Studio Kit

HOLY SMACKERAL.

So, I'm going about life, "la la la", planning this, that and the other thing, with a vague sense that I have deadlines looming, but not a REAL sense of exactly when.

I knew some were coming really soon and was already feeling a bit panicky about them, but had a gut feeling that there were perhaps some other shows coming up faster than I realized, so I decided to pull out the list of shows I ...

For this show, I'm not posting the entire show, but only what I thought was interesting. Starting with...

No, no - that isn't a spelling error - that's the way we spell "fiber" here in Canada. ;)

In Search of the Bright Spots (c) Sharon Collins

And the reason I'm talking about how we spell "fiber" here in Canada, is because this weekend I went to fiber arts show called "Fibre Content" in the nearby city of Burlington.

I thought I'd show you some of my favourite pieces from the show. So in no particular order, here they are (starting with the one above, of course.)

Also, note to Pinners - I have saved each photo with the name of the original artist and the name of their work - if you pin these (which I prefer you don't) please include that information on your pin. Do NOT pin it as being my work.

Bedolina Threads (c) Maggie Vanderweit

This piece was quite large - approximately 50 x 35 - a wholecloth piece. The stitching was a copy of/inspired by a petroglyph in Northern Italy but as I never read the catalogue until after the show (BSP is the opposite so we compare notes later); it reminded me somehow of a poem whispered into the palm of your hand - meaningful, incomprehensible in its entirety, mysterious, a bit magical.

To Snowdonia (c) Jennie Wood

This piece was one of three entered by Jennie Wood, one of the women in my own yet-to-be-named fiber art group, (the fiber arts group I'm part of); however, she was exhibiting as a member of Connections Fibre Artists. I particularly love this piece as it was quite a departure from her usual, more structured oeuvre: a meditation on the colours of Snowdonia in the UK. I think it's very successful!

Ferrero Cameo (c) Leah Hughes

The show itself was juried by Joanne Greenberg, Iga Janik and Elizabeth King , and was drawn from artists in the following groups or associations: SAQA Central Canada, Burlington Fibre Arts Guild, Grand Guild of Fibre Artists , Group Of Eight Fibre Artists and Connections Fibre Artists.

The majority of artists in the show seemed to be from SAQA Central Canada.

Harvest - Fields of Wheat (c) Catherine Timm

There were two things that were very apparent in this show.

The first was - photography matters!

For some time I have been thinking about getting professional photos done of (at least some) of my work - particularly around Written On The Body - as even with my new, super duper fancy camera, I have still been unable to get a photo of it that shows it as it really is.

Homeless Love (c) Mary Pal

And when comparing the work in the high quality catalogue of the show that was provided with the work itself - there were some startling differences. Some work looked far better in person than it did in the photos, some work looked far better in photos than it did in person, and in at least two cases, the photograph was SO unlike that original work that we failed to find the piece in the show. In one case, we actually did (finally) manage to find the piece but it was completely unrecognizable.

The problems were mostly colours - some VERY dramatic differences! - but in some cases, the artist either purposely or mistakenly photographed the piece in such a way as to highlight a specific feature, which made the work look completely different when you saw it in person.

Some of the big shows will suggest that you have your work professionally photographed as work that doesn't look like the photographs may not be accepted - and my gosh - there were at least ten pieces in the show that were in danger of that distinction!

Musing (c) Mary Pal

Speaking of photography - in the Mary Pal piece (Homeless Love) just above this one; the original piece had a beautiful cream border, which I cut off because a woman was studying it so intently and so long I finally took a picture with her standing in front of it. The little bit of auburn on the lower right hand side is actually not part of Mary's work but rather, a bit of the woman's hair. :)

I Walk Alone (c) Michaela Fitzwilliams

The other thing that was really apparent, was the differing skill levels in finishing the pieces. (And I don't mean the one above.) There weren't many pieces that had binding, but of those that did, the skill level was quite obvious when you had them hanging side by side; similarly with facings and envelope closings (though there weren't many of those), and even more so in those that used commercial canvases around which the pieces had been wrapped.

detail - I Walk Alone (c) Michaela Fitzwilliams

This is a technique that I'm starting to use, and where the skill level or lack thereof was most apparent, was in the corners - and I must confess that mine looked very much like the ones that looked rather poor in comparison to the more professionally finished ones!

