Lesley Turner

VCA Textile Students Colour Sessions

2012-01-30T00:52:00.001-07:00

For the past 3 weeks the VCA textile students have been learning about colour by dyeing.
Kati has produced a wide range of different colours using a couple of different dyes.

Kati's analogous blue-green palette

Dana has worked with a bright light palette

The wide variety of results provided a valuable learning experience when students talked about their fabrics

This week they added black to make a range of shades.

VCA Textile Students Dyeing

2012-01-29T00:00:00.001-07:00

The students have dyed their fabrics a 2nd time, adding complementary colours to their analogous palettes.
Esther's 1st dye layer is shown at the bottom with over dyeing shown on top.

Esther also dyed matching threads

Laura's 1st layer of dyes
She found linen dyed the darkest.

Pat is working with the same palette as Laura but their individual folding of the fabrics have produced different marks.

Wylie began with a lower intensity Paulette, the light blue fabric on the left.
With the 2nd layer she built up a lot of luscious greys.

The cloths were folded 6 different ways to give distinctive marks.
The same folds were repeated with the 2nd dyeing.
This is Sarah's 1st layer of dye.

Colour Work Bee

2012-01-24T20:56:00.001-07:00

Today there was a Colour Work Bee in the Victoria College of Art.
Textile students and faculty spent many hours sorting fabrics into colour groups.

Within the 1st hour the piles of colourful fabric began to accumulate in assigned spots by using Joen Wolfrom's '3-in-1 Colour Tool' as a guide.

We stopped only to have a delicious pot luck lunch then went back to work.

President Peter Such and Vice- President Nancy Ruffolo stopped by to help take sample books apart...

...some of which took a lot of strength.
Fabrics were donated by Chintz & Co., Zebra Design and a number of generous individuals.

After fabrics were sorted by hue they were put in labelled boxes....

...and stacked, ready for use by the students when they are making samples my hand and machine. This library of fabrics has become a valuable learning tool now they are organised and more easily accessible.

Storm Watching

2012-01-22T21:03:00.001-07:00

Last week Ron and I went over to the west coast to storm watch (and for our wedding anniversary).
We saw several 1sts, including surfers riding waves while it was snowing.
And we walked on a snow-covered beach for the 1st time.

But over all the weather was mild

At times it was sunny while it was snowing

So it was a surprise when we drove back home over 4 mountainous passes on icy, snowy roads to find the storm had happened across Canada, including Victoria (all schools were closed) while we had been in the mildest place in the country.

But last night a wind storm hit Victoria. We lost power twice, the 2nd time we decided to go down to the coast to see what was happening.

Birds had come in from the sea and all stood facing into the strong winds.

And, finally, we got to see how those massive logs were tossed high up on the beaches like toothpicks.

The breakwater at Ogden Point had waves breaking right over it.

While we were having hot drinks in a cafe to warm up, we phoned home and found the power was restored so we went home. Storm watching over.

Dyeing - 2nd layer

2012-01-16T17:00:00.001-07:00

!st layer - 2 blues

2nd layer - with complements addes

Left - 2 layers, right - 1st layer

2nd layers of 2 blues + complements

left - 1st layer, 2 blues right - 2nd layer, complements added

pure colours pure colours + lower intensity colours

These are the samples I am using in class where the students are learning tray dyeing.

We are all looking forward to see the students results.

VCA Students' Tray Dyeing

2012-01-15T21:59:00.001-07:00

Each of the students filled a tray with folded fabrics....

...in the colour palettes they had chosen.

We are exploring analogous colour schemes.

The students took their trays home to put in a warm place for 24 hours to batch.

Then they will rinse, dry and iron...

...before bringing their beautiful fabrics back to class to add another layer of colour.

Victoria College of Art Student Work

2012-01-10T22:11:00.001-07:00

This is Esther Paterson's display of work she did in the Pattern Design for Artists course.
Esther chose to work with an eye motif and produced many patterns she will use in her work.

Sonia Park was a student in the Mark Making With Thread course. She had to return to her home country, Korea, before the Christmas show so she has sent us images of her completed work.

Sonia's needleweaving sample on her stamped ground

Sonia's 3D project using needlweaving techniques

Results From Tray Dyeing

2012-01-09T17:45:00.001-07:00

here are the results from the tray dyeing I did to make samples for the next Mark Making With Machine session

i torn up a single bed sheet so all of the samples are on the same fabric

some samples were wet, some were dry

some were folded in a rough pattern, others folded randomly

6 different effects from one small tray - its a great technique Leslie Morgan and Claire Benn have developed

Mark Making With Machine Course

2012-01-08T14:42:00.002-07:00

Mark Making With Machine started at the Victoria College of Art this week. The students spent the day getting to know their sewing machines better and settled on a colour palette they want to work with.
Today I am preparing tray-dyed fabric samples for next week's session. We will use Leslie Morgan and Claire Benn's method because it is simple, an easy way to dye a lot of fabric, and a hands-on method for learning how to develop a colour scheme.

This tray has fabric folded in 6 different ways which will produce 6 different line and textural effects.

The 1st colour, a middle blue, was flooded on the bottom of the tray.

The 2nd colour, a warm blue, was poured over the top.
As well as the different folding producing different marks, we will also be working to produce a full gradation of values.

Victoria College of Art Student Dana Davies

2012-01-05T19:55:00.001-07:00

Dana has a dry run to practice explaining her work before the opening of the College Christmas Show

Dana's completed presentation of her work

Dana's 3D project using needle weaving techniques

Dana used a darning technique to explore here chosen colour palette

Victoria College of Art Student Su Mei Moon

2012-01-03T20:30:00.001-07:00

This is Su Mei's display of her work, produced during 12 weeks of the Mark Making With Thread course

Su Mei's 3D project began with the lid of a box that she crumpled then worked over with needle weaving stitches

Su Mei chose to explore a very warm palette

She showed skill working with varying temperatures and values to get pleasing contrast in her samples

Victoria Collge of Art Student Esther Paterson

2011-12-30T20:07:00.001-07:00

Esther gets her body of work ready for the Student Show

Her 3D project is a butterfly...

