Natural Dying

Just finished an intensive week with Charlotte Kwon of Maiwa in Vancouver.  We went through natural dying from a-z and ended up with an amazing book of samples of many natural dyes on cotton, silk, linen, hemp and wool with various mordants and overdyes.

If that wasnt enough we got to work on some of our own projects under her guidance - boy was that a treat!

My greatest thrill was being able to make some intensive "dye paints" from these natural sources so I could maintain my signature style but with these organic, historic, "safe" dyestuffs.

On the horizon is a project where I will combine the dyes, the materials and the patterns of a historical region or group with a post modern twist.

Check out Charlotte's website at Maiwa...

Pottery class...

So, I signed up for a pottery class and just picked up my final pieces.  While the other students made mugs, bowls, creamers and the like, I  "followed my muse." (smile)  In my life, this usually translates to "I made something weird". Take a look....

So what do you think?  Perhaps crab meets turtle?   Perhaps anemone meets ...?  I think it definitely looks sea creaturesque.

Art Show in Calgary next weekend

If you are in Calgary next weekend, check out the Women's Art Museum Society of Canada's fall Art Show and Sale.  I will have 6 pieces in the show - including two new "cowboy art" pieces.  I am recently fascinated with this genre of art and thought it appropos for Calgary!

New Group Show Opening tomorrow...

Excited to be a part of this new show opening in Yellowknife tomorrow...

While I am neither "hot", nor "young" <smile> , I am part of this show because of some of the new media techniques I have been incorporating into my work.

I have 3 pieces in the show - 2 are fibre-based but built with a digitly altered photo printed with a new digital fabric printer.  The other is a copper piece printed using plastic on a new style of "transfer".

All 3 pieces were great experiments and I am super happy with the results. I am finding I am staying within my "style" which may mean I have found it!

I am also very honoured to be amongst the other artists in the show.

Here is a sneak peek at one of the pieces:

"Unravelling"
12x12
dye, silk