Lilaberry ArtSea Festival Artist Residency

I worked 8 days straight in my temporary studio next to the front window in Lilaberry Home Decor here. Fifty artists were working, demoing and displaying as one of Sidney's ArtSea Festival events. 

Lilaberry's lovely owner, Chris Stephen, sent me these pics she had been taking during the week.

My time was divided between sharing my work....

...and making the work. 

It was a most productive week on all fronts.

Many of Sidney's residents and visitors experienced an art encounter. The relationship between Sidney's business and arts communities was strengthened. My art practice benefited and I hope Lilaberry benefited too.

ArtSea Artist-in-Residence at Lilaberry, Sidney BC

I am spending 8 days working next to the front window of Lilaberry Home Decor here as part of the Artsea Festival. 

Lilaberry Home Decor is a fabulous shop owned by Chris Stephen. All stock is artfully staged to appeal to all senses. There is so much to see one can easily get lost in thought, possibilities and wonderings.

During the 2 weeks of the festival over 50 artists are demonstrating, showing their work and giving talks in the retail area of Sidney-by-the-Sea.

I am working 10:30 to 5:30 every day in my mini studio.

It took several days to get this work set up so I would be able to work on it in the space.

I am needle-weaving into burlap in layers: torn fabric strips, thicker yarns, finer yarns, threads. There are 3 panels in this work which provides me with more than enough work for the week.

I get to talk to lots of the customers about my work.

The festival works to get the public closer to the arts and it helps to build the relationship between the business community and the arts community in the town.

Victoria College of Art Student Work

This is Esther Paterson's display of work she did in the Pattern Design for Artists course.
Esther chose to work with an eye motif and produced many patterns she will use in her work.

Sonia Park was a student in the Mark Making With Thread course. She had to return to her home country, Korea, before the Christmas show so she has sent us images of her completed work.

Sonia's needleweaving sample on her stamped ground

Sonia's 3D project using needlweaving techniques

Victoria College of Art Student Dana Davies

Dana has a dry run to practice explaining her work before the opening of the College Christmas Show

Dana's completed presentation of her work

Dana's 3D project using needle weaving techniques

Dana used a darning technique to explore here chosen colour palette

Victoria College of Art Student Su Mei Moon

This is Su Mei's display of her work, produced during 12 weeks of the Mark Making With Thread course

Su Mei's 3D project began with the lid of a box that she crumpled then worked over with needle weaving stitches

Su Mei chose to explore a very warm palette

She showed skill working with varying temperatures and values to get pleasing contrast in her samples

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.

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.