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.

VCA End of Year Show

Here are some boards of samples grouped according to technique as they were mounted for the Victoria College of Art 'Mark Making with Machine' course end of year show.
Everyone was impressed with how much work the students achieved in 11 weeks.

Students at Victoria College of Art

Here are the images i have been trying to post on my blog, finally. i think Ms Picasa has fixed the broken link.

These are works in progress by students in the Victoria College of Art in the Mark Making with Machine course i taught over the winter term.

Their final project was to abstract the shapes in an image they liked and produce it using their machines and one or 2 techniques they had learnt in the course.

Everyone did an excellent job demonstrating how they had mastered a technique and made it their own.

Rocky Statue Yarn Bomb, Philadelphia

Rocky Statue Yarn Bomb, Philadelphia

..and another spot of yarn bombing

The EL Series Yarn Bombs

The EL Series Yarn Bombs

found out my blog image problem is with Picasa

the blog link button is broken

they assure me they are working on fixing it

in the meantime here is something to look at, images of a yarn bomber

i like the bemused faces of the viewers

Spring Time

Thought I would give my blog a spring look.
I still haven't been able to solve my problem of posting images.
I have to call in help.

VCA Faculty Show

Here's a video about the VCA faculty show from the end of last year.
The 2 fibre works are mine.

Something Fiber

Something Fiber

Articulation member, ReBecca Paterson, posted this YouTube clip on her blog as part of a class assignment in her Digital Communication class.

I am posting it as well for 2 reasons: because it is a gem of wisdom and also to test another way to get images into a post - a real problem I am having with my blog this month.

Thanks for sharing ReBecca http://somethingfiber.blogspot.com/

VCA Students' Works In Progress

Victoria College of Art Show

In our final class today, we spent the time setting up for the end of year show and sale. The students attached their samples to large boards, grouped by technique, exercise and project. Everyone was impressed with the amount of work they produced over the 11 weeks. We were all pleased with how exciting all of their experimentation looked. The studio is just brimming with ideas with so much potential.

Here are some images of their final projects, as 'works in progress'. The assignment was to take a favourite image, abstract the main shapes and develop a design using to techniques worked in their personal analogous palettes. As you can see the results are spectacular. Each one so different and so strongly reflective of each student's artistic voice.

As is usual with fine arts textiles, the image doesn't do the work justice. So if you live anywhere near Victoria you will have to come to the college this Friday (April 1st, 7-10pm) or Saturday and Sunday (April 2nd & 3rd, 1:30-4pm) to be able to really enjoy all of the students' work. The whole college will have every surface covered with their work, including a new 3D installation in the front entrance by the 3D Design class, which is a 'must-see', fun work.

Spring Flowers on the Coast

This is my view outside my studio this month. Last fall I pulled some boring bushy type plants out of the bed and buried over 200 bulbs.

Each morning I go to my studio I see more colour. The hyacinths are the first to show.

I thought I had done my research and planted only those the deer don't like to eat. But it has been such a long cold winter I think the deer have forgotten they don't like irises.

The spring rains are keeping the bulbs growing and the new plants in the herb garden are settling in well. I don't have much time to enjoy the new spring growth yet because I am focused on finishing up a module of work for my BA(Hons) studies. The package is due in the UK next week. There is still so much I could do but come the deadline it all goes in a box.

Kitchen Herb Garden

It felt as though spring sprung today, so the beginnings of the new herb garden went in.
Italian parsley - I picked a few stems from each plant and put them in my salad for lunch and ate outside for the first time this year.

Thyme

Chives - I should start using this too to encourage its growth.

French Sorrel - yumm
I gave them all a water late this afternoon. Hope they aren't feeling too shocked after their traumatic day.
And I hope the deer don't find them.

Dyeing the Tree Cloths

I like the distinctive individual stained patterns on each of the Tree Cloths but I don't like the overall greyness. They don't look attractive.
Perhaps dyeing will help.
I torn off a sample from each Tree Cloth and scrumpled it in a tray, a la Claire Benn-Leslie Morgan dyeing technique.

Using Procion MX, I put in a layer of green brights.

2nd layer was green neutrals. Looking more interesting but not yet full of life.

I have also added to the dye batch 2 table cloths and some napkins to be able to compare results on a white base.
This is 1 of the table cloths with 2 layers.
I think they all now need an over dye. But what colour would tie all of that texture together?

Tree Wrapping

This is the Big-leaf Maple ...

and the Cedar....

and 15 months later here are both tree cloths washed and ironed, Maple (left), Cedar (right).

The Maple cloth has a lot of dark staining....

and the Cedar less but in the damp dark under the tree it rotted more than the other cloths.
Now I have to decide what to do next with the cloths.

Tree Cloths

Big day yesterday. 15 months ago i wrapped 4 trees in a length of unbleached calico and left them to experience a full cycle of seasons.
This is the Arbutus.

Douglas-fir

Here are the 2 cloths washed and ironed.
The Arbutus cloth on the left has much more staining but is rotten in more places than the Douglas-fir cloth on the right.

Arbutus cloth has circles of black staining in lines following the creases of the cloth.

Douglas-fir cloth is grey with all over staining and has green moss stains. The staining marks are more flowing.