...made using a needle weaving technique

Victoria College of Art Student Kati Akhavan

2011-12-23T11:20:00.001-07:00

Kati setting her work up Friday morning

Kati's project showing atmospheric perspective

Kati's 3D project using needleweaving

Kati's workbook where she developed her distinctive colour palette

Victoria College of Art Student Sarah McLaren

2011-12-20T20:10:00.001-07:00

Here is Sarah setting up her work on the Friday morning

Sarah worked with a very warm intense colour palette

Sarah's couched sample has lots of exciting ideas she can expand on

Sarah's 3D project - needle weaving within a frame

VCA Textile Student Garland Fong

2011-12-18T21:32:00.001-07:00

Garland has just put her board in place on the morning of the show and she is talking to her class members about her work. It is a dry run to prepare her for talking to many more people that evening.

During the course Garland worked with her favourite colours

Garland's 3D project

Her couching sample.

Victoria College of Art Christmas Show 2011

2011-12-17T22:25:00.001-07:00

What a busy and exciting 3 days we have had in the textiles studio at the college.
On Thursday students turned up with rubber gloves and gave the studio a thorough clean.
On Friday morning they finished off their boards displaying their work and set up the studio.

I set up a table where I would do demos on the Saturday

The crowds came on Friday night.

Some members of the Mark Making Class of winter 2011 - me, Kati Akhavan, Sarah McLaren, Garland Fong, Esther Paterson.

College President Prof. Peter Such presented Jo Ann Allen with a Fine Arts Textiles Certificate.
The textiles program began November 2010 and Jo Ann is the first person to be awarded this certificate.

Barbara Gilbert, also a VCA student, and here representing the Embroiderer's Guild of Victoria, congratulates Jo Ann on behalf of the guild.
Well done Jo Ann. We are all very proud of you.

Progress With Red

2011-12-14T23:31:00.001-07:00

The 3rd layer of needle weaving is finished. It is always a surprise when I take the work off the frame because I can see only sections of it while I work on it in the frame.
People often ask me, when they see this technique, 'how long did this take you?' So far this work has taken 29 hours - this includes 4 to develop the design, 1 1/2 cutting up thread, 1 hour setting up the frame. And there are still many more hours to go before it will be finished.

My colour palette is much depleted. I will have to replenish it before I begin the second in the series.

This is the back of the work as it is being blocked.

I am sewing from the back a drawing of a Mi'kmaq petroglyph.

Busy Hands Finishing Work

2011-12-12T22:19:00.002-07:00

Students in the VCA Textiles class have had their final class where they were busy finishing samples, projects and assignments.
Dana

Kati

Sarah

Garland

Esther

Progress With Red & Students' Samples

2011-12-10T22:59:00.001-07:00

Progress Report on Red: 3rd layer is just about finished

VCA student progress with samples
Esther's couching

Sarah's couching

Kati's couching

Garland's buttonhole stitch on her painted ground fabric
The students will be finishing off their samples and projects this coming week

Red & Student Work

2011-12-08T22:05:00.001-07:00

An up-dated image of Red. Working on the 3rd layer using finer yarns.

More samples of student work - Self Applique using their own hand painted cloth.
Garland

Sarah

Kati
There is much excitement in the college this week as students have their last lesson for the term. They are finishing assignments, projects and art works in preparation for the Christmas Show when their works will fill every bit of space inside the college.
The Christmas Show will be on Friday December 16th from 7:00pm and Saturday December 17th, 1:00 - 4:30pm. On Saturday I will be demonstrating with my sewing machine and talking about the course I will teach in January - Mark Making With Machine.

Red & VCA Student Work

2011-12-07T15:40:00.002-07:00

Here is a progress shot of Red - it will be needing its pedigree name soon
Working on the 2nd layer - thick yarns

Victoria College of Art Mark Making With Thread
Student samples - Self-Applique
James

Sue Mei

Esther
A technique that always produces surprises

Art at the Whyte

2011-12-05T22:48:00.001-07:00

Lesley Turner 'Valuing Women's Work' 81" x 62", composted, hand stitching; cotton
An afternoon tea cloth was left under a maple tree during fall to be incorporated into the decay cycle. After many hours of washing, ironing and stitching the work goes largely unnoticed as the restored cloth is sacrificed again to protect furniture while the hostess serves tea to her guests. This installation is a metaphor for much of women's work not accounted for in our national accounts system.

Mary Shaffer's jacket...

...was the inspiration for a number of works placed around it.

Likewise, Catherine Whyte's engagement dress, shoes and portrait inspired Ingrid Lincoln's panel. The artist statement reads: 'This is a homage to Catherine Whyte. A strong personality in a soft guise.'

The curators Michale Lang and Mary-Beth Laviolette did a very good job pairing and arranging artifacts from the Whyte collection with Articulation's art works.

Imagists Exhibition in Victoria

2011-12-03T23:38:00.000-07:00

http://www.artopenings.ca/Art_Openings.ca/Imagists_Opening.html
Click on this link to get details about the Imagists current exhibition
It is a most interesting collection of work
Thanks Kate for putting this review up on your site

Articulation at the Whyte

2011-12-03T23:19:00.001-07:00

Here is the view from the entrance, looking left

The view looking from the 1st entrance

View from inside the gallery
There is lots of breathing space for the works

Here is Articulation, in the gallery

Articulation At The Whyte

2011-12-01T19:04:00.001-07:00

This is the text panel at the entrance to Articulation's work in the Whyte Museum, Banff

With Vickie Newington's 2 works beside it - see below

In front of the entrance is this red wall with Gloria S Daly's work

Gloria S. Daly, 'Glacier', 42" x 38"
Gloria was inspired by A. C. Gault's sketch called 'Mountain Monsters', in the book 'Rocky Mountain Madness' by Edward Cavell & Jon Whyte. Indigo dyed cotton and silk rushing is hand embroidered with a zillion french knots and machine quilting.

Vickie Newington
(top) 'Ice and Stones,' 17" x 20", glass, mohair wool - hand felting, glass fusion
Vickie describes this work, "As the mountain starts to warm up and come alive in the spring, the edges of the ice on the lakes retreats, exposing interesting stones."
(bottom) 'Ice Water,' 22" x 24", fused glass, polyester, wool mohair - glass fusing, machine embroidery, hand felting
Vickie describes this work,"The spring breakup in the mountains brings texture and reflection to the water and the ice.
These 2 works are beside the text panel.
More Articulation work to come.

