New Friends

Today I helped a new friend set up a blog. She has reached a certain age in her life and would like to share some of her wisdom. She is also doing a series of fibre art to visually share her story. Her goal is to post once a week... and when she has her first post, I will put a link here somewhere to spread the word.

My new friend was at my house a few weeks ago when we first met to discuss her blogging ideas. She noticed my collections and spent some time looking over them all. After I helped her set up her blog today, she presented me with a demi-tasse cup and saucer covered in tiny violets... it fits in perfectly with my collection as you can see here. What a great gift to be treasured always!

Learning to Paint

Although I am an artist, I don't know how to paint. So, this year I am going to learn how to paint. I have dabbled in the past, but I am learning in earnest this time around. My teacher is Corre Alice, who owns an art gallery in Cumberland. There are three of us in the class at various different levels. The classes are interesting and fun. Today we got to pick a word out of a bunch in a bowl and then had to start painting from the image we got in our mind of that word. My first word was "growth" followed by "breeze", "tadpoles" and "springtime". Here is the painting I did.

My second painting, below, was done after I pulled out the word "hopscotch". 

A great way to spend a Friday afternoon!

Inspiring Workshop

I just spent an amazing two days in a fibre art workshop with teacher and artist Lorraine Roy. I am inspired in so many ways by viewing her art work and listening to her teach. Please take some time to view her web site and see her unique and beautiful pieces.

Below are samples of the work I completed during the work shop using her technique of combining snippets of fabric under fine netting and stitching all the pieces in place. It is like painting in fibre and was a lot of fun. I'm sure I will be incorporating this technique into future pieces... and I'm looking forward to spending time in my studio soon to get to work.

Thanks to Lorraine for a great learning experience!

The Other Side of the Fence

I recently completed my MFA (just waiting to defend my thesis) and I thought I would share the final pieces of my project.

The main focus of this MFA project is to explore the adaptive relationship between wild roses and a metal, gridded fence found on the edge of a golf course beside a small forest near my home in Northern Alberta, Canada. My theory is that this interactive relationship is a metaphor for the connection between humans and the natural environment. I am principally interested in how the human-built fence conforms, over time, to the natural shapes of the wild rose and is eventually overtaken and deteriorates. Despite the invasive human interaction with the natural environment in the act of fence-building, the wild rose grows back from its root system, adapts to its new surroundings and continues to flourish.

While I feel passionately about the seriousness of the negative impact humans can have upon the environment, I am choosing to look at the other side of the fence... literally. There are many plants that become endangered and eventually extinct due to human contact; however, there are also many plants that are walked on, dug up, ploughed under and littered upon, yet they grow again and again and continue to flourish. The wild rose is a plant that flourishes.

Harvest Colours

It still isn't fall here!! September 25th and the leaves are just turning. We are waiting for the frost and enjoying fresh tomatoes off the vine... unheard of this time of year. 

Here are some pictures of my garden... you can see all the green! Volunteer sunflowers are still blooming like mad. Some plants like the Delphinium have been tricked into thinking it is spring again... despite being cut down, they are starting to grow up and up!

Despite the lack of frost, the leaves on the poplar trees are still turning yellow to gold. There is a mellow orange in the foliage below the trees as well. I am inspired by all the colour and have started a batt to match the mood of Autumn. Enjoy!

Autumn Comes...

It is becoming that time of year where nature's thoughts are turning to fall. The frost has not come, but the nights are cool enough that leaves are starting to turn colour and the rose hips are getting the translucency they always do when the cold comes.

Autumn is a good time of year with the temperatures during the day being "just right" and the outdoors calling for walks amongst the falling leaves. I always try to get outside as much as I can before the snow comes. Then it will be time to buckle down and work hard inside in my studio.

This year I am working on felted wool pieces all with the rose hip theme. Summer interrupted the work flow, but Autumn will bring it back. The direct connection with nature draws creativity out and I cannot stop the yearning to make things. Nor should I.

Here is a piece from the studio. Enjoy!

Is it Summer?

It has been raining a lot this week and though it is June the humid weather is definitely feeling April-ish. Tomorrow is the first day of Summer. In celebration I have posted a few favourite views of my garden... photos that were taken this afternoon.

On a CMYK colour wheel, green and fuchsia are complimentary colours... these garden shots emphasize how the green makes the fuchsia seem at its brightest and vice-versa. Hope someone finds some creative inspiration from these splashes of colour!

 

New Zealand Bound

Well, I'm not going to New Zealand, unfortunately, but one of my pieces is on its way as part of a group exhibition from the Fibre Art Network. The exhibition is called Canadian Content. Our exhibition will be part of a large quilt show called the Remarkable Symposium 2011 in Queenstown, New Zealand from April 18th to 23rd, 2011. Pretty exciting!

My piece is called "Wild Rose Hip" and it measures 18" wide by 26" long. It is predominantly needle-felted wool and has been machine quilted.

Pot of Gold

Today I am felting some wool for a new project... a piece that will hopefully travel to New Zealand in an exhibition collaboration by the Fibre Art Network. A great opportunity to have a portfolio piece travel afar.

When I am in my studio, things get a little piled up. I'm pretty sure if you ever found the end of the rainbow... this is what you would see.

The colours are so fun all piled up and it is too hard to make myself put everything away!

A Little Sunshine

It is plus 4 degrees celcius today! Time to get outside...

I am always inspired artistically by these lovely rose haws and their delicate forms. I'm sure something good will come of this picture.

Rosie... dubbed Snowsie today... had a wonderful romp! She had to be dug out a couple of times. Her heart is as big as a lion, but she is only about a foot tall.