5 Artists – 3 Shows – 1 Venue: Inverness County Centre for the Arts (ICCA)

Englishtown Spill by Alison Cowitz (w27”xh54”) 

Five SAQA Atlantic Canada members have joined forces to fill the three ICCA galleries with colour over the coming months. The exhibitions include: 

Place in Perspective by Hélène Blanchet, Alison Cowitz and Kristi Farrier; 

FLOCK by Anne Morrell Robinson; and 

A Sense of Place by Regina Marzlin. 

Don’t miss this exciting trio of shows in Inverness, Cape Breton!

Location:        16080 Highway 19, Inverness Nova Scotia

Reception:       7-9pm, Saturday, November 6, music by 

                          Cape Breton guitarist Brian Doyle.

Gallery hours:  Tuesday – Sunday from 12-5pm. 

Closing date:    January 15, 2022.

Man Plays Guitar While his Wife Dances in the Big Saskatchewan Prairies by Helene Blanchet (w36 “x h12”)

Place in Perspective: Hélène Blanchet, Margaree Valley CB, Kristi Farrier, Baddeck CB and Alison Cowitz, Calgary Alberta. 

Moody Crush by Kristi Farrier

HB: Place in Perspective is a dynamic exhibition resulting from a three-year collaboration between three artists.  The artwork both showcases our individual voices and reveals how our sense of place is wholly influenced by who we are and how we interpret and give meaning to a location.

FLOCK: Anne Morrell Robinson, Margaree Valley, CB 

O is for Ostritch by Anne Morrell Robinson
(w43"xh54")

AMR: Working in a series and exploring fabric collage allow me to just have fun playing with nature’s shapes and colours. Fun is something we all need in our lives as we adapt to the current changes in the world and our daily lives. Do the birds realize they are adapting to the changes or is it just instinct? Let’s find our place with as much joy as a bird soaring on the wind currents. 

A Sense of Place: Regina Marzlin, Antigonish NS 

RM: In these works, I try to capture the beauty of the nature around me by using actual plant material to print on fabric. My colour choices, placement and paint layering are my responses to the astonishing beauty of even the humblest weed. These works convey a sense of place and an awe of the details in nature in a tactile medium that shows the hand of the maker.

Dandelion Dreams by Regina Marzlin (w21”xh18”)

The Inverness County Centre for the Arts requires masking and proof of Covid-19 vaccination for all events. 

Susan Lilley: Geometrics (bound and unbound)

 

Geometrics 29: Power Lines
Susan Lilley, 2021 30"x30"

Susan Lilley’s solo show, Geometrics (bound and unbound) opens October 8 at the Chester Art Center.  The exhibition is of a series of work created over the last two years.

Now a resident of Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, Susan was born in Quebec amidst a family of artists.  Although her art classes began at a very early age, it was only after a 30 year career in public health that she returned to art-making.

In 2010, Susan completed the City and Guilds of London Level 3 Certificate in Design and Craft. She is currently an active member of the Textile Artists Collective, the Lunenburg Art Society and SAQA Atlantic Canada.  

Susan has exhibited her work in numerous local, regional, national and international exhibitions. Geometrics (bound and unbound) is her third solo show.

Geometrics 2  Susan Lilley  2019 12"x12"

Q:   Susan, how would you describe your work?

My work is non-representational. I use strong colours and my own hand-dyed, repurposed fabrics, often featuring shibori or surface-design techniques. 

In my latest collection, Geometrics, all 30+ pieces were composed of strips of brightly-coloured fabric over-dyed in black to create bold, repeated, geometric patterns. I prepared the cotton for the black dyebath using a shibori technique called itajime, which involves folding the fabric, adding resists and using clamps to hold it all together, thus preventing dye penetration and creating the pattern. 

Q: What prompted you to choose this particular technique for your series?

Itajime both fascinates and challenges me. I’m drawn to it for several reasons: the “glow” effect of the blurred dye lines, the contrast of order with imperfection, and my inability to control the outcomes. Relinquishing control in this way, I, myself, am unbound. 