Articulation Opens At the Whyte

2011-11-30T22:45:00.002-07:00

This weekend the Whyte Museum in Banff, Alberta, opened a new series of exhibitions, including one by Articulation

6 Articulation members traveled to Banff for the opening

There is lots of signage outside the museum

Opening speeches by Michale Lange, museum director, Gloria Daly, Articulation rep, and curator Mary Beth Laviolette

and demos by Articulation members: Wendy Klotz, Donna Clement

More Student Work

2011-11-23T21:44:00.001-07:00

Dana

Sarah

Garland

Kati
You will be able to see these projects and more of the students' work at the Victoria College of Art Student Christmas Show - December 16, 7:00 -9:00 & 17, 1:00 - 4:30

Student Work & Progress With Red

2011-11-22T20:43:00.001-07:00

Showing progress on my 'Red' project - adding a layer of thick yarns over torn fabric strips.

More wonderful student works in progress.
This project's objective was to show a foreground with a background.
Esther's work.

Sue Mai

James

Sonia

Eco-printing Results & a Decision

2011-11-21T14:37:00.001-07:00

More results from attempts to Eco-print using tree material from Douglas-fir ecosystem

Arbutus berries & leaves - minimal print

Just a trace of staining from arbutus leaves

Cedar boughs

Cedar boughs acted as a resist when the pot's water level covered part of the bundle
The water had accumulated a dye solution from previous steaming
Choosing to work with cotton and natural dyes is a challenge

I want to work with cotton so I have decided to not continue with natural dyeing for this body of work

Eco-Printing Unwrapped but Not Wrapt

2011-11-16T12:32:00.001-07:00

Progress on my 'Red' series of panels
There are the result of research done in the Bay of Fundy

Finally the results of an eco-printing session, after waiting patiently for 2 weeks before peeking
I am testing native flora in my back yard
Results from the Big-leaf maple...

...are limited

Douglas-fir....

...had minimal effect

VISDA Cedar Hill Exhibition

2011-11-13T20:47:00.000-07:00

I've just got back from spending the day sitting with the Vancouver Island Surface Design Association exhibition at the Cedar Hill Recreation Centre. As well as talking to many of the visitors, I got lots of stitching done on my red panel.

We had a most successful opening last week with estimates of 80 to 100 people turning up for the event.

In fact it was so crowded at times it was hard to see the work. Today a number of people came back to the gallery a 2nd time, hoping to get a better look at the work.

It was a great time to catch up with friends as well as look at the new work by 18 members of VISDA

Eco-printing a la India Flint

2011-11-08T12:26:00.001-07:00

Recently i spent a day eco-printing, experimenting with plants from outside

After steaming i left the bundles tied up and resisted even peaking, leaving them to peacefully cure

A lichen covered snag blew down from our magnificent Dogwood tree.
I have temporarily claimed it, wrapping it in various pieces cloth.

It is outside my studio window...

... where it serves to remind me of the pace of natural staining processes.

More Negative Space Experiments

2011-11-06T00:04:00.001-06:00

Garland
More samples of students experimental sampling.

Kati

Sonia

Dana

Negative Space

2011-11-04T12:49:00.001-06:00

James
Victoria College of Art Textile Arts students' experiments with negative space.

Esther

Sarah

Sue Mei
There are lots of examples here of well considered use of design elements.

Fibres@The Hill

2011-11-02T22:06:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, we (Vancouver Island Surface Design Association) hung an exhibition in the new Art Gallery at Cedar Hill Recreation Centre, Victoria
This is what we started with

What the space will look like for the next month
Here is a quick look around the walls...

...filled with over 60 works (minus the ladder)

A most interesting collection of contemporary textile art

The exhibition opened today, November 2nd and closes November 29th
The Gallery is open the same hours as the community centre with an artist in attendance daily from 10:30 am until 5:00 pm
The opening is Friday, November 4th, 6:00 to 8:00 pm, with many of the 18 artists planning on attending

Do come by and let us know what you think
Ask the artist in attendance lots of questions - we like to talk about our work

Handwork 7, Handwork 8

2011-11-01T00:22:00.002-06:00

More rescued wool embroideries
I used the 2 in the top left...

...to make 'Handwork 7'

To make 'Handwork 8', I used the one in the top left...

...and part of the one in the top right.

These 3 works will be hung in a gallery tomorrow.
The Vancouver Island Surface Design Association has a month long exhibition in the Cedar Hill Recreation Centre Art Gallery, a new space Victoria artists have started to use.

New Work

2011-10-30T13:19:00.000-06:00

For many months I have been collecting woolen embroideries from second-hand/thrift stores. Friend Carol has also been collecting for me - she has superior gathering skills.

They are being used for a series called 'Handwork' and are about acknowledging the creative work done in the private home, by woman - work with no value.

I take the embroideries out of their frames, always hoping there will be some provenance but there usually isn't. These are anonymous creative works.

They are washed.

I picked the 2 on the right....

...to make this work. It is about how the human eye is designed to look for a figure on a background.
The male eye looks for a focal point in the figure while the female eye searches for all-over patterns.
This work is for the female viewer.

Handwashing Day

2011-10-27T17:45:00.000-06:00

Hand washing some of my thrift store finds and successful bids at auction houses.
2 fine wool shawls, one with beautiful, woven, floral border

Wool blanket - well used but laundered carefully over its life time so no sign of fulling.

Piece of old silk velvet in blue and gold - a little fragile but washed up well.

A friend found this treasure for me at a garage sale - a heavily metal embroidered, Indian made evening purse.

It was rejuvenated after a light vacuum and spot clean.
It is now in my closet because I'm going to enjoy using if for awhile.

Church Sale Finds

2011-10-25T23:04:00.000-06:00

Went to the Sacred Heart Catholic Church sale
Picked up some great stuff

Box of Floss - 50 cents

Cones of wool & cotton - $1/cone

Box of interfacing - $2.50
Stash Renewal

Exploring Hands

2011-10-22T22:20:00.000-06:00

The Mark Making With Thread class at Victoria College of Art had a busy day painting background fabrics
Here are their hands at work exploring paint on cloth

More Colour Studies

2011-10-20T18:32:00.000-06:00

Garland's work

Kati's work

Esther's work

Sonia's work

I always look forward to seeing how each student interprets an exercise. Each time I see their work I can see their personality being expressed. I feel as though I get to know them better with each exercise.

Mark Making with Thread

2011-10-18T16:22:00.000-06:00

Su Mei
The 2nd Mark Making With Thread course at the Victoria College of Art is underway.
The students produced most expressive stitched colour studies as they refined their personnel colour palettes.

