Continuing into Last Fall

Last fall my youngest son moved to Vancouver and while hiking I came upon a tree with charred insides that looked to me like a woman walking in a black robe.  With thoughts of an empty nest and womb I called this dyed silk and wool piece 'Crone'.  I entered it in the Sidney Fine Arts Show but it wasn't one of the pieces selected and I'm just as happy to have it up on my wall!

Feeling further into my process, I called this dyed, felted and stitched piece 'With Every Ending Comes a New Beginning'.

And this one was inspired by Hundertwasser - I wanted to see if I could combine silk and wool to show layers.  Just one bird now - in a 'nest' of joyful colour - a mirror for more time to create with fibre ahead!

When Twigs was a puppy and I had limited periods to work, I would felt or dye small pieces and I combined some into a journal cover ready for a journey to Saltspring Island for Felt Feutre - Canadian Felting Week.

Shows Last Summer

Most of the pieces I've been posting were included in a fibre art group show put on by the Mark Makers -  which I'm part of - last summer at the Victoria College of Art.  'The Texture of Blue' is indigo dyed, felted and hand stitched wool, cotton and silk.  It's a response to my experience of  blue: sadness, grief and loss encompassing deeper fissures, hidden pockets, fraying, unraveling, wearing out and fading over time.

'Seeing the Grain' is machine stitched on silk and was inspired by the grain in a sheet of plywood surrounding a construction site.  Beauty is everywhere waiting for me to notice.

'Reaching the High Notes' was in the Sooke Fine Arts Show last summer - and its name captures how I felt!

More Work From Last Year

 'The Book of She' is a monoprinted, indigo dyed, handstitched linen, cotton, silk, satin and velvet book I made about the creative process -

 from dark void to seeds of ideas

 moving into a spiral line of direction and emergence into shape birthing

into form and expansion of the inner and outer world before the return to the space of the void in preparation for the process to begin again...

Some Work From Last Year

 

 'She Rules the World' - the Goddess Isis - a gift for my sister.

 A response to a dream I had - reflecting on a feminine version of power as a healing, creative force and the deep desire for life to continue; the power of love, generosity, kindness, support and truth telling, and the fierce devotion and protection of loved ones and the earth.

'New Pathways' was inspired by the work of Anthony Thorn and is about pushing into new territory with a sense of determination, adventure and discovery.

I asked what to make next before taking a nap and awoke with this image.  'Freedom' is being conscious I have a full spectrum of possible choices to support me in creating my experience.  This piece is over 5 feet wide, although you might not imagine that, given the small size of this photo!

Out of the Dog House

After a very long blog break, I've decided to post regularly again.  Last year, 'Twigs' came to warm my lap and heart. Most of my studio time was spent felting and I'll post some of what I did over the next few days.