Traditionally, itajime involves only a single dye bath, often indigo or brown, leaving white patterning. I spent a couple of years previously experimenting with a more complex approach, layering colour over colour and pattern over pattern with multiple rounds of folding and dyeing. While I was able to make a few exciting pieces, I was more often disappointed with my results. 

This current series began as a way to become more skilled at itajime by simplifying my process: making many small studies, using narrow strips and a single colour (+black). I was also hoping to become more fluid and relaxed in my work and to develop my own style of itajime.

Geometrics 19  2021 12"x12"

Q: Had you worked in series before, and if so, how was this series different for you?

In the past, I generally made a few pieces expressing the same idea in different ways, but this is the first time I've intentionally set out to create a series. My plan at the outset was to make 20-25 small (12”x12”) studies, followed by a few larger pieces, an idea suggested by Cape Breton artist and friend Helene Blanchet.

Making so many small studies, guided by a few simple rules, was surprisingly both liberating and addictive. I approached each new piece knowing it didn’t have to be perfect, so I could relax and let go. And each completed study left me with a head full of “what ifs”, compelling me to go on to make another.

Geometrics 22 Susan Lilley 2021 12"x12"

Q:  Do you see this body of work as a departure from your earlier work?

I think this collection builds quite naturally on my previous work. The departure, in my mind, is the long-term commitment to developing a specific idea. During this two-year journey I have surpassed my initial goals and discovered my own unique approach to itajime.

Q:   Do you have plans for your work for the coming year? 

Itajime still fascinates me. I’ve not yet decided what my next challenge will be but I expect to use a similar, experimental approach, probably involving multiple colours and dyebaths. 

Geometrics 28: Spirit Ways 30"x30" 2021

Q: In addition to the show in Chester, where else can your work be seen?

I’m hoping to hang some of this work in the Bridgewater branch of the South Shore Public Libraries next winter. I generally have a piece or two hanging at the Lunenburg Art Gallery, changing every month from May to October. I also have two pieces in the SAQA Atlantic juried show, Commotions, which will be travelling around Atlantic Canada in the next year. And for those outside the region, I’ve recently taken to sharing my work on Instagram.

Geometrics 30: Making Do 2021 34"x39"

Susan's show, Geometrics (bound and unbound), opens with a reception from 5-7pm on Friday October 8th at the Chester Art Centre in Chester NS. The show runs until October 28th, however, gallery hours vary considerably from one day to the next:  

October 9,10,15,17,21,28 - Gallery open from 10am-4pm

October 14,16,20,22,23,24,27 - Gallery open from 5-7pm

The Gallery may be open at other times by chance or appointment. Contact Chester Art Centre at 902-275-5789 or info@chesterartcentre.ca before setting out.

Congratulations to Kathy Tidswell!

 

Bank Machine Blues by Kathy Tidswell 2005 29"x20"

 Bank Machine Blues has been selected for inclusion in Martha Sielman's new book about fibre art inspired by birds. This was no small feat, as Martha had to choose from over 1200 pieces submitted for her book.  

Kathy created Bank Machine Blues for the 2005 Grand National Juried Quilt Exhibition: Airborne.

Kathy explained:  "It was inspired by the then $20 bill.  I wanted to immortalize it but chose to make it in the colours of nature. The loons in the section above the  "bill"  represent the $20 bills that you take from the bank machine which seem to magically disappear.

I painted the background fabric and used commercial fabric for the mountains and trees.  The loons were made totally from thread using free motion embroidery and then attached. The serial number is the initials of my family and their age ranking. "

Martha Sielman's book will be published by Schiffer Publishing.

Cathy Drummond interview: From watercolour to textiles

Where Land Meets Sea by Cathy Drummond
(2019) w24xh18"

Cathy Drummond is a textile artist who lives on an island in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. She’s also an accomplished watercolour/mixed-media painter who, years ago, won a national competition to paint portraits of Canadian Forces women involved in NATO war exercises. Her artwork is now in the collection of the Canadian War Museum.

