Victoria Collge of Art Student Esther Paterson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.