All Beings Confluence - Martha Cole's Community Project in Victoria

Martha Cole, a Saskatchewan fibre artist, has brought her monumental community art project to Victoria for the first time. You can see it in the Cadboro Bay United Church until May.

"All Beings Confluence is a community-based, interactive project that was directly inspired by Carolyn McDade, a composer, social activist and environmentalist whose music has sustained and nourished many over the decades."

The opening reception at Cadboro Bay United Church was a moving experience. One could walk around and through the many panels while listening to music, singing and poetry readings.

Martha explained how the project came about and how she came to bring it to Victoria.

Next stop is Parksville, Vancouver Island.

When Martha arrives in a community she runs a workshop where people work on long sheer panels each depicting one being found on our planet. These panels are then hung together with previously made panels creating paths and a changing kaleidoscope of views through transparent layers.

Here is the website to learn more.

Chlorophyll and Hemoglobin

In my degree studies I am exploring the connection between red cells in human blood and chlorophyll in plants.
I dyed many different household linens in greens and reds: pillow cases with embroidery, tea towels, bed sheets, napkins, table cloths.
I used a Val Campbell-Harding method to randomly strip-piece the different cloths.

After one cut and sewing the strips back together again.

After 2 cuts and sewing the strips back together again.

Now i am hand stitching the flow of blood and chlorophyll in running stitch (had to be that stitch)
You can barely see the stitching in this image because i have just started. I am playing a version of the PAC Man game - whenever I bump into the other colour i have to change direction and 'run' only on the same colour as the thread in the needle.
This image has funny looking labels in it because this was the work i took to the Martha Cole workshop in Gloria's studio. Martha gave us lots of different question sheets to answer while looking at our own work pinned up on the wall.
I had had a week with Martha while doing the artist residency with Articulation in Banff. We did similar exercises in a lot more depth and a lot more of them. That is when I learnt to recognise my 'style'.
It was most interesting to repeat some of the exercises several years later to see how my work has developed and changed. i noticed i feel differently about my work now too.
It was well worth taking the time out to just look at what i make.

Martha Cole Workshop

Last week the Vancouver Island Surface Design Association attended a professional development workshop facilitated by Martha Cole, fibre artist from Saskatchewan. The place and the day was significant because it was the inaugural workshop in Gloria Daly's new studio.
She welcomed us all into her new workspace after having worked very hard to get it finished on time for the eagerly anticipated workshop.

Susan Purney-Mark gave the new studio a blessing with salt and bread, which made most people a bit weepy it was so heartfelt.

Gloria started with a lick of salt and the sharing of a piece of bread.

Then the plate was handed around the group while sitting in a circle - Kristin Rohr, Gayle McIvor, Martha Cole.
Gloria then lightened the mood by offering champagne and orange juice as her way of christening her new studio.
It was a great start to a most productive day, thanks to Martha, Gloria and Gloria's new studio amongst the trees.

Martha Cole and Dialogue

This weekend I went to see Martha Cole and her latest work at an open house in Gloria Daly's studio. Martha had taught a book making class there the previous week so we were able to look at the students books as well as Martha's books.
Martha is a world authority on paste paper and their use in book making.
The image shows her 2 of her latest experiments (in her hands and the purpley one on the wall). She is next going to work on  this stitch-paint technique at a much larger scale.
Her work is inspirational and she is a wonderful person.

There was much excitement at home this past week when a severe weather system blew across the west coast. Our trees were blown around and lost small branches but no damage done. I do enjoy a hearty storm.
After the storm I was delighted to see the contributions the trees had made to the dialogue I presently have set up.

There was lots of communication about the storm.

With the rain and warmer weather the grass is growing vigorously.

Banff March 20

Yesterday morning, when we were in the dining room, we saw performance art. A person was standing with a bag over her head & a sign on her front, that read 'Failed Artist'. Even though the room was a buzz with conversation about her there was no interaction with her and she was ignored.

This morning she was there again with a different sign, 'Great Artist'. This time people shook her hand, danced with her & gave her a big hug. Most of the interaction was with non-artists, mainly people who work for a bank.
The artist, Flossie Peitsch, said she felt personally the different effects the 2 signs had on the way she felt.

We have just finished 4 intensive days with Martha Cole, which proved to be invaluable because of all we learnt about ourselves, our group and life as an artist.

Martha works on her own work for a change, on the last night when we watched a movie in our studio in the woods. We had popcorn to celebrate. This morning, after breakfast, Martha and Vickie left for Calgary and the airport so Martha can return to Saskatchewan.

Banff March 18

Last Sunday I took the afternoon off and went cross country skiing with Ron. The fresh air and vigorous exercise was mind clearing.
Today we are continuing our sessions with Martha Cole. This morning we learnt some strategies for coping with negative criticism of our work - great tools to have when putting your work out there.

Gloria is working on a large hand embroidered work. She is covering great expanses with french knots. One afternoon Ingrid offered to help out and make knots for her.

Donna planning her work.

Banff March 17

We are now into our 3rd week here in The Banff Centre. On Sunday, Vickie Newington, the 7th member of Articulation to arrive, brought Martha Cole with her. Martha is a successful, established artist who we asked to join us for the week to work with us to get ourselves as individual artists and our group to the next level in our development.

Donna Clement, Ingrid Lincoln, Martha Cole

Vickie Newington

We have been working on exercises focusing on becoming aware of our strengths these past 2 days. We rented another studio space in Glyde Hall for the 4 days of the workshop. We have each covered a section of the walls with our work and a diagram of our interests and strengths which we continue to add to and rearrange as items emerge from the exercises.

This is what my part of the walls looked like 1st thing this morning. I have since added to my strengths & interest diagram and taken the bottom right work off the wall because it doesn't reflect the characteristics of my style.

This evening I have an individual critique with Martha, which I am very much looking forward to.