Victoria College of Art Show

In our final class today, we spent the time setting up for the end of year show and sale. The students attached their samples to large boards, grouped by technique, exercise and project. Everyone was impressed with the amount of work they produced over the 11 weeks. We were all pleased with how exciting all of their experimentation looked. The studio is just brimming with ideas with so much potential.

Here are some images of their final projects, as 'works in progress'. The assignment was to take a favourite image, abstract the main shapes and develop a design using to techniques worked in their personal analogous palettes. As you can see the results are spectacular. Each one so different and so strongly reflective of each student's artistic voice.

As is usual with fine arts textiles, the image doesn't do the work justice. So if you live anywhere near Victoria you will have to come to the college this Friday (April 1st, 7-10pm) or Saturday and Sunday (April 2nd & 3rd, 1:30-4pm) to be able to really enjoy all of the students' work. The whole college will have every surface covered with their work, including a new 3D installation in the front entrance by the 3D Design class, which is a 'must-see', fun work.

Spring Flowers on the Coast

This is my view outside my studio this month. Last fall I pulled some boring bushy type plants out of the bed and buried over 200 bulbs.

Each morning I go to my studio I see more colour. The hyacinths are the first to show.

I thought I had done my research and planted only those the deer don't like to eat. But it has been such a long cold winter I think the deer have forgotten they don't like irises.

The spring rains are keeping the bulbs growing and the new plants in the herb garden are settling in well. I don't have much time to enjoy the new spring growth yet because I am focused on finishing up a module of work for my BA(Hons) studies. The package is due in the UK next week. There is still so much I could do but come the deadline it all goes in a box.

Kitchen Herb Garden

It felt as though spring sprung today, so the beginnings of the new herb garden went in.
Italian parsley - I picked a few stems from each plant and put them in my salad for lunch and ate outside for the first time this year.

Thyme

Chives - I should start using this too to encourage its growth.

French Sorrel - yumm
I gave them all a water late this afternoon. Hope they aren't feeling too shocked after their traumatic day.
And I hope the deer don't find them.

Dyeing the Tree Cloths

I like the distinctive individual stained patterns on each of the Tree Cloths but I don't like the overall greyness. They don't look attractive.
Perhaps dyeing will help.
I torn off a sample from each Tree Cloth and scrumpled it in a tray, a la Claire Benn-Leslie Morgan dyeing technique.

Using Procion MX, I put in a layer of green brights.

2nd layer was green neutrals. Looking more interesting but not yet full of life.

I have also added to the dye batch 2 table cloths and some napkins to be able to compare results on a white base.
This is 1 of the table cloths with 2 layers.
I think they all now need an over dye. But what colour would tie all of that texture together?

Tree Wrapping

This is the Big-leaf Maple ...

and the Cedar....

and 15 months later here are both tree cloths washed and ironed, Maple (left), Cedar (right).

The Maple cloth has a lot of dark staining....

and the Cedar less but in the damp dark under the tree it rotted more than the other cloths.
Now I have to decide what to do next with the cloths.

Tree Cloths

Big day yesterday. 15 months ago i wrapped 4 trees in a length of unbleached calico and left them to experience a full cycle of seasons.
This is the Arbutus.

Douglas-fir

Here are the 2 cloths washed and ironed.
The Arbutus cloth on the left has much more staining but is rotten in more places than the Douglas-fir cloth on the right.

Arbutus cloth has circles of black staining in lines following the creases of the cloth.

Douglas-fir cloth is grey with all over staining and has green moss stains. The staining marks are more flowing.

Triage Centre in the Garden

Here on Vancouver Island it has been a long winter. The deer are hungry and looking for a tonic for their stomachs. They have been gnawing on the bark of our Indian Plum, so much so I was concerned about the tree's welfare.

My solution was to set up a triage station around the tree while I sewed, pinned and tied hand embroidered table cloths around the damage trunks.

The cloths were made to be sacrificed while protecting tables, now I am sacrificing them to protect living wood.

Hopefully, this will deter the deer and they will look for something else to eat.

Moon-Sun-Earth-Water

I received this wonderful image from my yoga teacher today.

Thank you for sharing, Livia.

It shows the sun setting over the North Pole when the moon is very close to the earth.

Beautiful.

VCA Lower Studio In Action

Have you ever seen such focus and awareness in a group studio?
Visitors often comment on the lovely atmosphere in the room?
The feeling is generated by the students who focus and work hard on each assignment while at the same time they are aware of others and respond with co-operation and support.

The central tables are where the students work and talk together. Each student can choose a marked off space when they want to work a the big tables.
We gather around the central table for Circle Time ( demos, group critiques, going through assignments, sharing of information).
Around the perimeter of the room each student has a table, which is their quiet place. They can work quietly on their own knowing they will will only occasionally be politely interrupted by others.
To the bottom right I have a table where I do one-on-one critiques. This is a most enjoyable part of the day because I make the time to see each student's work close up and they can talk to me about it.
Outside the room is the ironing table, light table, and spray area. The wet room is off to the right as is the bathroom and storage.
So this is where it all happens.

My New Quilt

My friend Carol made me a quilt!
It is a very special quilt because usually Carol makes her quilts for babies who have to spend time in hospital and she makes them for her family.
They are made from previously worn cotton velour clothing she finds all over the city.
She cuts them up and with her painterly eye she transforms them into works of art.
My quilt was inspired by a Mark Rothko painting, a painter whose work Carol knows I admire.

There is a surprise on the back - a Marimekko fabric to make a perfect match.
I feel honoured Carol gave me a piece of her treasured Finnish fabric from her collection.

A close up to show the elegant simplicity and genius of a Marimekko design.

Oops! This a poor image of the Rothko painting that inspired the quilt - and I have posted it lying on its side.
Mark would not be happy. In fact he was not happy with the way the original owners of the painting planned to display it either. This is just a 'sketch' of the real thing but he never made the painting because the owners of the hotel were going to hang it in a dinning room. Mark couldn't bare the thought of people eating in the presence of his work so he withdrew from the commission.
What would he think of it as a cosy quilt?

Thank you Carol.

More Portraits and Flowers

Here are some more of the portraits and flower drawings my Mark Making With Machine students did last week.
Each drawing is full of character -both the sitter and the sewer's personality comes through the quality of the marks made.

Drawing With Sewing Machine

At the beginning of my Mark Making with Machine course a number of students said wanted to learn how to draw with their machines. Last lesson we spent the afternoon drawing.

First they traced a flower to get the feel for making a line.

Next they made several drawings of the flower they each brought to class.

Then they turned their sewing tables to face each other in pairs and spent the rest of the afternoon drawing portraits.

Didn't they all do such a great job!!