More recently, after a demanding career in the federal public service, Cathy was reborn as a textile artist.

Cathy Drummond is a member of Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) and the Textile Artists Cooperative. She is also a member and former president of the Mahone Bay Quilters Guild and a writer for the SAQA Atlantic blog. Cathy has exhibited in juried shows throughout Atlantic Canada and internationally.

In this feature interview, Cathy tells us about her artistic journey.

Cathy, how would you describe your work?

My work is representational, often of landscapes. It varies in style from fairly realistic to loosely impressionistic, depending on the subject matter and the mood I want to convey. Increasingly, the painting skills I developed long ago are appearing in my quilts, adding another dimension to my artwork.

Describe your journey towards becoming an artist who works with textiles. 

I had always painted. I began selling my watercolour and mixed media work in 1979, which led to a series of commissions. All that came to an end, though, when I joined the federal public service and found I had little time to paint.

Around the time of my retirement, I came across an exhibition of Laurie Swim’s textile artwork and experienced a eureka moment. I was fascinated by the richness and depth of colour possible with textiles and I had always sewn, so it seemed like a perfect fit. Laurie’s wonderful work inspired me to learn to quilt.

My Garden by the Sea
by Cathy Drummond (2020) 10" x10"

How has your life/upbringing influenced your work?

I was extremely shy as a small child and spent much time with my mother and grandmothers, who were all creative in their own ways. Though my mother and maternal grandmother both had careers, they also painted and were highly skilled at needlework. My other grandmother was a wonderful gardener. She took me on backroad journeys in the woods or on the shore. My father was the ultimate over-achiever, and all four role-models taught me not to give up on anything I start. That helps a lot when the creative process leaves me discouraged, as it sometimes does.

On Helen’s Walk, by Cathy Drummond
(2020) 12"x12" 

Tell us about your process for creating. Where do you find your inspiration and how do you get from that to a final product?

Most of my inspiration comes from nature -- the views out my window, the changing seasons and colours of the ocean and the woods. I usually work from a photograph I’ve taken, although sometimes I work from memory or invent a scene to convey a mood.

My process is continually evolving. At first, I used commercial fabrics and believed that using paint on quilts would be cheating. I worked studiously from a sketch or directly from a photo, and I built the scene from the top down. Now, I’m using much more hand-dyed, repurposed fabric and I’ve recently begun to paint my scene on plain cloth, building from there in any direction that appeals to me.

What was your experience in moving your watercolour skills to textiles?

Boys Love Mud by Cathy Drummond (2012)
w24" x h30"

Boys Love Mud was the first quilt I painted on. I turned to watercolour when I didn’t have the fabrics I needed to get the sky and faces right. Initially, I was concerned that the colour would fade or run, but I’ve since learned that after it has dried and been pressed with a hot iron, watercolour is fairly permanent on cotton fabric.

I have now experimented with various products and frequently use fabric paint, which I did, for example, to create the water in Hurricane. Fabric paint, like all acrylics, dries fast and stiffens the cloth if applied directly. What works well for me is to dilute the fabric paint and apply it to damp fabric. This way, the colours are absorbed into the cloth rather than staying on the surface.

Hurricane by Cathy Drummond (2021) w30" x h25"

More recently, I’ve also been using Inktense pencils, which are great for strengthening a line or adding a bit more shadow. When they’re wet and applied with a brush they act like watercolour but produce a more intense colour.

Once I began to use paint on my quilts, I discovered that it’s neither cheating nor unusual. Mickey Lawler’s book Skydyes: A Visual Guide to Fabric Painting is a really good book on technique.

Peggy and Helen at Book Club
by Cathy Drummond (2019) w20" x h16”

Where can readers see your work this year?

I generally have a piece or two on show in the Lunenburg Art Gallery. My piece, Displaced, is travelling with the SAQA juried exhibition, Forced to Flee, currently in Minnesota.

I also have two pieces, Hurricane and A Commotion of Coots, travelling around Atlantic Canada until 2023 in the SAQA Atlantic juried exhibition, Commotion, dates TBA.