James

Sarah

Dana

Gardening vs Nurturing

2011-10-17T15:25:00.000-06:00

Gardening vs Nurturing

2011-10-14T20:56:00.000-06:00

As a part of the work i did for one of my degree modules, I set up a series of dialogues with the environment outside my house. This one i called 'Gardening vs Nurturing'.

I made a checkerboard of black, weed-suppression garden cloth and crochet doilies.

20 months later, this is what the site looked like

As i anticipated, nothing had grown through the garden cloth, while the doilies nurtured lush growth.

Fundy Study

2011-10-13T13:47:00.000-06:00

I have started working on a new body of work

It began with an Articulation study week, where we explored the Bay of Fundy.
Here we are stopped for a roadside lunch

I have decided to explore all things red because it struck me as the dominant colour whereever we went around the coastline.
Fields of red-leafed low-bush blueberries.

The earth is red

The sea is red

I have started collecting red threads
It is a start....

Progress

2011-10-11T12:39:00.001-06:00

With this work i am exploring the relationship between hemoglobin and chlorophyll.
Their molecules are the same except for the presence of iron or magnesium in their centres.

I decided to show these centres with red and green buttons.

My years of collecting buttons has paid off because I found enough buttons of the right colour and shape to do the job.

The 1st buttons are sewn on.

I decide the buttons are successfully conveying the idea of the different colours produced by the different elements in the centre of each molecule.....

...so i continue sewing...

Moving A Work Along

2011-10-10T12:48:00.001-06:00

Remember this work made from a collection of domestic linens dyed red and green...

...strip-pieced and cut a number of times...

...and how the colours where the same as what popped up in garden in spring?

After an incubation period, this is what has happened to it.
I have shaped it to refer to the human form, a tree and an animal hide put on the wall.
Now what?

Victoria College of Art Library

2011-10-06T14:14:00.001-06:00

Over the summer I spent more time organising the college's library.

All of the books on individual artists are grouped and labelled with a bold sticker matching the first letter of the name of the artist.

The rest of the books and magazines are group by the courses taught in the college.

Each course has its own coloured sticker.
The system is proving to be most successful.
The books are being used and they are finding their way home.

Himalayan Blackberry

2011-10-04T19:13:00.001-06:00

Thought you needed to see close-ups of the blackberry we have been battling to remove.

The canes reached high into the trees, growing on these thick stems.

The roots are huge and take a lot of energy to dig out.

I have read deer like to eat blackberry but we have a lot of deer and I don't see any sign of them snacking on them.
Goats like blackberry. We are looking into the 'Rent A Goat' program.

Forest Restoration Project Report

2011-09-29T13:04:00.001-06:00

Our big project is to restore the wedge of Douglas-fir forest on our property. The 1st phase involves removing the invasive plant species preventing native plants from growing. While my sister was staying with us, she put in many long days working at removing these invasive plants. The area she focused on was the shady bog area below the pond where the outlet stream meanders.
This is the view looking further down this stream from where we planted the ferns (previous post). All invasives have been removed but there is likely to be regrowth of them.

This is the view further down the stream. Before Donnel came, it was a 10 foot wall of Himalayan blackberry, some holly and a little English ivy - all invasive species in this ecosystem.

Once the blackberry was removed there was very little vegetation left. Now with the light reaching the ground, the nurse logs and snags can do their job supporting new growth.

It looks like a bomb went off and the blast killed all the vegetation.
I will be watching the area closely to find signs of new growth and to remove regrowth of the invasive plants.
Thanks Donnel for doing battle with blackberry for all those hours and for sharing your wisdom so freely.

Gardening

2011-09-27T21:59:00.001-06:00

While my sister was staying with us, we cleared the steep banks along a little stream of all invasive plants - mainly blackberry. We then bought 7 different varieties of ferns. Donnel wasn't able to plant them before she left but she did leave me detailed instructions on how they needed to be planted.

On Sunday Ron and i got them all planted - 19 of them. Ron dug the holes and i did the planting.

As per directions, i made little collars of decaying weeds and put them around each fern for protection from frost and to retain moisture in the soil. Then i added a knit cloth (Donnel's suggestion to hold the bank and to add more compost as the cotton and linen decayed. It was a hand knit tube found by friend Carol in a thrift store.

While stones held the cloth in place, i cut holes for the ferns to poke through. Now these 4 ferns are wearing a shared sweater/jumper/jersey. I am sure they are most comfortable in their new home.
Oh, and it started to rain just after we had finished planting - perfect timing.

Clean-up Time in the Studio

2011-09-25T19:33:00.001-06:00

After completing the Pattern Design course, my studio was a chaotic mess. I knew I couldn't begin on my next project until I had put everything away so I had some clear horizontal surfaces to work on.
The 1st thing I did was to pick up everything off the floor and put it on my central work tables. Then I added everything else that was out of place.
What a pile of stuff!

I worked away through the layers putting things back in their place so I could find them again when I next needed them.

Everything that needed more of my attention got piled into the 'Action' basket, which has morphed into a slippery, tottering double pile.
I'll attack it bit by bit whenever I have a few spare moments.
Or perhaps I need to deal with 5 items each day - that sounds like too many. How long would it take to eliminate the pile if I dealt with 2 items each day? That would be better than leaving it to compost and grow down onto the floor.

This is another pile waiting for my attention - fabrics and threads needing to be put away in the right containers.
As long as the pile stays like this I feel as though I don't have complete access to all of my textile resources. I might as well not have them. What if the perfect thread I need for my next project is hidden deep within the pile? But it would take most of a day to put it all away. That day needs to go towards meeting one of my looming deadlines.
Now I have 2 and a half clear surfaces to work at.
Onward....

Pattern Design Stations in the Studio

2011-09-23T22:11:00.001-06:00

To teach the Pattern Design course I set up stations around the studio.

This is where I demoed how to make different stamps.

This was a cutting station, though the students had space to set up their individual cutting stations too.

This is a print station. I learnt this set-up from Eleanor Hannan when I was in her Compositional Cloth course at MISSA this past summer (it is officially fall now). I found having the large foam print pad made printing so much faster than inking with a breyer or roller.

This was the Supplies station. Different people donated materials to the class so the students had a lot to choose from when they were planning their stamps.

