepted for a exhibition, which I will tell about that later.