While the garden grows I am at work in my studio...

While the garden grows I am at work in my studio.

A new work. 

The challenge - how to express what is the province of Alberta on one double-sided panel?

I decided to depict the diversity of landforms in the province - landforms shaped by glacial and tectonic processes.

The schematic with a beginning sample. 

Cutting out the shapes.

I decided to focus on the interlocking shapes of the different regions and I felt colour would be a distraction. I auditioned a variety of different unbleached cottons from my stash. I selected mainly handwoven cottons from India. I washed these fabrics and lightly tumbled them dry to allow their different weaves to naturally collapse into wrinkles unique to each cloth.

Problem - how to make a neat double-sided join?

Solution - couching hand-made jute braid from India that I just happen to have in my stash, patiently waiting until needed.

The different landform shapes have been joined.

Yes, the landform edges do need more definition.

Hmmm, not sure about the outline. Is it too dark? Too wide? Does the whole panel need a wider border?

I added a border of a wider jute braid.

Nope - I don't like the way the outline of each shape takes away from the feeling of the different landform regions being related to each other. So I unpicked all of the braid on both sides.

I sewed on a much thinner jute braid.

Much better. 

Now to block the whole panel just enough to make it hang straight while not flattening out the natural landform wrinkles.

I think this must be the first work I have made without the use of my trusty irons.

Inspiration & Work

Summer is a time to travel and visit. I took our recent visitors/company to one of my favourite places in Alberta - Dinosaur Provincial Park. It didn't fail to inspire me again and got me thinking that maybe there is more work here for me to do.

When Articulation (the group I study & exhibit with) came to together, the first place we studied was Dinosaur Provincial Park. We each produced a series of Badlands work and exhibited it. I thought I had completed my Badlands series but every time I go back to this park I find it still full of ideas.
Every year since, Articulation has come together in a special place in Canada to do a study. We then return to our individual studios across the country to turn the inspiration and research into a personal response. These individual series of works are then exhibited, usually back near where they originated from.
As an artist co-operative, this combination of sharing, support and individuality is one of the things that makes Articulation unique.
An exciting new aspect for the group is the development of a presence on the web. After exhibiting in galleries on the Pacific coast, the Atlantic coast and places in between, a website is needed to keep us connected with those who are getting to know our work.
So that's where the work part of this post's title comes in as any one who has had a hand in developing a web presence knows. It is a lot of work.
If you visit our website regularly you will see the cyber growth of another articulated arm of Articulation.
http://www.articulationtextilegroup.com/

Earth From Above

In a past life I studied landforms, Geomorphology, then taught Geography. Even though I have done many more things since those days the shapes of the earth still fascinate me. I love to travel so I can observe humans interacting with their environments. When I can't travel I go to movies to look at the scenery, I go to photographic exhibitions and I examine glossy photographs in coffee-table books. One of my favourite photographers, Yann Arthus-Bertrand, is bringing his large scale work to North America. Take a peek at this website to see some samples of his work.


Earth From Above comes to NYC - The Big Picture - Boston.com

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