Interview with Darcy Hunter: Inspired by Nature

Rose Cottage by Darcy Hunter 2019 10"w 8"h

Darcy Hunter is a fibre artist specializing in landscapes.  She established Darcy Doodle Quilts online on Etsy and Facebook in 2014.  Darcy then opened a shop at the Riverside Resort in Mactaquac where she shares the space with other artists. In winter 2017, her quilted postcards were featured in Art Quilting Studio and Sew Somerset magazines.  Her art quilts are featured in the 2019 spring and summer editions of Art Quilting Studio.

A part-time elementary teacher, Darcy further indulges her love of teaching by offering quilting classes and designing patterns of some of her creations.

Darcy, how would you describe your work?

I call my method "textile embroidery".  I use fabric like paint, laying it down piece by piece and adding stitching, as well as specialty yarns, beads, lace, shells, driftwood and other found objects.  I use the same methods to make journal covers and postcards in addition to art quilts.

Moonlit Sea by Darcy Hunter 2019 10"w 13"h

How did you come to be a fibre artist and what is your process for creating?

I began quilting 17 years ago to make quilts for my babies and gradually discovered how I could create art using fabric as a medium.  My work is greatly inspired by nature, sometimes by a walk in the forest or along the water, other times by a photograph. I also follow many fibre artists on Instagram and Pinterest; their art inspires me to create my own pieces and to try new techniques. 

My usual process is to begin with a pencil sketch of my idea and then add notes on possible methods and colours. I use unbleached denim as a base, adding pieces to each area, either stitching them on right away, or holding them in place with a little adhesive.  To add more texture, I use fabrics, lace, ribbons, upcycled sari strips and yarns.  I add a myriad of threads and sometimes paint.  At the end, finishing touches are done with beading, hand stitching, and found objects. 

Hanging might be done with a piece of driftwood, or the piece might be placed on a matt board and framed.

Winter Trail by Darcy Hunter 2019 16"w 20"h

  Do you work in a dedicated studio space?


When I became serious about my art work, we had the basement renovated and I now have a room there that I love.  I have a sit down mid arm (Husqvarna Platinum 15) as well as a regular sewing machine.  I love my mid arm; it is so much easier to see my work on it.  Plus, having it allows me to work on different things on each machine.

There are floor to ceiling Ikea cabinets, as well as lots of open storage, a good-sized ironing space and a large design wall.  My cutting table was created using a lovely old office desk, which we put on wheels to make it higher and moveable.
 
What are you currently working on?

It’s an 11 by 14 commission of a loon on North Lake in Maine where my client has a cottage.

What are your goals for the coming year?

I would like to work on some larger pieces than I have been doing.  I also want to respond to a call for entry.  

In addition, I’m working on developing a newsletter and a website.

Sheep Farm by Darcy Hunter 2018 20"w 18"h

Tell us about your most memorable experience as an artist.

I was contacted by the editors of Art Quilting Studio and Sew Somerset (Stampington magazines) in 2016.  They had found my work on Etsy, and asked me to send some of my quilted postcards to be published in their magazines.

 I was over the moon!

What fibre artists are you currently interested in?

Rachel Wright is my biggest inspiration.  She is from the UK and creates lovely landscapes.  I also really love the use of yarns, lace and paper by another UK artist, Isobel Moore. Susan Carlson is an expert in using colour in her work and I love her collage method of gluing pieces onto a base fabric.

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

When teaching, I am in my studio when I have spare time after work.  Otherwise, morning is my most productive time to work and I try to start then when I can.  I wake every morning with new ideas that I can’t wait to get out of my head and onto my palette!

Reflections by Darcy Hunter 2019 16"w 20"h

Darcy's work can be seen on Etsy at www.darcydoodlequilts.etsy.com, or on Instagram and Facebook (@darcydoodlequilts)

Her work is also available at her shop at Riverside Resort in Mactaquac, NB

She is part of the Etsy New Brunswick show in Fredericton each September, as well as at the Spring and Fall Capital Art Show in Fredericton.  She will be at the Renforth Artisan Market in St. John in the Spring (May 3) and Fall shows.

Elbow Valley by Darcy Hunter 2020  21"w 16"h

Artist Julea Boswell talks about her new inventory system and online portfolio

Avant Garde 2 by Julea Boswell w8" x h16"

SAQA Atlantic member Julea Boswell, from Frenchfort PEI (and Ottawa ON) recently launched her online portfolio on a platform called Artwork Archive.  

Julea is an abstract acrylic and mixed-media artist, a modern quilt designer-maker and a part-time contemporary dance company manager. 

Last week, Julea had a chat with Cathy Drummond, about her experience with Artwork Archive.

See Julea's new portfolio: 
www.artworkarchive.com/profile/julea-boswell

Julea, how did you come to choose Artwork Archive as your online presence?