Pattern Design Course

2011-09-21T17:43:00.001-06:00

One session during the Pattern Design course I taught at Victoria College of Art, we explored the concept of Notan. I had been keen to find out if the point in a notan design where the tension between the light and dark areas produced an oscillating balance was the same point for each student. Group critiques of individual's designs proven there was a point when everyone saw it happening.

Another exercise was to find examples of the many different types of patterns we had examined.
Each example was analysed to work out how the pattern was made then it was documented in the student's Pattern Dictionary with a detailed description. By the end of the course, those bulging Pattern Dictionaries had become an invaluable design resource for each student.

Articulation Farm Study

2011-09-14T00:58:00.001-06:00

Articulation is working on an exciting project. Several years ago, we all spent a week based in Regina while studying farms on the prairies. Leann organised our research week and now she is taking a work from each of us as part of Articulation's proposal to exhibit in many different galleries across Saskatchewan. I'll share the innovative details of the proposal with you later. I want to show you how my 1st piece developed.

This is the beginning of a work I called 'Roadside Weeds'

For this body of work I decided to knit the ground fabric.

There is lots of mixing of yarns to get the blended prairies colours

The finished work with lots of hand stitching on top of the knit ground fabric

'Roadside Weeds'

Gardening

2011-09-06T19:45:00.001-06:00

I haven't posted for a while because my time has been devoted to lesson planning/teaching and to gardening. I want to learn as much as I can from my sister (the landscape designer - she calls herself a gardener) while she is staying with us. We have been putting many hours into the garden.

Here is an image of a earlier successful experimental plot where the blackberry and other invasive species were pulled out, the grass cut short then newspapers and bark mulch laid on top. Once the rains start it can be planted to convert it back to forest but this has taken a year to get to this stage.

If you look hard you can see the hose and little orange flags marking the new line of one of the cultivated beds closer to the house. We are making the beds a more interesting shape and reducing the amount of lawn because it is very expensive to keep a green lawn over the summer in Victoria.

Here is a bed that has been extended with Donnel's potent mix of layers to suppress the grass and build up new soil: a thick layer of wet newspaper/paper/cardboard, next - old grass clippings, then a layer of coffee grounds (yes, we have been collecting large bags of them from the coffee shops we frequent), then a layer of green weeds, and now we wait for a layer of fall leaves. The grass underneath is already turning yellow.

Here is another extended bed, though that ugly line on the right has to be corrected.

Victoria College of Art Studio

2011-08-18T21:39:00.001-06:00

My sister and I spent the day in the Lower Studio at the Victoria College of Art getting it ready for a new course I am teaching on pattern design.
This is the before shot.

Sister Donnel started with cleaning the wet studio.

The storage area had a pile of new tiles we found out we could put down in the main studio.

So with the help of Keith, the maintenance person, we moved all of the furniture, pulled up the old tiles, washed the floor, laid the new tiles down in a mosaic pattern (of course) and moved all of the furniture back.

Donnel wielded the staple gun and made the print tables then hung textiles on the walls, while I did photocopying and organised supplies and equipment.

Here I am, pleased to be ready for my class tomorrow.

Waiting for students

Rain Forest

2011-08-13T21:53:00.001-06:00

Some close-up shots of the rainforest
Inside a hollow living cedar

The fungus growing on tree trunks is more colourful and interesting close-up

Sailing North

2011-08-10T22:42:00.001-06:00

My husband, Ron and I went sailing again this summer. For 2 weeks we headed north ending up in the Broughtons. It was wet.

Most days it was wet.

But is was to be expected because we were in rain forest country

There were enough breaks in the heavy rain for us to go ashore to walk through wet undergrowth.

Current Threads 11 Opening

2011-08-07T22:07:00.001-06:00

The Vancouver Island Surface Design Association had the opening of their Current Threads 11 exhibition at the Ladysmith Waterfront Gallery on Saturday August 6th.

New this year was a collection of small works called 'Under Currents' at a set price of $195.

Artists: Elserine Sprenger, Linda Wallace, Barbara McCaffrey, in front of Barbara's work

Artist: Dale MacEwan, in front of her work

Artist: Susan Purney Mark, in front of her work

Artist: Susan Duffield, in front of her work

Artist: Susan Jones, in front of her work

There was a great crowd throughout the opening

MISSA Day 5

2011-08-04T12:52:00.001-06:00

After completing a screen printing of a wallpaper over the whole cloth, I put on a wash of light blue paint beside the yellow. I put it out in the sun and manipulated it to get the right flow of soft lines.

I added leaves and flowers as resists - the same plants/shapes as the screen printed motifs

Linda working on placement of motifs on her compositional cloth

Judy cutting a stamp to make a motif on her cloth.

We ended this wonderful workshop with our instructor, Eleanor Hannan giving us a critique of each of our cloths as they hung in the stage area of the smaller theater on campus.
In the week everyone had completed their cloth to a stage where they could now add the final layers, whatever they needed to be. I'll keep you posted on how my cloth develops.
I will be returning to MISSA next year and I look forward to another class with Eleanor because among other joyous things, she gave us all permission to just play for a whole week - something I need more of in my life.

MISSA Day 4

2011-08-02T21:44:00.001-06:00

Another layer was added to our cloths by freely brushing on the back with paint

I added some dry brush strokes with a tree stump under the cloth

While drying in the sun my cloth attracts some comments

MISSA Day 3

2011-07-31T23:19:00.002-06:00

The 3rd day was spent mostly on silk screening on our 4 meters of cloth.

I wanted a wall paper effect so combined an alternating band made with a stamp and my silk screen pattern rotated 180 degrees each time.

I didn't quite get the motifs in the right place to make the pattern interlocking but it worked well enough.

At this stage the 3 layers were looking a bit jumbled up in parts.
But there was lots more work to be done to pull it all together.

MISSA Day 2

2011-07-28T21:55:00.002-06:00

We began day 2 by making different stamps and playing around with them.

The next step with our cloth was to establish territories on it.

I used my stamps to define the different areas of an abstracted face.

In the afternoon i sun-printed with ferns down the side.

At the end of the day i hung the cloth from a balcony so i could see all of it when i returned to the classroom the next morning.

MISSA

2011-07-27T23:31:00.001-06:00

I attended the 1st week of this years Metchosin Summer School of the Arts out at the beautiful Lester Pearson College campus in Eleanor Hannan's "Compositional Cloth: The Face" workshop.

She showed us a number of ways to make stamps and patterns after a few warm up exercises to get us thinking about the face.

Eleanor showed us how to make a silk screen.

And how to make all the right sounds when using screen and paint.

The first marks we made on our 3 to 5 metres of cloth where to be bold and free.
I was not impressed when, with my first stroke, the too runny paint fell out of the brush to make a red puddle, a heavy-handed start for my cloth.

Disperse Dyes at SDA

2011-07-02T22:54:00.001-06:00

The 1st exercise with the disperse dyes Marie-Therese had us do was a sample of the different dyes.

This proved to be a most useful reference through out the week.

I have ordered a set of dyes from ProChem and will repeat this exercise with them.

Dyeing with a resist

An exercise to see how many prints one could make from one piece of painted paper.

I made 16 and could have made more.

It is a most economical technique.

An exercise using cheap copy paper to make a stencil.
Marie-Therese showed us there are so many possibilities with disperse dyes

Marie-Therese Wisniowski

2011-07-01T14:29:00.001-06:00

The 2nd week, after the SDA conference, I attended a 5-day workshop run by Marie-Therese Wisniowski, from Australia.

Marie-Therese is an excellent teacher. She opened up the whole world of diverse dyes and transfer for her students.

I had worked through the Double Trouble book 'Transfer to Transform' but wasn't able to take the technique into more developed work.

Marie-Therese explained the chemistry of the process then took us through a series of carefully planned exercises that allowed us to build on our knowledge as the course progressed.

The poor images are of Marie-Therese's signature work. She has also curated textile exhibitions. This Artcloth one featured a number of the instructors and speakers at the SDA conference. Check out her blog to see more of what she gets up to www.artquill.blogspot.com

Indian Textiles

2011-06-29T15:49:00.001-06:00

oopps! the images didn't appear with my last post - so here they are

Indian Textiles

2011-06-29T10:03:00.000-06:00

i love Indian textiles - just want to show you some close ups of some displayed at the Beyond peacocks & paisleys, Handcrafted Textiles of India and its Neighbors exhibition, in the Goldstein Museum of Design, University of Minnesota College of Design.

i had to walk passed the gallery everyday to get to and from the workshop i attended after the Surface Design Association conference.

i found myself in there a number of times over the week... just looking

thanks Hazel Lutz and Anna Carlson (the curators) for the experience and for the exhibition catalogue with so many close-up images and satisfying essays ...yes, i bought the book

Valerie Walker @ SDA Conference

2011-06-26T12:39:00.002-06:00

During the few hours break between the conference and start of the next week of workshops, a group of us took advantage of an outing organised by Valerie Walker (on right) EspaceFibre.com, transmedia fibre artist, gallery owner, natural dyer, radio host, instructor etc etc - you know the multi-talented type.

She had organised a happening at her friend Cecile Lewis's place.

Valerie had hung her naturally-dyed cloths around Cecile's garden - behind these cloths is the gourd patch.

Valerie had started an indigo vat at the beginning of the conference but true to its nature, it was on its own timetable and not ready for dipping that day.

So we spent the time exploring Cecile's dye garden, stroking her dyed cloths, examining the vat, and soaking up some much needed sunshine after being inside for the week.

SDA Fashion Show

2011-06-24T23:41:00.001-06:00

I felt there was some confusion in the focus of the fashion show. There were fashion garments that showed a wide range of surface design techniques but there were also wearable art garments, garments one wouldn't wear out in the street. The image shows Jess Larson's (Minnesota) used tea bag and paper jacket - a wearable art garment....

... the audience thoroughly enjoyed. The judges even gave a wearable art garment the SDA Award - Penny Collins' (California) 'Gown for Great Pacific Garbage Patch Ball' made from plastic bags.

After the show there was as much entertainment in studying the fashion garments worn by audience members.

These 2 beauties floated in Carter Smith creations.

Carter Smith - SDA Fashion Show

2011-06-22T21:26:00.001-06:00

The feature artist of the Surface Design Association Members' Fashion show was Carter Smith, a shibori artist who has been at his craft for 40 years.

The fashion show began with 6 of his hand dyed silk garments, most of them bias cut so they moved on the body beautifully.

To quote Leesa Hubbell, as quoted in the show catalogue: "All kinds of women respond to [Smith's] shibori-psychology - the bourgeois bohemians, the goth girls, priestesses, poets, shamans, singers, movie stars, wealthy philanthropists, ladies who lunch..."

This was an entry that made everyone laugh - Della Reams' (from Doha, Qatar) 'Houndstooth Hound Crisscross Dress' with a humorous repeating dog pattern. The cashmere, merino wool and silk yarns were machine knitted. It must feel so lovely to wear.

SDA Fashion Show

2011-06-21T13:47:00.001-06:00

My favourite winner of the SDA 'Bodies of Water' Members' Fashion Show - Marliss Jensen, from Minneapolis, called her 2 outfits - 'Homages to Yves and Yves'.

She made body prints on cotton knit using Procion H fiber reactive dye.
Sorry the images are not clear and are not taken from the right angles to really show off the garment. My best shot was looking at the back of the garments but I had to then dodge a spot light.

Beth Kendrick, also from Minneapolis, won 1st place with 'Lucette', a hand dyed, painted, discharged embellished dress.

The waving black scarf stuffed into the top of the corset appeared to be a last minute addition for modesty's sake. It was distracting trying to work out why it was there and wondering if it would fall out before the model got back behind the screen. So we didn't get time to really look at the garment.

Jane Kenyon @ SDA

2011-06-17T16:58:00.002-06:00

In the same gallery as Clare, Jane Kenyon is exhibiting a collection of large machine embroidered works she calls 'Transformation'.

Jane Kenyon is another artist whose work makes the viewer dance as they move back and forward, changing perspectives from macro...

...to micro.

These images don't even begin to give the impression of the depth, complexity and flow of of Jane's stitching.

Clare Verstegen @ SDA

2011-06-16T21:12:00.001-06:00

Clare has an exquisite body of work called 'Atmospheric Measures', in the Joan Mondale Gallery at the Textile Centre www.textilecentermn.org, here in Minneapolis.

(these are terrible images of some of the work)

She screen prints on thick industrial felt made of wool, which means she can then have fun with her other favourite technique....

...burning.

