The Diaspora Show

SAQA

November 16, 2015

Dear Daniela:

Congratulations!

Your entry, On the Path, has been selected by the Jurors, Rebecca A.T. Stevens and Lee Talbot, for SAQA’s juried exhibition, Stories of Migration: Contemporary Artists Interpret Diaspora.  Your piece was one of 39 selected from 292 artworks submitted for this prestigious exhibition.



The exhibition will be presented at The Textile Museum in Washington, D.C., from April 15, 2016, through September 4, 2016.  Additional details regarding the Opening Reception will follow.  This exhibition will not travel.

I am so excited to have been accepted into this prestigious show!

I have been thinking about this show ever since the original announcement was made since the theme really spoke to me.  With family origins far flung from all sorts of corners of the world as well as roots that have been planted, and re-planted in even more corners; I felt a need to be creating something.... 

but what???  .........

Many sleepless nights spent thinking about options, coming up with ideas, only to discard them...

But, in the end, I have expressed myself through two very long pieces of organza (and one short one in a different scale) that can drape loosely from the wall or ceiling.  The images (from my own photography) are all sewn with free motion stitchery using a water soluble stabilizer.

San Antonio

This is a view into the fabulous studio we get to use when spending a week with Jane Dunnewold.  You can see her in the distance chatting with some of the students who are sharing this experience with me.  We are 10 students from all the corners of the U.S. ( including one who comes from Hawaii) and one who drives on her own from New Jersey.  We are a dedicated bunch!  There are two of us intrepid Canadians from either side of the continent, one from Victoria and me from Toronto.  (Ok ok I know I'm not on the edge of the continent but you get the picture.)

This is my space in the studio with a few samples on display trying the various surface design techniques that Jane teaches.  Here we were plastering on felt and working with transfer mediums. No masterpieces yet, but we will see.  Very interesting.  

This is Jane, our inspired teacher, waiting for us to gather on the porch. I feel so lucky to have had this opportunity with Jane.  We just completed our fourth of five weeks, and I am already feeling a bit sad that this experience is nearing its end.  Our last session will be February.  Hopefully there will be a surface design mastery 2.0 program to follow!   

SAQA Show

The Balancing Act SAQA show is now on line

You may remember that a piece of mine was juried into this show.

For some reason, I am struggling to post the link directly to the show,
but,
If you ask Mr. Google to find SAQA, you will see some very impressive fibre art, and then click onto the slide show of  "Balancing Act" .

This is the link to see all the amazing art that has been curated into the exhibit, just in case you cannot get to the show in person.  It is worth clicking into the slide show and then putting it to full screen.

enjoy!

My "faces of Jerusalem" home at last

This work that I created in 2012 was accepted for a juried show in Jerusalem entitled "Many Faces of Jerusalem".  I was honoured to be the only non-Israeli in the exhibit.  My piece is called "?Like Day and Night?".   I am asking us all to reconsider whether we are all really that different despite our presentation of our outer selves.  

Detail

Since the exhibit in Jerusalem the group was invited to tour in the United States. One of the many exhibition venues was the Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art in Tulsa Oklahoma. My piece was chosen as the cover for the exhibit catalogue in Tulsa!  

Most recently the exhibit was in the Houston International Quilt Show. 

Second detail. 

My quilt has been travelling a lot with her Israeli girlfriends and I haven't seen her in over two years.  I'm so happy that so many enjoyed meeting her, but I am also glad to have her home again!

Third detail. 

 Our Humanity Binds Us.  (An Umbutu Saying).  

Dyptich

Since I am at the country house, I thought it would be ok to post this work with a back drop of our forest on my hand made clothesline!

The theme I continue to work with is CONNECTION 

I created this work for my last session of my course with Jane Dunnewold.  It represents a combination of many of the techniques we are learning from her (as well as a few of my own invention).  

Here is a detail where I use the technique that I developed during my thesis process.  It is a combination of free motion stitchery on silk organza with Ricky Tims stabilizing fabric upon which I have printed the image of the bird which I altered using an adobe illustrator program.  I know, I know, a bit of a run on sentence.  All I can tell you is that the run on sentence represents an even longer run on steps.  Suffice it to to say, if you are curious enough to want details, please send me a comment and I would be happy to share.  