Salt Marsh Sunset by Cathy Drummond
 (2020) 12"x12"

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You can see more of Cathy Drummond’s textile artwork online on her Artwork Archive profile page.

Fogo Island residency for textile artist and printmaker Audrey Feltham

Audrey Feltham: Line reduction work, in progress

Audrey Feltham, from Deer Lake, NL, is serving a 5-week artist residency in Tilting, on Fogo Island, Newfoundland. 

AF: “My residency at Tilting will be time spent creating works on both textile and paper, deconstructing the objectification of the material. In doing so I hope to take the viewer to a place where abstraction allows one to see a specific object through new eyes. Like the word "artifact", the object itself will become barely recognizable. Rather, line, shape, colour and texture will be signposts to the viewer to create surfaces that speak to both emotion and place. I have no idea of the number of works I will create or the size. My intent is solely to fill my days with creating“.

One week into her residency, Audrey reported that her accommodation/studio space is a small, rustic, remote, 150-year-old house by the ocean. “There are two rooms downstairs...a kitchen and a small drawing room that is now a very small studio space. As you can see, I am using every available space, walls, floor, etc, to cope with lack of working space.”

Without radio, television or internet access, there are few distractions to keep Audrey from her artwork. So far, she has completed an edition of reduction block prints in her series Quotidian/culture/kitsch. 

Audrey Feltham: Coal shuttle/sugar spoon, reduction block print.

Audrey Feltham: Coal shuttle / sugar spoon on hand-dyed silk.

Learn more about Audrey Feltham at Atelier West Studios, and in our 2018 feature interview Audrey Feltham: Printmaker on paper and textile + stitch.

The Fogo Island Arts’ international residency program hosts artists on Fogo Island for terms of one to three months. Artists-in-residence are provided with accommodation and studio space, a weekly stipend and travel expenses. 

Welcome to Anne Morrell Robinson's new gallery in Big Intervale, Cape Breton

If you find yourself in Cape Breton be sure to visit Anne Morrell Robinson's brand new gallery. Housed in a beautiful new barn, the gallery incorporates wood salvaged from an old barn on the property, giving it a sense of both past and present. Currently, the gallery walls and hanging rails display Anne’s numerous quilts, a riot of colour and quilt styles.

When the pandemic is over, Anne hopes the gallery will be used for exhibitions by other Atlantic Canadian quilters and textile artists. The space is also a perfect venue for a retreat, with an attached classroom and a cozy lodge just down the the road.

Anne always wanted to have other artists enjoy and be inspired by the beauty, peace and quiet that she enjoys in Big Intervale, Cape Breton. It took a long time to reach that goal but at last it’s a reality!

The gallery is currently open by chance or appointment. Please call a day or more ahead of your planned visit. (Note that there is no cellular service in the area.)

Learn about Anne Morrell Robinson's studio, shop and workspace in her 2019 photo essay, Welcome to my Studio.

Visit Anne Morrell Roboinson's website, Kingross Quilts and Fibre Arts.

The SAQA Atlantic Show, Commotion!

Recently, SAQA Atlantic members were invited to illustrate the concept of "commotion" and express what it means to them. Is it loud and overwhelming? Pandemonium or turmoil? Or exciting, lively, and full of unexpected delights? 

Juried by Lee Cripps, Curator of the Craig Gallery in Dartmouth, the result is an exciting,contemporary fibre art exhibition containing 27  pieces by 16 artists.  

"Commotion" opened this week at the Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design, in Sydney, Nova Scotia.   It will remain there until July 3 and then will be on tour within Atlantic Canada until 2023. Information on the exhibition's opening hours and COVID restrictions in the gallery, can be found here. 

Ricochet by Linda Mackie Finley 2021 36"x36"

Journey by Julea Boswell 2021, 45"x 65"

 

Above are two of the lovely quilts in the show. They give a sense of the broad range of ideas invoked by the word "commotion".  Stay tuned for more, and for information on future sites and dates for the exhibition.