It made me realize that I really need to find someone from whom to take a class in how to do that - I'd hate for people to walk away from my piece saying "lovely work, too bad about the framing/binding/facing/corners"!

Incidentally, when BSP and I went to a fine art show recently, we noticed the same issue!

Some work was framed and/or mounted so badly that it was really disconcerting, or a particular kind of frame was used throughout the body of work that didn't suit all of the work, or the worst sin of all as far as we were concerned: really cheap framing that sadly distracted and detracted from the work itself. Often, even if we really loved the work and would otherwise consider purchasing it - if the framing was cheaply done we wouldn't consider buying it if it wasn't something that could be easily dismantled. Invest in good framing and include it in the purchase price!

This stuff really matters - even in our world.

Poppy Cock (c) Leah Hughes

BSP and I both really liked this piece - despite the fact that such a profusion of colour and pattern is not to our usual taste either jointly or singly, we found this piece really charming and well balanced, and we loved it for its colour and pattern not despite it.

Rock, Paper, Scissors (c) Linda Kittmer

This was one of three pieces by a frequent commenter here on my blog, Linda Kittmer, who is part of Group of Eight Fibre Artists. I love all the bits in it, the colour palette, and the wonderful tactile look of the piece. I just wanted to pet it! (But I didn't. ;) )

When Will They Ever Learn (c) Dianne Gibson

In my opinion, this was the most interesting piece at the exhibit - although it was hidden away in a corner on the upper floor. That may have been because of it's size (it's massive).

It's a polemic against war - I guess it's unsurprising that I found the political piece the most interesting. *w*

detail When Will They Ever Learn (c) Dianne Gibson

And then my favourite piece of the day....

Childhood's End (c) Pat Hertzberg

Loved, loved, loved this piece - although I parsed it for meaning and was clueless it turned out (I thought it was about toxic waste/environmental pollution or drifts of red algae on the Yangtze River in China [which has become so polluted that the river dolphins have gone extinct and other creatures that live in it are on their way to being so.])

However, I was way off. lol From the artist - "This piece addresses torn, faded and sometimes lost childhood dreams and nightmares. They are magnified and exposed with the convoluted trepidation we feel when faced with the mantel of adulthood."

The Remains of The Day (c) Judy Gingrich

And then just down the street, another fibre art show was happening at the Burlington Art Centre, called the Literary Arts Exhibition, put on by the Burlington Fibre Arts Guild - each piece was inspired by a work of literature. My friend Judy Gingrich (also a member of our group ) had the above piece juried into that - and took second place!

So that was the excitement this weekend.

How was YOUR weekend?

A rare Saturday post to share with you that:

my piece, "Fractured" is a featured piece in the exhibit called:

"Throw: Great Lengths of Innovation In Modern Quilting"

being shown at Union Art Gallery in Milwaukee, WI. It opened last night.

From their website:

Who is the modern quilter? Where do they find inspiration? Throw seeks to answer these questions and to expose the Milwaukee design audience to the forefront of innovation in modern quilt composition.

As the resurgence of craft continues in the US, design aficionados are fortunate to witness the inspired movement of modern quilting. Innovative piecing and quilting methods, collaborative interpretations of the medium, and a sublime deviation from the shackles of tradition all inform the modern quilter. True graphic design triumphs with tangibility, modern quilt designs will wake the sleeping memory of your favorite bed clothes with vivid style in form and function.

Featuring quilts, quilted accessories, and mixed media works from artists Maura Ambrose, Sherri Lynn Wood, Julie Floersch, Greely Myatt, Cindy Friedman, Kit Lang, and Valerie Joy.

If you're in the area, please do check it out! It runs from September 21 to October 12, 2012.