SAQA Benefit Auction Contribution - Kristi Farrier, Middle River, Cape Breton

Making Time #1 is Kristi Farrier's contribution to SAQA's 2019 online Benefit Auction.

Making Time #1 by Kristi Farrier (2019) 12" x 12"

Follow Kristi on Instagram and on her blog, Mirth 365.

--------

Time's running out!!

Final deadline to submit a piece to the Benefit Auction is June 1. 
Information about contributing to and purchasing art quilts from the 2019 SAQA Benefit Auction is available here. 

Abstract Joy: Opening Wednesday, Gallery at the Guild

Melting Sky by Julea Boswell w40" x h30".
Paint and ink on raw canvas. Layered and stitched by hand and machine. 

ABSTRACT JOY: 

THE AMAZING NATURAL BEAUTY THAT SURROUNDS US

SAQA artist Julea Boswell's exhibition opens Wednesday, May 15  at Charlottetown's Gallery at the Guild. 

Opening reception: from 7 to 9 pm

Exhibition dates are: May 15-26, 2019

Abstract Joy features lively abstract art "providing a nice hit of colour to warm us up for summer.” Julea's imaginative pieces are shaped with a blend of recalled imagery, thoughts and emotion. 

See more of Julea's artwork at:

www.juleaboswell.com

instagram @julea.b 

Facebook @juleaboswellart

Welcome to my Studio: Anne Morrell Robinson, Margaree Valley, Cape Breton Island, NS

My first workspace was in a corner of an upstairs bedroom in a 100+ year old farm house. My next studio was an addition built by my first husband with help from friends, trading labour and material for sewing or farm produce. After my first husband passed away I married another talented handyman and my third studio was built on his old farmhouse in New York State. When he retired, we remodelled the old Cape Breton farmhouse with a two-storey addition that became KingRoss Quilts and Fibre Arts. 

My studio is unusual because it serves as my workspace, my teaching space and my retail space. The upper floor holds the working studio and retail. It’s a large space with a hand-quilting frame, a rug-hooking frame, two 4’x8’ cutting tables, lots of storage and desks in both the production and the business ends. The lower level serves as a classroom, dye kitchen and longarm area.

Basement longarm area

I work on multiple projects at once to avoid repetitive motion problems and to keep me from sitting too long. I tend to work on the longarm first thing in the morning; the standing time loosens me up for the day. For much of the day I go back and forth, cutting, machine stitching, maybe some design work or rug hooking. By late afternoon I usually need a break, move a bit more, get some fresh air, and think through any design problems. I tend to do my hand quilting as a cool down after a much needed ski or walk. After dark I bind or hand appliqué while watching TV with my husband.

 Fabric storage
 The shelves on the left are behind a design wall that hinges in the middle.
I can access fabric even when I’ve got a large quilt on the wall.

Because I’m a long way from the stores, I keep a lot of fabric and thread on hand, all organized by colour, theme, project or size. My threads are mostly stored in plastic bags or boxes to keep the dust off. Bolts and yardage go on shelves, project fabrics are in totes stashed wherever I can fit them and small pieces are in drawers under the cutting table. Nothing goes to waste. I keep a basket under my ironing board to hold trimming for use on small details on appliqué work. Small pieces of fabric go to other artist friends who work small or make paper.

Cutting tables: organized clutter.

The older I get the more light I need. I’ve tried various light sources and the best so far is a combination of windows, ceiling pot lights and track lighting over the areas where I sit and work. My track lights are on swivel bases so I can turn them all toward the design wall for quilt photography. 

Design wall with storage 

My studio is a whole different world, the perfect place to spend my days in total creativity. It's where I start and end my day. I went from working in the corner of a bedroom to a wood-heated studio and now my dream studio. To be able to take two steps from the kitchen into my private work area is just magical. Each of my three studios has been bigger and more efficient than the last. I’m now about to add a real gallery space, connected to my studio. I'm at a stage in my life where I can choose to retire or push forward. I chose to leap forward.

Thanks for dropping by my studio…
Anne 

---------------

Birds and Branches series by Anne Morrell Robinson (2019)
Available as a workshop.

To visit KingRoss Quilts and Fibre Arts, find directions here. 
Tel: 902-248-2466
Email: anne@kingrossquilts.com

Read more about Anne Morrell Robinson on her website, KingRoss Quilts and Fibre Arts. 

SAQA Benefit Auction contribution - Holly McLean, Bathurst NB

Wild Garden by Holly McLean (2019) 12" x 12"

Spring has sprung in Holly McLean's garden, and another little art quilt is on its way to SAQA's 2019 Benefit Auction.

HMc: I went back to my ‘roots’ using Gelli prints and layers of fusible collage with free motion stitch and a bit of hand embellishments with hand dyed threads and beads.

See more of Holly's work on her blog, Through my Window. 