 

Kathy Tidswell's show, Colours of Nature, opens in Florenceville-Bristol, NB, May 15, 2021

New Brunswick fibre artist and teacher Kathy Tidswell's latest solo exhibition features both thread paintings and wall quilts, all with the theme Colours of Nature.

The show will hang at the Andrew and Laura McCain Gallery in Florenceville-Bristol NB from May 15 to June 19, 2021.

KT:

The piece shown in the poster is my newest thread painting inspired by an old and gnarled willow tree that I see on my morning walks on the NB Trail. It is 15.5 by 20.5 inches and matted and framed. The background started as white cotton fabric which I painted and the texture was added using free motion embroidery and rayon threads.

Exhibition hours:

Tuesday: by appointment at 506-392-669

Wednesday, Friday & Saturday: 10:30-5:00pm

Thursday:noon-8pm

Sunday and Monday: Closed

See more of Kathy Tidswell's work at www.kathytidswell.com

Spotlight on Lee McLean

 

Leaving Alone by Lee McLean

Lee McLean is a new member of SAQA Atlantic.  She had the following to say about her entry in the Spotlight Auction: 

I am currently exploring our increasing invisibility in society as we age.  Dylan Thomas' poem, "Do not go gentle into that good night", deeply affected me as a teenager when dealing with the loss of my grandmother.  It resonates as I age.  Working in a series, this piece is inspired by this topic.

The Spotlight Auction is now over for the year, but Lee and the other entrants helped SAQA to raise over $30,000. from the sale of their small works.  Well done, all!

 

Kudos to Helene Blanchette and Regina Marzlin

 

Down the Shore by Helene Blanchette 2021
w34"x h19"

Helene Blanchette has had her work, Down the Shore, accepted into a show at the Argyle Fine Arts gallery in Halifax.  The show, "Get Outta Town" is a group show about travelling.  Argyle asked artists to show their favourite places to escape to, both near and far.  The show runs until April 28 and details of opening hours and directions can be found at www.argylefineart.blogspot.com. 

For those of you who can't make it to Halifax this month, the show will be available online through the above website.

Down the Shore, detail

Artist Statement:

This is a picture of the drive down the Cabot Trail looking North towards Chéticamp. It doesn't really look like this, but if you take your time and go off the main road, you may come across any of these scenes.

Xylem and Phloem by Regina Marzlin,
w24"x h37" 

Regina Marzlin's work, Xylem and Phloem, was accepted into the SAQA international show, Microscapes.  The show will be opening this fall at the prestigious Houston Quilt Festival before touring internationally for 3 years.  

 Regina's artist statement about Xylem and Phloem: 

Those two plant cell types have the function of transporting water, sugar and minerals through the plant. Cellular structures look fascinating under a microscope, they reveal a hidden world and let us marvel at the powers of evolution.

Xylem and Phloem, detail

Audrey Feltham's show, The Inner Landscape, opens April 16th at The Rooms, St. John's NL

Covid 19: The Inner Landscape #6
by Audrey Feltham (2021) w19" x h21"

Printmaker and textile artist Audrey Feltham, from Deer Lake Newfoundland, is pleased to announce her upcoming exhibition at The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery in St. John's NL.

The artwork in Feltham's show, The Inner Landscape, was created during the pandemic. Her pieces combine print and drawing on cotton with stitch and textile collage. 

Covid 19: The Inner Landscape #8
by Audrey Feltham (2021) w19" x h21"

The Inner Landscape is part of the Gallery's Present Tense exhibition series highlighting the work of artists creating in isolation during the pandemic. Audrey Feltham's exhibition continues until July 16th.

AF:
I am in search of a new place, a new time, and a new attempt to make a bewildering world less painful, less stressful and less threatening. I have dug down deep, talked (a lot to myself) and have tried to listen carefully to what I am saying.

These pieces are a culmination of several years of trying to see my way forward to marry traditional print practise with textile work. For me, each of the processes is immersed in a very meditative and slow response to the hand and the way of mark making. I delight in both creating marks on a print matrix and also carefully creating a lasting textile mark with a needle and thread. My textile marks are almost entirely done by hand. I find it calming and soothing.

