Textile Society of America Symposium 2016

Textile Society of America Symposium 2016

The Textile Society of America 15th biennial symposium was held in Savannah Georgia in 2016.

The co-hosts were the Savannah College of Art and Design and Art Rise Savannah.

Ingrid lincoln and I attended the symposium this year.

We caught one of the pre-symposium tours opting to have a group of enthusiastic, knowledgeable students take us on a tour of their university - Savannah College of Art and Design.

The Savannah campus is spread over 80 buildings most of them restored historic buildings in old downtown Savanah, all within walking distance of each other.

The first stop on the tour was the student centre. The beautiful building was filled with art. See the fireplace above.

Pencil drawings on planks of wood.

Next Stop: The Fibers Department, one of 42 disciplines offered.

The entrance art installation - light shining through fibres trapped between acrylic panels on the walls and ceiling.

The dyeing studio.

It looks small but that is because the class sizes are small and only a few students would work in here at any one time. All of the studios are open 24 hours, 7 days a week so students are free to work as their muse strikes or as close to deadlines as they like to.

Induction heating surfaces, steamers and pressurised vat.

SCAD offers 3 fibers degrees - B.F.A., M.A., M.F.A. link here.

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.

Jane Davies' 'Big Fat Art' Workshop

I attended a Jane Davies' 'Big Fat Art Workshop, Jane's Blog.

We did many 'technique' exercises working quickly on large sheets of inexpensive paper.

It was all about layers using many different media and working quickly to stop over thinking it.

A sampler recording how to block out large shapes with different edges.

An exercise in breaking all the design rules. Every added element had to be different in shape, colour, placement etc.

I have never been shown how to work properly with acrylics but this didn't stop me.

I made some ugly pieces but learnt a lot doing each exercise.

We all worked hard and fast and it was very freeing.

Thanks Jane for a great workshop.

Neutral Territory Workshop with Carol Soderlund

Pattern Design: Linear Patterns

In the 2nd lesson of 'Pattern Design for Artists' we begin exploring linear repeating patterns.

After making a quick stamp to trial a design we used it to make 1 dimensional patterns.

The above image shows the set up for printing as I was taught by Eleanor Hannan  www.eleanorhannan.com. It is such an efficient way to stamp, paint-wise and time-wise. Thank you Eleanor for so generously sharing your knowledge. 

Elisha is developing designs based on the geometric shapes of buildings.

Sarah is working with natural patterns on rocks.

Connie is developing hummingbird based designs.

The assignment was to produce 20 different repeating patterns with their 1st design.

Mark Makers at Victoria College of Art

Mark Makers is a group of fibre artists who took classes at Victoria College of Art and wanted to continue getting together after the courses finished.
Yesterday they installed their first public exhibition of work.
This is what the Victoria College of Art studio looked like before they began - a blank canvas....

....filled.
This is just a teaser of how the 82 works have transformed the space.
We do hope you are able to make it to the exhibition.
It is runs August 11th to 17th, everyday, from 10 to 4pm.
There will be a closing reception on August 17th from 1 pm to 3pm, with most of the artists in attendance.
We do hope you can come and celebrate their achievements with them.

Joshua Creek Heritage Art Centre

The brain-child of artist and art patron Sybil Rampin, her art centre is a creative haven on the outskirts of Oakville.

Vistors to the World of Threads Festival art exhibitions at the centre: Ingrid Lincoln, Judith Martin, Catherine Dormor (our final year BA(Hons) tutor).

The centre is made up of different work spaces.
This space could be used for learning, working, meeting, eating, sharing.

A light-filled work room.

Work sinks.

Print room.
Next post - the gallery spaces.

Missa Magic 2012

Missa Magic 2012
MISSA is an annual gathering in the West Coast rain forest of like minded artists who work in all media. People come together to teach and learn from each other. What also happens is new friendships are formed, old friendships are more firmly cemented, networks are built up and one's community is expanded. Creativity is contagious and runs rampant throughout the campus.
MISSA is the tonic for your creative well being.

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.

Tray Dyeing At VCA

The students in my Mark Making With Machine class yesterday worked on building up grounds to sample on.

Using Leslie Morgan and Claire Benn's tray dyeing method they each dyed about 4 meters of assorted fabrics in their chosen hue. Next week they will re-dye some of the fabric to add a second layer.

They also painted some gradations, a la Ruth Issett.

The students are doing a number of exercises to build up a personal palette in an analogous colour scheme.

Tray Dyeing

I have been dyeing using Leslie Morgan and Claire Benn's tray technique. I have decided it is an ideal way for a class to do some dyeing. So tray dyeing is on for the next lesson of Mark Making with Machine, at the Victoria College of Art.

I am building up some ground fabrics to use in my work for the BA module I started last week.

This is the first layer: washed, ironed and on my design wall so I can plan the next layer.

More of the same, I think, except to make the colours less intense. I like brights to peek out from behind.

Students at Victoria College of Art

Here are the early twentieth century students in the Bank Street school . . .

Here are the twenty first century students in the school on Bank Street, 100 years later.

The 3 windows you can see . . .

. . . are the 3 lowest ones on the side of the school, in front of the girls' steps.

MISSA Days 2 & 3

Day 2 at MISSA in Tony Bounsall's Altered Imagery class was spent doing terrible things to photographs, beginning with soaking them in water to loosen up the emulsion. Then we scratched, sanded, scribbled, brushed, waxed, sprayed and bleached them.
The above image is from day 3 when we were shown how to do gum bichromate printing. This is the wash tank.

We dry our efforts on the clothes line.

A couple of my compositions. Lots of layering gives interesting effects.