She takes the burn marks around to the edges of each work, which is most satisfying to discover.
Notice, above, her purpose-build hanging system that is in such harmony with her felt work.

SDA Presenter - India Flint

2011-06-15T19:59:00.001-06:00

India Flint's knowledge and her sense of humour were well received during the SDA conference.

She finished her presentation by unwrapping a bundle of Minneapolis bio-metal materials she had collected during her city wanderings and steamed in her hotel room.

The Minneapolis Cloth

Tim Harding @ SDA

2011-06-14T21:03:00.001-06:00

Another favourite exhibition at the SDA conference I attended is Tim Harding's work, also showing at the Katherine E. Nash Gallery.

These stapled squares of brown knit fabric....

...and this fabric pushed and poked through a grid....

...needs to be viewed from a distance to see the images.

There are large hanging panels composed of mosaics of squares, equally intriguing and effective.

India Flint @ SDA Conference

2011-06-13T20:45:00.002-06:00

Another 'favourite' exhibition at the SDA conference is India Flint's 'the WindFallMaps' exhibit in the Katherine E. Nash Gallery www.nash.umn.edu

Each garment has been printed and dyed with plant materials and metals found in a specific place.

So each is like a map or visual record of a place and time.

Floating garments are hung with hems at viewers' eye level so we felt dwarfed by evidence of places the garments came from. It was all quite ethereal.

Jason Pollen "Sentinels"

2011-06-12T17:22:00.001-06:00

Jason Pollen, a founding member of the Surface Design organisation, has an exhibition of work in The Christensen Center Art Gallery. this was one of my favourites in the day of exhibition visits.

It was the day of the opening reception and Jason was there. We were able to ask him questions and hear him talk about his work.

He is a master of surface design techniques so his is the sort of work where the viewer moves back and forth in front of the work to get distance then to get close enough to enjoy the details

In the gallery space it looks like a dance is going on.

SDA 2011 Gallery Day

2011-06-11T21:39:00.001-06:00

I am attending the Surface Design Association conference in Minneapolis. After the Meet and Greet session the day was filled with gallery visits - too many to see all in one day so we had the difficult task of picking which ones we would go to.
One of my favourites of the day was work by Ann Hall Richards, called 'Repetition Meditation Revelation'.
The image shows a large curtain of leaves.

Each leaf is hand stitched into a chain. Ann's intention is to 'transform common objects into contemporary and contemplative works that invite and even challenge the viewer to consider not only the content, but also the process and choice of materials.' She was most successful with her intention.

I also enjoyed Teresa Paschke's 'New tools and Ancient Techniques' work. She printed digital images of graffiti onto large cotton canvas surfaces then added her own exquisite hand stitched graffiti.

The butterfly and floral motifs and the obviously slow process employed to add her own marks were in such contrast in every way with the printed graffiti image.

Excavating London's History

2011-06-09T22:21:00.001-06:00

I see the images for my last post didn't show so I had reposted them - not quite in the right order but you will see what i was rambling on about.

Digging Into the Past

2011-06-06T21:05:00.000-06:00

While attending the JC graduates exhibition, I noticed a construction site across the road - a mosque building was being extended.

A construction crew had spent 6 weeks hand excavating behind the behind the building down to about 15 feet below grade. Access to the site was along a narrow alley way between buildings so no heavy machinery could be taken to the site. This conveyor belt carried the excavated soil up to grade level.

Micheal was one of the hard working people whose job was to run between the top of the conveyor and the skip outside on the street with a rotation of 2 wheel barrows, one being filled while he emptied the other.

Wherever I go I look for old glass and pottery shards, usually on beaches but I spied some in this skip. I got talking to Michael and checked that he didn't mind me looking for treasures in his soil. I told him he was like an archeological digging down into the past.

Then he told me about some of the things he had found. They had dug up many old glass and pottery containers and literally hundreds of animal horns.

Animal horns! I needed some for my art work. Micheal put aside some for me.

He also gave me this old pot that looks like what was used to hold beer and other fermented drinks. I was very interested in this because in the 18th century my family were malsters in London. I don't know exactly where they lived but other family members had lived nearby to this mosque in Hackney, when it was a trendy new suburb in the late 1700s.
So it was a great day for finding treasures.
I declared the cattle horns when I entered Canada because we have had major problems with mad cow disease. Even thought the horns are fossilized, the officer sprayed them with disinfectant and they are now drying out and bleaching on my balcony at home.

Menier Chocolate Factory

2011-06-04T00:28:00.002-06:00

While Ingrid and I were in London, one of our missions was to look at the space we will be exhibiting in next year, the Menier Chocolate Factory, near London Bridge.

There will be approximately 12 of us graduating so we need a bigger space than the gallery this year's 6 graduates had.

There are 2 floors to the gallery...

...and a variety of exhibiting spaces.
It is good to know what the space looks like but I don't know if it will influence my work or not, or if I should let it be an influence - I'll have to ask my tutor on that one.

Wendy Harris Williams - 2011 JC Graduate

2011-05-30T22:54:00.001-06:00

Postcard images of Wendy Harris William's graduate exhibition work, 'The Caress'.
She exhibited large scale images of body casts and a book of images.

From her Artist Statement: 'This body of work explores the belly of sisterhood. it is concerned with honouring the inside and outside space of women: their elaborate connections symbolized by the navel.'

Diana Bliss - 2011 JC Graduate

2011-05-28T23:22:00.000-06:00

Post card images of Diana Bliss' graduate exhibition work, called 'Transversing the Surface (a series of walks along the River Dee in Cheshire)'.

From her artist statement: 'My work is dominated by a sense of place and by exploring Landscape through the rhythms and mark making of stitch and paint, the works can be seen as panoramic or under close inspection.'

Valerie Huggins - JC 2011 Graduate

2011-05-25T22:45:00.000-06:00

Here are post card images of Valerie Huggins graduating exhibition work, 'The Poisoned Heart' series.

She used a variety of stitching techniques including broidrie perse - the cutting out of motif from a textile and stitching it onto another ground.

Valerie says in her artist statement: 'Myths, legends, superstition, religion. Where does one end and the other begin?

'In the wayside chapels, shrines and home alters of Europe and Mexico, beneath a veneer of propriety and prettiness, is the still-beating heart of ancient archetypes.'

Chris Spencer 2011 Jc Graduate

2011-05-23T11:59:00.001-06:00

Here are postcard images of Chris Spencer's graduating exhibition work.