Covid 19: The Inner Landscape #4
by Audrey Feltham (2021) w19" x h21

Covid 19: The Inner Landscape #12 (detail) 
by Audrey Feltham (2021).

The entire Inner Landscape series will eventually be on display on Audrey Feltham's website Atelier West Studios.

Learn more about Audrey Feltham at Atelier West Studios, and in our 2018 feature interview Audrey Feltham: Printmaker on paper and textile + stitch.

Spotlight on Deb Plestid

Swallowtail is Deb Plestid's contribution to SAQA's 2021 Spotlight Auction. Deb is a longtime SAQA Atlantic member from Tatamagouche Nova Scotia.

Swallowtail by Deb Plestid (2021)

DP: Swallowtail is an exploration of the "bones" of a butterfly.

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SAQA Spotlight Auction is an opportunity for all SAQA members to showcase their artwork to a worldwide audience. Online entry forms must be completed by March 31, 2021. Check out the SAQA Spotlight Auction page for entry details as well as a preview of many entries.

Spotlight on Holly McLean

Holly McLean, of Bathurst NB, contributed Birches in the Moonlight to SAQA's 2021 Spotlight Auction.

Birches in the Moonlight by Holly McLean (2021)

HM: I’m always inspired by any stands of white birch trees. There’s something about their vertical whiteness  with etchings in black that attract me. This piece with the darker sky and moon was done from my memories of snowshoeing our favourite trails after dark. It was quite magical.

You can read more about Holly McLean and her artwork on her blog Through my Window, and on our own 2017 feature Holly McLean Interview: Overcoming Distance and Isolation.

Learn more about contributing to SAQA's 2021 Spotlight Auction here.

Interview with Juliana Scherzer: Using preserved leaves

 A new member of SAQA Atlantic Canada, Juliana Scherzer graduated from Sheridan College with a Bachelor of Craft and Design in 2018.  Since then, she has been an artist-in-residence at the Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design in Sydney, Nova Scotia. Here, she continues to build her practice while branching out into production work and teaching a range of textile courses in the community, from shibori to screen printing, to mending.

Juliana’s textile art is created with preserved leaves and eco-printing. Her work explores the roles of textiles in our everyday lives through themes of biology, mending, and environmentalism. 

Folation 2020 15"x 13"
preserved leaves, thread

Q:   Juliana, tell us about your journey towards becoming an artist who works with textiles. 

My work is inspired by organic processes and shapes.  Currently,  I am focused on making work that leaves minimal impact and explores a looped system of creating. Conceptually, my work pulls from the reflections between craft and the natural world, seeking to redefine the “natural” and the “artificial”.

Growing up, my mother taught me to sew, and my family did annual camping trips which helped to increase my awareness of the connections between humanity and the earth and creation.  This was always integral to my life so it is only natural that it would feature so heavily in my textile work.

Although I originally wanted to study costume design for theatre, in the end I chose a more open-ended general textiles program at Sheridan College. The studies have given me the skill and passion to pursue a career as a textile artist. The vast range of techniques in textiles and the integral connections it has with everyday life, from small personal moments to wide cultural significance means there is always something new I want to explore.

Q:  Where do you find your inspiration and how do you get from that to a final product?

I can find my inspiration anywhere, but lately it has come from natural structures such as roots and veins, and the way these are reflected in man-made patterns, such as weaving, and city streets. 

Once an idea is in my head I’ll write it down as words rather than drawing are the best way for me to accurately remember my ideas. Then I begin to draw thumbnail sketches of my plans, settle on one, scale it up as needed, and finally start creating.  Once I’m in the zone of creating a piece I tend to not be able to stop.  The process of settling on a design can take so long for me that I'm impatient to see the piece finally made!

Synthesis 2020 24" x 70"
preserved leaves, ecoprinted cotton, thread

Q: Do you have a studio, or do you work wherever you can find a spot?  What do you like or dislike about your workspace? 

