06 March 2024

SAQA Spotlight Auction Piece

 Lee McLean

Imaginary Cedar Pods, 6" x 8", 2023This is my response to a lovely piece of fabric I created. I often incorporate thrums, the off-cuts from my friends' weaving, into my work. It feels like I'm extending their energy and weaving it along with my own as I sew. Sun printed fabric, machine and hand stitching, mixed fibres.



04 March 2024

SAQA Spotlight Auction Piece

 Kathy Tidswell generously donated one of her pieces to the SAQA Spotlight Auction.

Using one of her jelly prints as background, she created the swallowtail using inktense pencils. She wanted it to rest on a weed that complemented the background so used she rayon threads and free motion embroidery to create the weed. For the finishing touch she quilted it with invisifil thread.



09 February 2024

Congratulations Lee McLean

 Lee McLean’s textile art, “Lifeblood”, has been invited to Art Quilt Elements 2024 in Wayne, Pennsylvania. This 16th biennial exhibit presents contemporary fine art quilts, drawing entrants from around the world. Three jurors reviewed over 800 images, by applicants from 40 US states and 10 countries, choosing 50 artists. The jurors feel the exhibit serves “as an accurate survey of what fiber artists are currently producing in this field.”

Working in her studio in New Maryland, New Brunswick, this is Lee’s first international exhibit. She feels humbled, excited, validated, and intimidated all at once. Information about the show, which runs from March 24 to April 27, 2024, can be found at artquiltelements.org.

Lifeblood, 34" x 41", 2023



08 February 2024

Invasive - Call for Entry

 Invasive

What is it to be invasive? What comes to mind? For some it may be invasive species, for others it may be invasive illness or medical procedures, and for still others it may be intrusion on personal space (be it another person in our physical space or unwanted thoughts in our own head). Whatever comes to mind, something invasive tends to be aggressive and takes over where they are not welcome or cause harm. Invasive seeks to explore the meaning behind the concept; how do we come to terms with something invasive; can we transform something invasive? If so, how?

This exhibit will be a group show with an open call to artists of any visual medium. Artist will be responsible for getting the artwork to me in Halifax by April 24th

Call for entry closes April 6th at midnight. Questions and submission of artwork or proposals may be submitted through stephaniekincade@gmail.com 

The show will take place in the Chapel Gallery at ARTSPLACE Gallery, Annapolis Royal, NS from May 1-25

A second larger show is in the works for fall 2025, artists selected for this show will have the option to participate in next year's show.

02 January 2024

Alison Dean Cowitz – One Stray Pin

 Alison was happy to share her process for her latest prints.

First she took some pictures and copied them into Procreate. She sketched the leaf prints over top of the pics, moved the sketch around until she liked it and created a series.

Then she executed those ideas on the fabric. She used a photocopier to print the images onto fabric. She traced leaf prints and transferred and placed them onto the fabric. She stabilized the fabric (no batting) and stitched with free-motion the outline shape in her design. Then she stitched another leaf shape over top of the shear fabric and cut away the excess. She also added hand embroidery.

 

 


In order for the finished to work to sit inside the frame she cut a window size out of paper and laid it over the stitched pieces to find the best layout, cut and secured the edges with a thin zig zag stitch. Embroidered initials were added.

 
 

Squares were attached to illustration board with acrylic matt medium and foam core strips lifted the work. A business card was attached on the back and autographed. Hooks and wire were added so the work would hang flat on a wall.



28 November 2023

Darcy Hunter Christmas Markets

 

Darcy Hunter was one of the 18 juried artists at the first Craft NB Christmas Festival, which took place at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton on November 4th and 5th, 2023. 

 This year she also attended the Etsy Holly Jolly Holiday Market at the UNB Currie Centre on November 25th and 26th.


Darcy had a wide range of products such as artworks from her Slow Stitch Series and Overflow series. She also included ornaments, art prints, journals and textile art pendants. 

Flower Art on Wood

Ornaments

Pendants

Stormy Seas (2022)

20 November 2023

Kristi Farrier - North American Hand Papermakers conference

 

Downtown Providence, RI.

Kristi Farrier was excited to be in Rhode Island, USA, at the North American Hand Papermakers (@nahandpapermakers) conference in October 2023. She was talking about growing fibre flax and demonstrating how to hand process it to access the fibre for papermaking

Hera are a few shots from her demonstration on Slow Craft and Sustainability: Growing and Hand Processing Fibre Flax for Hand Papermaking.. 

   


It was a gift to have this opportunity to share about her motivations and explorations for working with flax in this way. Being with this epic group of papermakers and paper artists in the setting and spaces of the Rhode Island School of Design was incredible and a wee bit surreal. Amazing conversations were had and connections made.