SAQA 2017 Trunk Show preview #8

Winter Sky by Regina Marzlin, Antigonish NS

Winter Sky by Regina Marzlin

RM: A blue and white morning sky at the beginning of winter. It feels like snow will be falling today. The dark trees look stark against the winter sky.

SAQA 2017 Trunk Show preview #7

Rings and Things by Lois Wilby Hooper of Moores Mills, NB 

Rings and Things by Lois Wilby Hooper

LWB: With a piece of indigo dyed shibori, from a SAQA workshop, staring at me reproachfully from the shelf, I decided to have a play day. Anything goes, whatever happens, happens. So, collecting various scraps, odds and ends, and general leftovers, I set to work. I wanted to continue the circle theme across the piece. Some bits of net fused with metallic paint scraps and bits of Angelina fibres were free motioned in place. Then I added beading, crocheted rings and hand embroidery with hand dyed thread.

Stepping back to see the "avant garde" result, I had a good laugh at myself.  All my traditional needle arts background was readily apparent. You can take the artist away from the tradition, but you can't take the traditional skills out of the artist!

SAQA 2017 Trunk Show preview #6

Have a peek at another piece of artwork, by Chris Nielsen, that will travel the world with the 2017 SAQA Trunk Show. If you're thinking of entering, your piece must be submitted online by Wednesday November 30th and the actual shipment must be received by January 14th.

Infection by Christine Nielsen

Infection by Christine Nielsen of Head of St Margaret's Bay, NS

CN: This piece was created during the 2016 election cycle in the United States. I was thinking about the ways in which disaffection develops. It starts in isolated pockets which then burst and spread the seeds of hate. Soon everything is contaminated.

Read more about Chris's artwork on her blog, A Galloping Cat.

In memoriam

We lost our good friend and SAQA Atlantic member Susan Tilsley Manley one week ago.

Anne Morrell Robinson created a small quilt as a tribute to Susan. 

Release by Anne Morrell Robinson 

Release by Anne Morrell Robinson of Margaree Valley, NS

AMR: "Release" is a tribute to Susan Tilsley Manley and depicts some of her favourite things; crows, bubbles, flowers, and being able to celebrate who we are.

Anne's quilt will be part of SAQA Atlantic's upcoming regional trunk show. Read more about Anne Morrell Robinson on her website, Kingross Quilts. 

Read more about Susan Tilsley Manley, Artist and Maker of Things, here.

A tribute to Susan and her artwork will be published on our blog in the coming weeks.

SAQA 2017 Trunk Show preview #5

November 30th is the deadline for registering a 7"x10" piece for SAQA's 2017 Trunk Show. Today we feature Sandra Betts' submission.

Devin's Discovery by Sandra Betts

Devin's Discovery by Sandra Betts of Saint John, NB

One of my grandsons, Devin, loves to hike the backwoods off trail. He discovers some of the most beautiful nature scenes, photographs them and sends the pictures to me to enjoy. It is a great pleasure for me to try to reproduce them in my favourite medium - fabric.

SAQA 2017 Trunk Show preview #4

ReBecca Paterson is the fourth SAQA Atlantic member to share her 2017 Trunk Show contribution with our readers. Have a look at her piece:

Heading East by ReBecca Paterson

Heading East by ReBecca Paterson of Sussex, NB

I am reminded of heading home to the Maritimes, flying over the Rockies, the foothills and just coming in to the cookie cutter areas of the prairies. This whole cloth quilt is just a snippet from a larger piece of fabric that was a deconstructive screen printing on cotton experiment. Cotton, polyester, procion dyes, ink.

Hope & Survival: Halifax Explosion Memorial Quilt

SAQA Atlantic member Laurie Swim is seeking your support in funding her community art project for the 2017 centenary of the Halifax Explosion.



Award-winning Nova Scotia artist Laurie Swim has spent the last four years working on a monumental memorial quilt with 400 volunteers. Two filmmakers have been recording her creative journey for a documentary. Now Laurie needs help finishing the art project in time...

The money raised in this crowd funding campaign will be used primarily to support Laurie to complete her work on the memorial quilt. It will also be used to complete a longer documentary film and to publish an accompanying children's book.

The completed work of art will be exhibited at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic for the anniversary of the explosion in December 2017.

Please consider helping Laurie by contributing funding for the final push. In return, Laurie is offering some exciting perks to thank donors for their support.

Read more on the Indiegogo crowd funding website.