This is another detail that is illustrating some thermofax printing of my own designs.  The background was created with printers ink over a surface of cotton that was prepared with flour paste.  This is an invention of Jane Dunnewold's, and I love the distressed crackling effect one can create with it.  

I am now preparing some more pieces to bring to our next session in San Antonio in the fall.  This time we have been asked to bring a "body of work" and I have inserted colour into these pieces.  So....stay tuned!   

Silk vest- dyed!

My sister Vicky kindly agreed to model for me. 

I obviously used many different jewel tones and perhaps next time less will be more. 

The silk loves the dyes and makes much more vibrant tones than the cotton.  

Here the vest is turned upside down and then the length can be worn as an extra layer or...

As a draped collar.  

Lots of possibilities.  

I think the arm holes ended up being too big and I agree with those who commented that the long end is a bit too long. The pattern still needs some work but it is a fun idea to play with.  

Young men and their T's

How lucky can one girl get!?!  My son, Nicholas and his friend, John, took a road trip on their days off and came to visit me at our country house! While we did the obligatory lounging around, B.B.Q.'ing, canoeing, and reading, The boys also agreed to model some new t-shirt creations.  John even decided to take a try at designing his own. 

John decided he wanted his to be two tone, divided on the diagonal and the two colours needed to be purple and green. (A new colour combination for me)

We spent a long time deciding exactly where the 'be' print was going to 'be' and he was so pleased with the result.  

The boys had lots of fun playing at amateur models in action poses.  

I am not sure they are ready to sign up for any modelling agencies yet, but I love the way they make my T-shirt experiments look.  And John was thrilled with his custom design!

New t shirt experiments

My dear friend Ellen agreed to model my new creations.  Once again I am working with procion dyes to create interesting effects on cotton t shirts I have bought from Dharma trading.  The cotton is lovely and it "eats" the dye well. 

This hoodie began in a pale yellow dye bath, and then I over dyed part of it with a blue.  The hood has stayed yellow as have part of the arms which gives it an ombré effect.  Then I printed it with a thermofax print I created.  

Ellen is sporting a sleeveless tee that was only partially dyed and then printed with another thermofax design.  To be or not to be......

Michael is modelling a tee shirt that was dyed in two different dye baths over a couple of days, rinsed and washed in between.  I left white at the chest line, and the dye creeped up and joined in spots.  I feel like I'm narrating my own fashion show!

I'm having fun with this partial immersion idea and plan to continue.  Thoughts?

First dye pots of the season

I have set up my supplies and print table for the season at my beloved "country house".  

In different parts of Canada this summer retreat is called different things; cottage,summer home, cabin, chalet, or country house in Quebec. (Which is where I am).  But as the saying goes 'a rose by any other name is just as sweet'.  Or something like that. 

I have brought tons of supplies and work in progress and a brand new bolt of prepared for dying cotton from Dharma trading so I'm all set!

Plunging into the first pots!

I will try to keep the lake and the wildlife from distracting me too much!

new vest idea

Silk Vest

I am working on a new idea for the circle vest that I had made in the past out of cotton.  This vest is made out of silk jersey and it is more of an oval than a complete circle.  It still has the large holes for the arms that I like but it drapes a bit better and is less bulky than the cotton.

I'm not the best model but I am just trying to get a sense whether the oval is better than the full circle and that the slightly shorter length in the back is a bit more convenient.
My friend, Kirsten, let me use her serger so I have serged all the edges rather than create a binding which was a great time saver and also reduces the bulk.

I would love your thoughts!
Can't wait to dye it!  The thread I serged it with was also silk.  A bit more expensive but a must if the dying is to be seemless.

SAQA Auction

SAQA on line Auction will be open soon

Benefit Auction

SAQA’s signature fundraising event starts Sept 18!

This is your chance to own beautiful, unique art quilts by some of the world’s finest artists. Plus, your purchases help increase the recognition for art quilts and the artists who make them while supporting SAQA’s exhibitions, publications, and education outreach. Thanks to our donors and bidders in 2014, the Benefit Auction raised over $55,000!

This is my submission for the auction
 

Every piece submitted is only 12" square.  Tiny treasures of fibre art!

Detail

my piece is called "Let's Chat" and is inspired by a photo of two very good friends enjoying the moment.

To find out more about SAQA, who we are, current exhibitions, artists, .... just google WWW.SAQA and review the colourful website!