JB:  Actually, I was searching for a simple art inventory system before even realizing it would serve the purpose of also being a public portfolio. Last fall, when I was making several submissions of my work, the job of pulling together all the details for the submissions from scratch each time became a real chore. It was cumbersome finding files, remembering which image was the latest perfectly-cropped final version, finding the details of the piece, dimensions, specific materials used, pricing and so on. My files were a mix-mash! All of a sudden I’d reached a tipping point and had a large enough body of work that I really needed a system to view all my work in one place and have everything readily at-hand. It occurred to me there must be some ready-made web tools and sure enough I found Artwork Archive. 

How many pieces do you have on the site? 

JB: I have 32 loaded in my inventory right now. But there are older ones I'll eventually add, such as the functional quilts I made before I started making art quilts and paintings. With Artwork Archive, you have the option to make a piece public, or not, with a simple checkbox. My priority was to get the ones I wanted to show publicly on the site first.

How simple is Artwork Archive to use?

JB: If you can drag and drop images and fill out an online form, it's literally that easy! Once you load a couple of pieces, you really get to know it. There's a drop-down menu where you can choose the status of the work too: in progress, available, sold, destroyed, archived, etc.

Is it expensive?

JB: It's free for the first month with up to 50 pieces. That was fine for me to get started. There are then 3 levels of payment. The cheapest, at US$6 per month, allows people to whom you give your URL to view your site, and that's what I have for now. If you want your work to be available to anyone searching your name, it’s US$12 a month.  

Is there a way to back-up or download your files if you need to, for example if Artwork Archive should no longer meet your needs?

JB: All the main data items are fully exportable. You have the option to export to a CSV or Excel file anytime. 

How does it work as an online portfolio?

JB: This is what I think is really great. I was at the point where I knew I should be creating a website, but it seemed like a bigger job than I had time for right now. As soon as I saw that Artwork Archive could be a public portfolio too - and the portfolios I looked at were all great - I just went for it. Every time I add a new piece to my inventory it can become part of my public portfolio with one click. Another thing I find really good is the way you can organize the work by "collections". I work in different mediums and my work is varied in style. I wanted to find a way to present both my art quilt pieces and my other work in a cohesive way. 

Screenshot, Artwork Archive

So, am I right to say that you would recommend Artwork Archive to our readers as both an archive and a web presence?

JB: For sure. If you're an artist who would like to create an online presence, don’t hesitate. New tools like this make it easy and allow you to work along at your own pace. The biggest job is the initial upload so don't delay, the more pieces you have the bigger the job becomes!

Julea, thank you so much for introducing us to this interesting tool.  It certainly sounds easy and useful.

Improv Curves 1-2-3 by Julea Boswell w8" x h8"

View Julea's Artwork Archive portfolio

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Thank you to both Julea and Cathy for producing today's blog post. We always welcome members' submissions.

New Website for Anne Morrell Robinson

 

Nova Scotia quilt and fibre artist Anne Morrell Robinson is an award-winning quilter who has almost 600 quilts to her credit. Anne also makes hooked rugs, art dolls and jewelry from her fabulous studio in the Margaree Valley of Cape Breton Island. 

If you can't drop by for a visit, have a look at Anne's new website, Kingross Quilts and Fibre Arts.

We asked Anne to tell us about her new website:

Morrell Robinson: This is my first "professional " web site. Customers always ask about a web site and while the first one I had did the job it wasn't really reflecting what I currently need. I selected a local web designer who I have worked with before. Because he's an artist as well as a web designer, I knew he could lend an artist's eye to the project as well as the technical skills. My aim was to keep it simple and use the "one picture is worth a 1000 words" approach.

Read more about Anne Morrell Robinson here.

Two captivating quilts by Deb Plestid

Two of Deb Plestid’s quilts, Endicott Johnson and Dragonfly, captured attention at the recent Sunrise Quilt Guild Show in Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia.

Endicott Johnson by Deb Plestid, Sunrise Quilt Guild 2015 CQA Viewers' Choice Award winner.

Endicott Johnson, which won the CQA Viewers' Choice Award, celebrates rootedness and longevity. The boots were made in the 1950s by the Endicott Johnson Company and were worn until the 1980s by a neighbouring farmer. This principled corporation not only made durable boots, they also treated their employees fairly, with health coverage, recreational facilities, a profit-sharing program and support for home financing. The CQA Award is the second for this piece, which received an Honourable Mention at the Grand National Quilt Show 2013 in Kitchener, Ontario.  

Dragonfly by Deb Plestid, runner-up for Members' Choice Award, Sunrise Quilt Guild 2015.

Another of Deb's entries, Dragonfly Pond, received a ribbon as runner-up for Members' Choice at the Sunrise show.

See Deb Plestid's website for more of her fine work.

Website Launch! - Susan Tilsley Manley, Westville, Nova Scotia

Susan Tilsley Manley has launched her great new website!

Check it out at http://susantm.com

Way to go, Susan!