A journal where I share my adventures developing a food forest based on permaculture principles. I also share my love of knitting here. For my life as a textile artist follow me at lesleyturnerart.com
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Tree of Life in Saint Petersberg
I found some very interesting ones in the Church of our Saviour on Spilled Blood, in Saint Petersburg.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Summer 2013 'To Go' Project
Early summer I made up a 'To Go' project, something I could take with me to work on while travelling.
It had to be self sufficient, small and take a long time.
I started with a card a friend sent me for inspiration. She knows I love hens.
The bantam is a childhood memory of watching them in my grandparents' large vegetable garden and helping Nana shoo them into their coop each night.
I found a charted hen motif in an old kit and coloured it with bantam colours.
I picked floss colours for the hen and the background.
And packed it all in a small bag with a tiny pair of scissors.
I traveled with this project all summer, successfully getting through all airport securities without having anything confiscated.
I traveled on different modes of transport and stayed at different places without loosing any tools or thread.
I was able to work on planes, ferries and in cars. It satisfied my urge to stitch on many occasions while travelling.
It is nearly finished, as is summer.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Doing Laundry
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Current Threads 2013 Artist Talks
On Saturday 21st, the Metchosin Art Gallery featured artist talks during the Vancouver Island Surface Design Association's annual Current Threads exhibition.
Curator of the gallery, Hailey Finnegan, made the opening remarks and introductions.
Sarah McLaren spoke about the processes and techniques involved in her monumental thread painting of a path through a forest. We are all familiar with this native, island forest, which makes the details and accuracy of Sarah's work so inspiring.
Kristin Rohr http://kristinrohr.com/combines science and art to produce maps about important social issues. She made the audience aware of how much sampling she does and how important it is in her process before she is ready to produce a major work.
Linda Wallace http://www.americantapestryalliance.org/AP/ArtistBio/WallaceL.html is a tapestry weaver extraordinaire. She also makes a bridge between science and art to express how she feels about important personal issues. Linda also produces exquisite, small graphite drawings, most of which stay in her small sketchbooks but some have a second life providing the motifs in large woven wall hangings.
Then I spoke about the 'Synesthesia series I am working on.
I couldn't take a photo of my self but I will be posting more about this series later.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Articulation, Bridging Waters Exhibition
Here is my Postcards From Fundy series where I looked at the history of human settlement in the Bay of Fundy through the textiles the people made, wore and used.
When people entered the gallery Wendy Klotz's "Lost at Sea" work greeted them. It was so moving to talk to a man who had worked as a fisherman in Nova Scotia in his youth.
Wendy's work is about the statistic that as a Nova Scotian fisherman you are 19 times more likely to die on the job than any other occupation. She knitted 19 fish.
Miriam Birkenthal's 'Fundy Algae' caused most people to put their faces very close to the work to more clearly see the details in her bead work.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Working in an Off-site Studio
While sitting the 'Articulated Materials: Bridging Waters' exhibition in Sidney's Tulista Gallery, I worked away in a basic studio set up. I was at the gallery everyday so it was an opportunity to see if I would like having a studio away from home.
After a couple of days of dyeing, I washed and blocked 'log cabin' style knit pieces depicting the colours of different crops grown on the prairies.
The main reason for setting up a mini studio in the gallery was to show people how fibre artists work: the materials, the techniques, the processes.
There was a sign put up each day, outside the gallery, saying 'Artist Demonstrations'. It was effective in bringing people into the gallery.
Peas, right to left: Spring growth, in flower, pods forming.
Knowing I had to be at the gallery by certain time each day made me leave the house. I don't think I would give it the same priority if I was going to my own 'away from home' studio to work. I would find many excuses and reasons to delay going or to not go that day. This revelation comes as a bit of a shock to me. Does it mean making art is not top priority in my life? Or do I lack self discipline? Or do I avoid hard work?
I started machine sewing on the now dry knit farm blocks using my portable teaching sewing machine.
The Janome open-toe, free motion foot kept getting caught in the knit loops. I will continue this step at home using my Bernina with its large, circular free motion foot.
It was an interesting experiment to work away from home for 2 weeks. It has made me think about how I use the hours in each day.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Articulation and Material Girls at Tulista Galley
Barb McCaffrey and I have been sitting in the gallery every day, with breaks when 2 other Articulation members, Wendy Klotz and Donna Clement, visited for a couple of days each.
We set up a mini studio so we can continue to work while people visit.
It has been sunny most days so I have been dyeing.
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