Monday, November 23, 2015

This Week of Goodness

Brrr. Does anyone else feel like the pages of their calendar just blew away in a snow storm and we've ended up at the week before Christmas?

Speaking of calendars, there are so many great things going on this week that I have to keep checking mine to keep them all straight. Here's a recap of all the fun.

This Thursday, November 26th, I will be speaking to the members of the Canadian Embroiderers' Guild in London, ON about my experiences as a fibre artist. It is a huge honour for me to address this group of highly talented and diverse textile artists and I expect to be learning a lot myself.


On Thursday evening, the Square Foot and Big Ideas Show opens at the Paula White Diamond Gallery in Waterloo, ON. Erika from PWD says that opening night is often lined up because people know they are going to get original, one of a kind artwork at an unbeatable price. Keep an eye out for my piece called 'California Succulents.'

California Succulents, Peruvian Highland Wool and Beeswax on Birch Wood, 12" x 12" x 1.5"
Then on Friday, November 26th, the Idea Exchange in Cambridge, ON has their opening festivities and pre-sale for the OriginalWorks Market. Besides 'Vibrant Blossoms', which appeared on their poster (very exciting!), I will have some other cherry blossom themed pieces at the market.

Most notable of these is 'Blossoms on Gold'. The photo below doesn't quite capture the sheen of the gold yarn properly. There is real 'lux' feel to this piece, both in the reflective quality and the colours, that reminds me of a Klimpt.

Blossoms on Gold, Peruvian Highland Wool and Beeswax on Birch Wood, 12" x 12" x 1.5"
Unnamed Blossom Study, Peruvian Highland Wool and Beeswax on Birch Wood, 4" x 6" x 1.5"
Unnamed Blossom Study, Peruvian Highland Wool and Beeswax on Birch Wood, 4" x 6" x 1.5"
Unnamed Blossom Study, Peruvian Highland Wool and Beeswax on Birch Wood, 4" x 6" x 1.5"

So much going on and, in the midst of it, I am working on...grant applications. Sigh. Maybe I'll dig out my Christmas playlist and make another pot of tea.  Have a fun week, everybody!


Friday, November 13, 2015

I am a poster child for OriginalWorks 2015!

OriginalWorks Market Poster 2015 - Idea Exchange, Cambridge, ON 


Wow. How great does this feel? That's my work, right in the centre!

I was thrilled when the Idea Exchange in Cambridge, ON not only accepted my work for their OriginalWorks Market, but also asked if they could use 'Vibrant Blossoms' on the poster. I couldn't say 'Yes, please!' fast enough.

The OriginalWorks Market features the work of local artists and artisans, hand picked by the gallery. Everything is priced under $300 and there are lots of choices for holiday gift giving. Open daily from November 28th to December 23rd, the gallery is staffed by volunteers, including the artists.

I will be there helping out on Sunday, December 6th from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm and on Monday, December 21st from 3 pm to 5:30 pm. Come on by and do some Christmas shopping. I'd love to see you!

The Idea Exchange is doing some really amazing things. I am especially fond of their Fibre Art Collection - go figure. They are a current and vital part of both their immediate community and the larger art scene, which is no easy task in a digital world.

I am looking forward to meeting everyone at the Idea Exchange and getting some of my own Christmas shopping done while I'm at it. Hopefully, I'll see you there.

Thursday, November 5, 2015

FiatluxFiber & Gun Plain Pygoras

Yarn people are good people. This is one of the really enjoyable lessons I've learned on my journey into fibre art. It is such a pleasure to be surprised by someone's kindness.

Nan Nichols from Gun Plain Pygoras and FiatLuxFibers reached out to me in October to talk about the Michigan Fiber Festival. She also asked if I would be interested in experimenting with some pygora fibres. Would I?! Does a kid like candy? Does a fish swim?

So Nan sent me some exquisite samples of a pygora-tussah silk blend, a pygora-merino blend and a superfine peruvian alpaca tweed, all undyed (my favourite!) and a very sweet note. The day I opened the package felt like Christmas.

Thank you Nan!
Okay, I'll come clean and confess that I did not know what pygora was at first. So I looked it up and learned that pygora fibre comes from a goat that is a cross between a cashmere producing pygmy goat and mohair producing angora goat. These goats are cute and the resulting fibre is heavenly soft and has a gorgeous lustre.

I'm not sure what I will do with the samples yet, but they are whispering to me about milk weed pods. Did you know that the floss that carries a milk weed seed is called a coma? I just learned that myself.

I love the way life can surprise you. I love learning things that I never expected to know. And I love kind people!

Thank you, Nan, for your generosity of spirit and of yarn that has launched me on an unexpected experiment. I will keep you posted on where it takes me.