The series is called 'Through the Woods'.

Inspired by woodland near where she lives, Chris made felt with an embellisher then added stitching.

Sorry about the quality of my images, which has added to the problem of what is lost when textiles are photographed.

These images show the work insitu, in the woods that inspired them.

They do look as though the belong there.

Sass Tetzlaff - JC 2011 Graduate

2011-05-22T13:20:00.002-06:00

'Domestic Bliss Series'

These are postcard images of another BA(Hons) Julia Caprara School of Textile Arts 2011 graduate - Sass Tetzlaff.

Sass told me the images are taken directly from 'pin-up girl' posters. She thread painted the images by machine than appliqued them onto pieced backgrounds.

The backgrounds are all used men's shirts and she also incorporated men's suits in the above work.

Sass says in her artist statement: 'My current work focuses on the tensions that exist between what women in Western Society want to do and what cultural stereotypes still seem to suggest they ought to be doing.'

Barbara J West - 2011 JC Graduate

2011-05-20T11:24:00.002-06:00

Here are post cards of Barbara West's exhibition work.

She calls the installation 'Drinking Games'

From her artist statement: 'This installation draws attention to one example of alcohol misuse in western culture, with potentially violent consequences for young women.'

It is powerful work, personally relevant to every parent who has sent a daughter out into the world.

New JC BA(Hons) Graduates 2011

2011-05-19T15:15:00.002-06:00

Ingrid Lincoln and I have just returned from the private view of this year's graduates of the Julia Caprara School of Stitched Textiles BA(Hons) degree programme exhibition in Redchurch Gallery, London.

6 students had a selection of their final work displayed in the gallery.

Viny Smit, Principal of the school, welcomed everyone.

Alice Kettle gave the address to the graduates.

Congratulations to all the graduates: Barbara J West, Wendy Harris Williams, Diana Bliss, Diana Halbert, Valerie Huggins, Chris Spencer

I'm sorry I can't show you images of the wonderful work - photography was not allowed.

More Sampling of Food While Travelling

2011-05-18T13:41:00.001-06:00

Of course i also sampled cream teas as we travelled across the English and Welsh countryside.
So far my vote goes to the cream tea in the Old Stables Tea Rooms in a small village in the foothills of the Welsh Black Mountains, Hay on Wye.

They have won many awards with their own fresh clotted cream, yeast unbleached flour scones warm from the oven when you order, rose-flavoured strawberry jam (all ingredients from their garden and their father's garden), and a delicious blended tea, all served on a piece of slate.
But i will not decide on my favourite cream tea until we have explored the Devon coast next year when we return for my graduating exhibition.

Each village has a bakery or two with a bow or glassed window where they display that morning's baking. All very tempting.

What i couldn't resist was a cone of vanilla-flavoured sheep's milk ice cream - that's the cone on the left. It was delicious. We sat out in a market square with our backs to a 700 year old church wall and watched village life pass by while licking.

Afternoon Tea in the UK

2011-05-17T16:13:00.001-06:00

While traveling around the UK we sampled afternoon tea in lots of different places.
This is the Bantam Tearooms in Chipping Campden.

They have an inviting display of baking in the window, causing many passers-by to stop and look.
It is also a 2-room B & B and we stayed up stairs for the night then had the tea rooms to ourselves for breakfast.

By Chipping Campden I had discovered flapjacks (called oat cakes in Canada) and sampled them often.
They are made plain....

...covered or half dipped in chocolate...

... or have dried fruit added.

I stuck to sampling the plain ones.

They go very well with tea.

Pattern in the UK

2011-05-16T11:17:00.001-06:00

On a recent trip to the UK I looked for pattern wherever I went.

Mosaic floor tiles in an endless variety.

Organic patterns in stone.

Patterns made with different materials.

What a feast for the eyes

Prairie Landscapes

2011-05-14T02:58:00.001-06:00

I am beginning a new body of work. It will be exhibited with Articulation.
After sorting yarns, I needed to wind all of the skeins into balls.

Then I sampled....

... to see how the colours worked together.

I am working with my photographs, drawings and colour studies collected during Articulation's study week based in Regina, Saskatchewan, when we studied life on the prairies.

Studio Clean Up

2011-05-14T02:44:00.001-06:00

After packing up a module of work and sending it to my tutor in the UK, I cleaned up my studio.

This table has been covered for months and I have had to shuffle piles to find spaces to work in.

Part of cleaning up my studio involved getting a new iron - just because I finally had time to go out, check the different brands and make a decision.
Isn't this a great name for an iron. It is heavy, holds lots of water and is programmable.

It took me many hours to sort and put everything away.

But only a short time to cover the table again.

I am sorting yarns from my stash for a new body of work.

More Doilies

2011-05-09T04:02:00.001-06:00

Table Cloth, stains removed, washed, dyed, blocked - transformed

So many different patterns

Like snow flakes, or flowers

Blocking

2011-05-05T02:48:00.001-06:00

While at the retreat I continued blocking. I had a big pile of washed and dyed doilies that needed to be blocked and dried before going moldy.

Every time I was surprised after I pulled out a damp limp cloth from the bag.

Blocking transformed it

Dolies

2011-05-03T15:57:00.002-06:00

I have been washing, dyeing and blocking crocheted and tatted doilies.

I have been building up a collection of doilies for quite a while. Friends have kindly been helping, buying doilies when they see them in thrift stores and auction houses.

The range of crochet techniques and patterns is most interesting to study. The majority are made of cotton.

A few of them need mending and some are so rotten they didn't stand up to washing.

Honeymoon Bay Retreat

2011-04-30T11:36:00.001-06:00

A group of us stitchers went away on a weekend retreat to Honeymoon Bay on Cowichan Lake.
Fresh snow fell on the mountains so we were well wrapped for our daily walks.

The resort had a newly planted labyrinth.

We had a large room to work in with excellent light and the dining room was only a few steps away.
Much was accomplished.
We will definitely be going back.

Tree Cloths

2011-04-27T22:58:00.001-06:00

After I had pre-mordanted 4 bed sheets, I wrapped my 4 trees with cloths for the second time.
The 1st cloths were used for experiments in dyeing and sampling then sent to the UK to be assessed.
These 2nd cloths will be used in my final work for my degree.

Arbutus

Big-leaf Maple

Douglas-fir

Red Cedar