Attachments area

Abstract Joy: The Natural Beauty that Surrounds Us opens in Charlottetown, May 15, 2019

Abstract Joy series by Julea Boswell. Acrylic, mixed media and collage.

Mark your calendar to join SAQA Artist 

JULEA BOSWELL

as her exhibition

ABSTRACT JOY: THE AMAZING NATURAL BEAUTY 

THAT SURROUNDS US

opens at the 

GALLERY AT THE GUILD

Charlottetown PEI

Exhibition dates are: May 15-26, 2019

Opening reception: May 15 from 7 to 9 pm.

Abstract Joy features lively abstract art which Julea describes as “providing a nice hit of colour to warm us up for summer”. Her imaginative pieces take shape with a blend of recalled imagery, thoughts and emotion. 

Although the work is abstract it is pretty straightforward. I simply try to capture moments of spontaneous joy and express this in my art. What stays with me from these moments becomes my inner springboard for creation. Like many artists, the amazing natural beauty that surrounds me, especially on PEI, is a primary source of inspiration.

Julea Boswell is a multifaceted artist. Growing up in Charlottetown she was immersed in the arts from a young age - activities that set the stage for her varied creative interests and future path. She attributes the sense of movement and lightness in her visual art to her background as a dance artist. A series of small pieces in the exhibit is a nod to “improv” technique as used in dance and theatre. Her skills as a modern quilt designer-maker are also evident in the show, which includes a work that will be going to Quilt Canada’s National Juried Show in June. This summer, Julea’s work will be featured at The Dunes Gallery in Brackley.

Moving freely within a mix of different materials and forms allows Julea to present a contrast in textures and variations in colour intensity. Whether a crisp and bright acrylic collage on paper, or a painted and stitched textile piece, the common thread in Julea’s work is a feeling of joy. The overall result is a style that is fresh and contemporary.

The show opens with a reception on May 15 from 7 to 9 pm. All are invited to come and meet the artist.

Journey by Julea Boswell  w65" x h45", Each journey is navigated through many new pathways. Poured paint and oil stick markings on raw canvas. Layered and stitched by hand and machine

"Wow! Such colour and freedom. I love your expression of movement."       (show visitor, Ottawa)

See more about Julea and her work at www.juleaboswell.com, instagram @julea.b and Facebook @juleaboswellart

SAQA Benefit Auction 2019 contribution - Helene Blanchet, Margaree Valley Nova Scotia

Live! is Helene Blanchet's contribution to SAQA's 2019 Benefit Auction. The online bidding begins in mid-September. Stay tuned !

Live! by Helene Blanchet (2018) 12" x 12"

HB: Hand-dyed Cotton, velvet, embroidery floss, glass beads
Stitching, quilting, embroidery, beading - all work done by hand.


It's not too late!
Final deadline to submit a piece is June 1. 
Information about contributing to and purchasing art quilts from the 2019 SAQA Benefit Auction is available here. 

Welcome to my Studio: Jeanine Gunn, Antigonish County, Nova Scotia

My studio vibrates with colour! 

I acquired a passion for tropical colours while growing up in Brazil. I discovered shibori when living in India and took up hand dyeing while living in South Africa. Also a result of my travels, my studio is a showcase for a collection of tribal textiles. 

I’ve had this studio for about ten years. It’s the second floor of our new-built barn and has an ocean view. The four skylights and four windows fill the space with light. I absolutely LOVE it.

My fabrics and books are organized on shelves custom built by my husband, Bill. The fabrics are sorted by colour but also by type. For example, there’s a Kaffe Fasset and modern quilt fabrics shelf as well as a shelf for batiks and hand dyes and another for conversation fabrics etc.

My "cutting table” is a modified saw table that once belonged to my father-in-law. For lighting, I have four large light fixtures hanging over strategic areas (work table, cutting table, reading and socializing area etc). I also have Ott Lites for worktables and as floor lamps.

It’s a creative, messy space!! I have several work surfaces and two sewing machines so slowly projects and studio items just take over. But I don’t mind clutter and I always know where things are. 

My current favourite gadget is the Martelli Rotary Cutter, designed by a hand surgeon for his quilter wife. It is THE most ergonomic cutter I’ve ever used and great for cutting several layers of fabric. It did take a bit of getting used to though….

In my studio space I can teach or be on my own, listen to music as loudly as I want to and leave a creative mess behind. I can just sit there and admire interesting collectibles from around the world. I can meditate there and just be. When I’m having a thinking spell or trying to resolve a creative problem, just looking at my fabric stash feels very therapeutic!

Lately I've been working on a small series of pieces with the hope of having a piece or two for the SAQA benefit auction. Have a look at what's on my wall right now:

Playing with Circles by Jeanine Gunn, 2019

Thanks for dropping by my studio…
Jeanine 

-------------

Follow Jeanine Gunn on Instagram at deveau9983