Being an artist-in-residence at the Centre luckily allows me to use their textile studio. My favourite thing about the space is the huge window behind me giving me lots of warm natural light. My least favourite thing is the unsettlingly loud clanks and thunks the vents make late at night!

Q:   What are you currently working on?

In a project in association with the Cape Breton Partnership, 20 artists are working together to either create artwork based around the COVID-19 Pandemic or to design educational programming tailored to work within the pandemic restrictions. My artwork consists of dolls constructed out of preserved leaves and ecoprinted fabric exploring the experience of self-isolation. 

In addition, this year I am aiming to work on more 3D quilt inspired pieces, creating free standing structures using the preserved leaves and the strength of stitched seams.

Q. What artists have most inspired you and why?

Textile artist Dorothy Caldwell has been a major influence on the visual aesthetic of my work as well as with her use of natural elements on textiles. Andy Goldsworthy’s use of entirely natural items in his deteriorative sculptures is a direct influence on my current body of work. Do Ho Suh was one of the first artists I ever saw working with textiles and his work was hugely important for me in  realizing the significance of textiles emotionally and socially. It also allowed me to see the potential for textile art in a contemporary art context.

 Celia Pym and Laura Splan were two more recent inspirations for me in the world of mending in textiles and the connections between textiles and biology and humanity.  These two pushed my work in a new direction in my final year at college.

Q. Do you treat art like a job, going to the studio each day at a particular time? 

I definitely treat it like a job, I go to the studio each weekday during working hours, sometimes a bit longer, depending on when my day really got going. On the off weekday I’m not at the studio I’m on my computer at home working on applications and planning for upcoming events. 

Venous, 2020 22" x 22"
preserved leaves, thread

Juliana sells small wearable embroidered pieces online on her website, in shops throughout Nova Scotia, as well as in Toronto and Massachusetts.  Amongst others, her work can be found at The Textile Museum of Canada, The Museum of Fine Arts Boston, The Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design, and Victoria County Creates.

Juliana has three confirmed shows upcoming this year: 

Opening March 1st at the Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design (CBCCD) is a group exhibition based on a one week residency  in 2019. 

Opening on May 3rd is a second show at CBCCD of the work of the artists in the COVID-19 project, mentioned above. 

A two-person show opens August 21st at the Craft Ontario Gallery in Toronto. Juliana’s botanical quilts will be shown alongside the furniture and wood sculpture work of Daniel Gruetter. 

To keep up with Juliana’s work and future shows, visit her website at julianascherzer.com or follow her on Instagram @jlzsz.   

Cross Comfort 2020 12" x 12"
ecoprinted cotton, preserved leaves,  thread

Folk art quilt show touring Manitoba galleries

The Corner
by Helene Blanchet 2016
w19" x h39"

Cape Breton, NS, textile artist Hélène Blanchet's collection of prairie-inspired folk art quilts is currently touring Manitoba art galleries. You can read all about Blanchet’s prairie series and how it came to be in Folk Art Quilts, a recent feature article in Galleries West, an independent online art magazine.

 "Blanchet’s whimsical creations celebrate the Prairies – and the human spirit." Paul Gessell

Hélène Blanchet: Prairie Days is on view at the New Iceland Heritage Museum in Gimli, Manitoba, from Feb. 17 to April 26, 2021. The exhibition will move on to Killarney and Dauphin.

Springtime in the Grasslands 
Hélène Blanchet, 2018
w39" x h19"

Read Folk Art Quilts article in Galleries West.

Spotlight on Regina Marzlin

Here's a sneak peek at Regina Marzlin's 2021 SAQA Spotlight Auction contribution, entitled Feeling Zen. Regina lives and makes art in Antigonish Nova Scotia.

 

Feeling Zen by Regina Marzlin (2021) w6"x h8"

RM:  Feeling Zen features a layered monoprint with machine and hand stitch.

Read more about Regina's art on her website Regina Marzlin Fibre Art.

Learn more about contributing to SAQA's 2021 Spotlight Auction here.