30 April 2019

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

23 April 2019

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

18 April 2019

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. 


10 April 2019

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 
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Follow Jeanine Gunn on Instagram at deveau9983 


26 March 2019

Regina Marzlin's work selected for show at the International Quilt Study Centre

Congratulations to Regina Marzlin, of Antigonish NS, who recently got word that her 2019 Benefit Auction contribution was accepted into the special exhibit at the International Quilt Study Centre and Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska. 

Thirty pieces were selected for this exhibition, from the 130+ early entries. An online gallery of the 30 pieces can be seen on the SAQA site.

Traces by Regina Marzlin (2019) 12"x 12"

Regina's piece, Traces, includes hand painted and commercial cotton, non-woven material, embroidery floss, ink pencil, monoprinting, painting, hand- and machine stitching.
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Information about contributing to and purchasing art quilts from the 2019 SAQA Benefit Auction is available here. 

23 March 2019

World Wide Whispers revealed


Results of World Wide Whispers, an international collaborative quilt challenge, were revealed at the Scottish Quilter’s Guild Show in Glasgow earlier this month. SAQA Atlantic member Kathy Tidswell represented New Brunswick on the Canada team, which was one of five country teams involved. Scotland, Ireland, the Netherlands and the USA each hosted their own World Wide Whispers challenge.

The project was described as being similar to a child’s game where the leader whispers a sentence to the next person, who whispers it to the next, the sentence evolving and changing as it goes on.

#1  Old Barn on a Crisp Morning by Kim Caskey (2018)

Team Canada leader Kim Caskey (Alberta) made the first quilt, inspired by a photograph by Lesley Zwaal of Edmonton Alberta. Thirteen artists, one from each province and territory of Canada, each in succession, were sent a photograph and statement of only the most recent piece. Each had one month to create an 18” x 24” piece of their own, inspired by the previous participant’s piece. 

Kathy Tidswell: I created the third quilt in the series. It’s been a long 13 months when we were not allowed to reveal our involvement and saw only a photo of the quilt that inspired our piece. 

The Canadian collection was shipped to Scotland and now hangs with quilts from the other four teams at the Scotland Quilter’s Guild AGM in Glasgow. The entire collection will travel to The Netherlands for a show in April and will be at The Birmingham (UK) Festival of Quilts in August 2019. I plan to attend and will give two, one-hour demonstrations on using Inktense pencils to create appliqués, as part of the Quick and Easy Demonstrations series.

#3 Looking In Looking Out by Kathy Tidswell (2018)

LOOKING IN, LOOKING OUT
By Kathy Tidswell, Burtts Corner, NB - February 2018 – 3 of 13

Drawing inspiration from Pat Findlay’s landscape and suggestions from my “idea generating” husband, I chose to feature my favourite little owl, a Saw Whet owl. Surveying his kingdom from a fence post, he stares out with that quizzical expression. What could he be thinking? Is he wondering why he hasn’t moved further south before the snow has come to New Brunswick? Watching over him is a stately oak tree clinging to a few remaining leaves. I love to create texture and dimension and if you look closely you will find it.


Karen Henry, an early member of SAQA Atlantic, represented Nova Scotia in the challenge and created the sixth piece in the Canadian series.


#6 Anchor & Drift by Karen Henry (2018)


ANCHOR & DRIFT
By Karen Henry, Dartmouth, NS - May 2018 – 6 of 13

At various points in our lives we feel anchored, adrift or in the process of letting go. Any of these three stages could be applied to our evolutions through aging, in creativity, in the growth of our offspring, in our education, moving from one physical space to another, etc. This wall hanging reflects the changing circumstances of our lives.





19 March 2019

SAQA Benefit Auction 2019 contribution - Kathy Tidswell, Burtts Corner NB

Autumn Breezes is Kathy Tidswell's contribution to SAQA's 2019 Benefit Auction. The bidding, on hundreds of fabulous art quilts, begins in mid-September. Stay tuned !


Autumn Breezes by Kathy Tidswell (2019) 12" x 12"

KT: Background painted using Colour Vie pigment system.  Commercial fabric for borders. Leaves created using Inktense pencils. Free motion and walking foot machine quilted.

Information about contributing to and purchasing art quilts from the 2019 SAQA Benefit Auction is available here.