'Edge of the Forest' exhibition - Surface Design Association (SDA) Canada

 'Edge of the Forest' exhibition and 'Gathering at the Edge' event committee.

L to R- Gina Dingwell, Barbara McCaffrey, Lesley Turner, Laura Feeleus

After touring across Canada the 'Edge of the Forest' juried textile exhibition arrives on Vancouver Island to be hosted by the Vancouver Island Surface Design Association.

Here it is loaded up and ready to be taken to the Coast Collective's new gallery in Colwood.

Barbara and Laura

Every work was made to a specified size which made the collection a breeze to hang once Laura had done the math to fit in all the works so they were evenly spaced while filling all of the gallery's walls.

Barbara and Lesley

With the show hung we are ready for the public opening on 26th March 2016

Barbara was responsible for the food and beverages catering and the floral arrangements. She did a wonderful job.

And they came...

Lesley, Laura, Barbara

Here we are looking very pleased with ourselves after successfully hanging the exhibition and attracting the public to the opening event.
Many thanks to Judi McLeod for documenting the events with her camera.

Exhibition: Current Threads by Vancouver Island Surface Design Association

The annual Vancouver Island Surface Design Association exhibition Current Threads 2015 is travelling after its showing in Duncan last year.

Jessie Taylor-Dodds' gallery South Shore Gallery, in Sooke, is hosting the exhibition.

This is a great chance to view this juried collection of recent work by VISDA members.

Many of the artists will be at the Opening Reception.

Do hope you can make it.

VISDA Exhibition 'Garden Tapestry' at Portals, Duncan

Louise Slodoban, 'In An Artist's Garden' 

Photo transfer, procion dyed cloth, mono printing, screen printing, sun prints, machine & hand stitched.

Louise was inspired by a visit to Grant Leier and Nixie Barton's Studio Garden at Yellow Point.

The Vancouver Island Surface Design Association has an exhibition in the Portals gallery in the CVAC Centre of Arts, Culture and Heritage until November 10, 2015.

Georgina Dingwell, 'At Night in the Garden'

Printed surface with silk overlay and stitching.

"This piece is about the way we perceive darkness. The mind can take us to scary places even in the realm of beauty in a garden."

All artists worked within a 12" x 60" or 72" framework so there was uniformity in the size of the works. This serves to unify a wide range of styles, techniques, materials and ideas.

Elserine Sprenger, "karesansui" (dry landscape)

Handwoven, linen, silk, raffia, stones, madder, indigo.

"This piece is woven in a partial double weave structure and symbolises the strength and at the same time the fragility of Mother Nature; the stones that have survived millennia and the linen which so easily deteriorates when exposed to the weather."

 

karesansui (dry landscape), detail

Sarah McLaren, 'Joy'

"Own hand dyed linen/cotton blend fabric, hand appliqued with silk thread, machine quilted, wool batting, binding done by hand. 

Inspired by whimsical floral shapes, open weave linen, a love of colour subtleties and a passion for fabric and stitching, my intention was to design and create a joyful art-quilt garden tapestry."

'Joy,' detail. 

Sorry, the colours are way off in these images of the works. The gallery has the work well lit which makes for difficult photographic conditions.

Sarah beside her work. 

The colours here are closer to reality, but images of textiles never really do them justice. You will have to go to Duncan to see for yourself. 

The exhibition is on until November 10, 2015.

The gallery is open Monday through to Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm.