Commotion at the Craig!

  The SAQA Atlantic juried show, Commotion, is opening at the Craig Gallery in Dartmouth on August 4, and will be there until August 28.

If you are in the vicinity, please join us for the opening reception on the 4th, between 5:30 and 7:30.

More Commotion!

 

                                        

The Forest Bath by Susan Lilley 

SAQA Atlantic's 6th regional exhibition, Commotion, will have a new showing at the Museum of Industry in Stellarton, NS.  It opens Saturday, April 30th and will run until July 29th.  Opening hours and directions are on the Museum's website.

For more information about this regional exhibition, check out our post from June, 2021.

 

Refocus on Fibre Art Exhibition

                                        

Celtic Cross Lee McLean

SAQA Atlantic members Darcy Hunter, Kathy Tidswell and LeeMcLean have work in a group exhibit at Sunbury Shores Arts and Nature Centre in St. Andrews, NB. The exhibit, "Refocus on Fibre Art", features varied work by fourteen of the members of New Brunswick-based Fibre Arts Network.

"We have been through an extraordinary time, being asked to retreat to our homes, to limit human contact and to make do with what we have. Once we moved past the initial stress of the unknown, we returned to our studios to seek the regenerative, healing energy of creating with fibre."

                                

Fireweed on the Beach  Darcy Hunter

Fibre Arts Network (FAN) is a Fredericton-based network of fibre design artists who produce fine craft items for the fine craft market. This exhibit includes weaving, basketry, thread painting, felting, knitting, quilting, sewing, sculptural pieces and more! It will be on display until the end of October.

The opening is May 6 from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. and runs until May 28. 

                                    

Willow at Dawn Kathy Tidswell

Kristi Farrier: You Can't be Here if You're There

Alberta – Arrival #1 by K. Farrier  (2021) w23" x h29”   

Alberta – The Ties That Bind

Alberta is my place of birth and coming of age.

Often a place of memory and revisiting – even when I am there in the present.

Saskatchewan – Renewal

Saskatchewan provided me with the space to grow.

It holds spirit and inspiration, mixed with myth, mystery, and a bit of magic.

Cape Breton – All That’s Possible

Cape Breton is my home; my here and now. 

It’s a place of everyday ordinary life that I love and yet, where all things are possible to me.

(KF, excerpt from a longer piece, 2020)

SAQA Atlantic member Kristi Farrier is a textile artist and hand papermaker based out of Flying Finch Studio in Middle River, Cape Breton Island.

You Can’t be Here if You’re There is a series of art quilts Kristi created as part of a three-artist collaboration on the theme: Place in Perspective. Her pieces examine her personal experiences with the three provinces the trio has in common: Alberta, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia.  

Hélène Blanchet and Alison Dean Cowitz complete the trio, each having created her own body of work reflecting that same theme. Their exhibition opened in September 2021 at the Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design and will be travelling to galleries across the country.

I recently spoke with Kristi about her own experience as part of this collaborative project.

Kristi, how would you describe your textile work? 

I would describe it as contemporary abstract art. My pieces express my responses to significant experiences, events and places. Line and color are primary elements in these whole cloth fabric pieces which I mark with thread-stitch, paint, dyes and inks. 

The 15 quilts in You Can’t Be Here If You’re There explore my links to Alberta, Saskatchewan and Cape Breton, three places with which I am deeply connected. The pieces feature colours and motifs which spring from these places and which emerge through my spontaneous curvilinear machine quilting.  

Saskatchewan – Father’s Finery by K Farrier (2020)
w18.5" x h 27½”  

How was your experience of working collaboratively?

This was my first artist collaboration, and it was amazing! I feel it really lifted me to a new level as an artist. We met regularly, had deadlines and were all committed to the project. We became close friends, creating an inspiring and safe space for exploring new ideas. Each of us brought different skills to the group, forming a strong team for planning and executing the exhibition. 

Our SAQA mentor, Tracey Lawko, challenged us creatively and guided us through the curatorial and exhibition coordination processes.

The project’s success came because we really supported each other creatively, raised each other up during the trying times, and balanced each other well for the administrative aspects of the project.

Where can this exhibition be seen?

We currently have five confirmed venues and expect to confirm more in the coming months. 

• The Chester Art Centre, Chester, Nova Scotia - October 26 to November 13, 2022
• The Ice House Gallery, Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia - February 2023
• The Craig Gallery, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia - March 2023
• The Quilt Canada Conference, Halifax, Nova Scotia - June 8 to 10, 2023.
• The Crowsnest Pass Gallery, Frank, Alberta - May 2024

Cape Breton - Maple Buds and Snow Squalls
by K. Farrier (2021) w12.5" x h18”  

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See more of Kristi Farrier’s work on her website, Flying Finch Studio. 

SAQA 2022 Benefit Auction contribution: Deb Plestid

 

Victory by Deb Plestid (2022) 12"x12"

Deb Plestid, from Tatamagouche Nova Scotia, created her SAQA Benefit Auction piece on a snowy day in April. Her piece, Victory, is the first contribution from the Atlantic Region.

DP: The piece is named 'Victory' and recognizes the anguish of war. I quote Volodymyr Zelensky, "It's a victory when the weapons fall silent and people speak up."

See more of Deb Plestid's quilted artwork on her website, deb plestid fibre art.

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The deadline for submissions to the 2022 Benefit Auction is June 30 and each piece must be exactly 12"x12". You can find more information about the Benefit Auction here. The auction will start on the SAQA website in September.

Deb Plestid and Sheree Fitch publication: Sing in the Spring

Congratulations to fibre artist Deb Plestid and poet Sheree Fitch, who together recently published Sing in the Spring, a children's book of poems entirely illustrated with quilts.

A book launch and reading will be held at the Grace Jollymore Joyce Arts Centre in Tatamagouche, from 1-2pm on April 30th. Woozles Book Shop, in Halifax, will host a second reading on May 7th. Copies of the book may be ordered from Woozles, here.

They're Back! by Deb Plestid

Enjoy a short preview of their book:

Come meet Deb and Sheree in a recent CTV interview.

Deb Plestid is a SAQA Juried Artist from Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia. Learn more about this project on her website: deb plestid fibre art.

Spotlight on Deb Plestid!

 

 Fiddlehead Fern: A Blueprint for Spring (2022) by Deb Plestid w6"xh8"

 

Fiddlehead Fern, A Blueprint for Spring is Deb Plestid's contribution to the 2022 SAQA Spotlight Auction. Deb is a SAQA Juried Artist from Tatamagouche Nova Scotia.

Technique: painted fabric, painted fern, applique & machine stitched.

See more of Deb Plestid's quilted artwork on her website, deb plestid fibre art. 

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The 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, 2022. Check out the SAQA 2022 Spotlight Auction page for entry details.

Spotlight on Fiona Oxford!

 

Untitled, Fiona Oxford (2022) w6"xh8"

Our third Spotlight Auction contribution for 2022 is from Fiona Oxford of Waverley NS and Sarasota, Florida.

F.O.: This is a somewhat abstract Hibiscus that I see out of my window in Florida.

Created with paint and geli plate. Free-motion stitching and embroidery stitches on muslin.

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The Spotlight Auction is an opportunity for all SAQA members to have their work showcased at the 2022 virtual SAQA Conference. 

The Spotlight Auction is also an opportunity for SAQA Atlantic members to have their work featured on our blog, to be enjoyed by those of us not attending the annual conference. If you've contributed to the 2022 auction, please let us have a sneak peek at your piece!

Find out more about the 2022 Spotlight Auction here.

Spotlight on Hélène Blanchet!

Here's a sneak peek at Hélène Blanchet's 2022 SAQA Spotlight Auction contribution. 

Untitled. Hélène Blanchet 2022 w6"xh8"

Hélène lives and makes art in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and is SAQA Atlantic's regional representative. She is also a SAQA juried artist. You can read about her work on the global SAQA site.

March 31 is the deadline for registering your own donation to the Spotlight Auction. Learn more about participating in the SAQA 2022 Spotlight Auction here.

Spotlight on Regina Marzlin!

Weather Bomb by Regina Marzlin (2022) w8"xh6"

 

Regina Marzlin, from Antigonish, Nova Scotia, is our first Atlantic Canada artist to reveal her 2022 SAQA Spotlight Auction contribution, entitled: Weather Bomb.

Materials: cotton, polyester, acrylic paint, embroidery floss.
Techniques: mono printing, painting, machine and hand stitching.

See more of Regina Marzlin's work on her website: Regina Marzlin Fibre Art

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GET YOUR WORK IN THE SPOTLIGHT!

The Spotlight Auction is an online event taking place during the 2022 SAQA Virtual Conference (April 29- May 7, 2022). This is an opportunity for all SAQA members to have their work showcased to a world-wide audience. You do NOT have to attend the conference to participate - bidding is open to everyone. All proceeds will help support SAQA programs.

Learn more about participating in the SAQA 2022 Spotlight Auction here.

Susan Lapham: Studio Tour and More

 

Susan Lapham, I Heart My Brothers
2021, 40"x40"

Susan Lapham lives in Virginia, summers in Cape Breton, and has chosen Atlantic Canada as her secondary SAQA region.    

Her contemporary quilts have been described as a lively dance between steady geometry and sparkling movement. Her work has been exhibited in Form, Not Function; Quilts=Art=Quilts; Visions Art Museum; and Quilt National.  Her award winning Playland series has received Best of Show, First Place, and Piecing Awards.  

Playland 1, 2020, 83"x82"

Born in Jerusalem, Susan lived in the Middle East and North Africa for the first 12 years of her life. Her degrees in Cartography and Survey Statistics led her to work in the US government and non-profit organizations as a mapmaker, statistician, manager and senior executive for nearly 40 years. She is currently Principal Investigator on US National Institutes for Health grants focusing on behavioral health and is Director of a sixty-year longitudinal study of human development and aging.

Along the way, she taught herself to quilt and obviously brings the same level of energy and discipline to her art.  When I asked Susan about artists who have inspired her work, her list included the Spanish sculptor Eduardo Chillida, the Lebanese painter Saloua Raouda Choucair,  and the Americans Karl Benjamin and Frank Stella.   All of them are characterized by clean lines and bold use of colour.

Susan, could you describe your workspace?

My studio is a 24 by 40 foot addition at the back of our house overlooking our woods and garden.  It is open and airy with lots of room to breathe. My design wall takes up one whole wall plus half of another – a total of about 38 feet by 8 feet tall. The room is empty except for the design wall, my sewing machine, and two large cutting tables forming an “L” in the middle of the room. I love spending time in the studio and find that I can be as creative as my imagination allows because there are no distractions.

It seems very well-lit. What are the light sources?

I have five large floor to ceiling windows and six skylights that let in a lot of natural light.  There are 12 8-foot LED lights mounted on the ceiling which provide additional light on grey days.  I also have Ott Creative Curve lamps beside my sewing machine and on the cutting table.  

Where do you keep your fabrics and threads?

 I don’t keep a lot of fabric – just enough to keep creating.  Yardage is kept in a dark closet on open shelves organized by value and color. Scraps are kept in 3 baskets, also organized by color and value. I keep a small bin of leftover bits and units from previous pieces, and turn to it to start each subsequent project. If I need a small piece of fabric I’ll use my unsewn scraps next and only go to my yardage if I need a big chunk.

I bag the tiniest scraps for a friend to make dog beds or for garden mulch - nothing wasted!

I only keep a few spools of thread (Superior) which are organized on a rack on the wall. My philosophy is if I don’t use something for a year, it is donated, gifted or recycled. 

Aside from the emptiness, which is rather unusual for a quilter, are there other unique features?

One unusual aspect is that my husband does all my quilting on his long arm machine. He has his own space at the other end of the house so when I have a top ready for him to quilt, I just walk downstairs and hand it over to him. I am more than blessed with this arrangement!

Another great aspect of my studio is that I can easily take it on the road – literally! 

Every summer for the past couple of decades, my husband and I hop into the RV and head to Cape Breton where we spend several weeks at Broad Cove campground. I use the same portable sew easy table that I use in my home studio and bring the five small baskets of fabric scraps that I use daily. Since I’m a minimalist it’s easy to schlep my tools back and forth. As I can’t bring the huge design wall, I work on smaller pieces or I hang a sheet on the clothesline and just deal with the constant breeze.

I can also dye fabric there which I don’t often do at home. I actually learned to dye from Anne Schroeder, another Cape Breton artist, several years ago.

Susan's portable studio...

Does it make a difference if you are in open or cluttered space?

...and her outdoor studio

Being a minimalist at heart I’m most creative when I have no distractions. Complete silence (except for the birds, the whisper of trees, and ocean waves) and no visual distractions. So definitely no clutter, just a lot of space.  I only have out what I need when I need it and tend to tidy up before moving on to a new task.  

You mentioned that it's easy to bring your studio, but what about favourite gadgets?

I’m not really a gadget person. I have a simple straight stitch sewing machine and the tools I use can easily fit into one glass jelly jar that includes a seam ripper, Karen K Buckley perfect scissors, a pair of large scissors, paper scissors, tweezers, hera tool and "that purple thang" (a sort of stiletto). I have a second glass jelly jar that includes the tools I need for the sewing machine – brush, screwdriver, oil, machine needles, pipe cleaner, walking foot and quarter inch foot.

Except for rotary cutters that are on the portable cutting tables, and a couple of rulers that I mostly use for trimming up finished quilts, I don’t keep much else. My goal is to keep the studio and my studio practice as minimal as possible.  

Going back to your main studio, what does having this workspace mean for your processes, and how do you make the space work for you?

I love my studio and spend every possible moment I can in it! Having lots of space to move around, large cutting tables and a huge design wall give me the freedom I need to translate what’s in my head to fabric. Being a minimalist and staying organized allows me to be efficient which helps with deadlines!

If you had the chance, what change would make it your ultimate creative space?

Taller design walls. I tend to work very large – 8 feet by 8 feet.  I would love to work bigger at some point but my design walls are currently 8 feet tall so it would be hard to create something larger.

Is there a project that you’re currently working on, or are excited about starting that you can tell us about? 

While I love working with tiny bits of fabric to build enormous pieces, I also love spare work. I’m experimenting with some spare pieces and am excited to see where I can go with them.  

Clothesline design wall 

More of Susan's work can be seen on her website at susanjlapham.net

Her husband, John Tsiaperas, who does the longarm quilting of her quilts, can be found here.

Her quilt, "I Heart My Brothers" at the beginning of this post, can be seen soon at the Material III exhibition at the D'Art Centre in Norfolk Virgina.

Another quilt in her Oh Brother series, "David", can be seen as part of the SAQA Commotion exhibit in Atlantic Canada (stay tuned for dates of two venues in Nova Scotia this summer).

Playland #3, above, won the 2nd Place Award of Excellence at Form Not Function 2020 and Best of Show at Out of the Funk (Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh).