Des Choses Suspendues

On Friday we visited a show presented by Diagonale, "Des Choses Suspendues", at the Maison de la Culture de Côte-des-Neiges. The piece above was made of sewing thread and graphite, by Hannah Claus. The fine threads did not reach to the floor, and were attached to a wire grid above.

The large works were varied, ranging from video to photography to a dress made of salvaged gloves, and were all related to fibre in some way. An interesting presentation, continuing until June 3.

On-line class

In January I participated in an on-line class with Elizabeth Barton, offered by quiltuniversity.com, called "Inspired to Design". Elizabeth is a great teacher, and the format allows for lots of feedback from her and from the other class participants, from all over the world. We get to post to a discussion board and also to individual galleries. Though I had already started to use my photos of cities as a basis for fibre pieces, this class showed me a way to use value studies to improve the design, and to introduce coloured and patterned fabric into the compositions.

I am now enrolled in another of her on-line courses, "Working in a Series". For me, it's about focusing, "finding my voice", and creating a consistent body of work. I have encouraged a few friends to sign up too, which will be fun. Of course if you want to optimize the experience, you have to do the assignments, and the first week is quite demanding. Mostly, we are looking for themes in content or form in our past work and in the art we are most drawn to.

 "Bento Box"

"Amanda's Quilt"

One of the common threads I see in my work is the "Square in a Square" motif. Above are two examples, both from 2006. Interesting to see how this form evolves. Below are a couple of examples from 2011. The first measures 8" square, the second 90" square!

 "Insomnia"

"It's All That"

I think that the Cityscapes pieces are related to these square-in-a-square motifs, and it will be interesting to explore that relationship and its possibilities over the next few weeks. What's next?

New Piece in Cityscapes Series

Beginning with a photo taken in Old Montreal,

the image was translated into a line drawing

and then into black stitches on hand-dyed grey cotton. I used permanent ink to add in the blocks of dark grey.

I think this image might work well as a larger piece, and I would like to introduce large blocks of colour too. Meanwhile, this will serve as another 12 x 12 cityscape to include in an upcoming solo show at the Baie d'Urfé Library, opening May 13.

Regional directory of artists

Christian Gonzalez has begun a blog that serves as a directory of artists in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges area, and I am delighted to be included in such good company. You can read my profile and those of many  others by visiting

http://www.jesuismaville.com/article-dubreuil-heather-104138571.html

If you're an artist from the Vaudreuil-Soulanges area who would like to be listed, please contact Christian at

chris.gonzalez.mailATgmail.com

Hudson Artists show

The AHA show has been lots of fun, with more than thirty artists working in paint, collage and photography showing their work. Visitors are intrigued by work in fibre, and I like to think I am broadening the local market for fibre art. Above is a photo of me with some of my Cityscapes pieces. You'll also notice a little card with a red dot, indicating that "Steps: The Plateau" was sold. Later, "Street Life: Quebec City" also sold.

Here is Michele Meredith, a fellow member of Out of the Box, 12 by the dozen, and text'art, in front of a panel with seven of her recent collages. She sold the framed piece, top centre, a beautiful depiction of skaters in the moonlight.

We were both happy to meet Marthe Villeneuve, who also works in fibre. Her work is shown above. She uses Paverpol to sculpt fabric into three dimensions, then stitches it to canvas and applies paint to complete the image. Marthe has training in fashion design and also works in pastel. She can be reached by e-mail at marthevilleneuveATsympatico.ca.

"Monetizing"

Well, we used to called it "selling out", or worse. But that was in the sixties.

I had these notecards printed up, using images from my recent series of cityscapes. (My name is discreetly printed on the back.) I'm packing them in clear plastic bags, four to a set, with envelopes. I have a couple of events coming up that might attract people who are not necessarily interested in acquiring "art", but might spring for a set of note cards. There were some set-up costs to opening the file, so if I do another print run it will cost a little less. I'm starting with 25 sets of four, and we'll see how that goes.

Guy Glorieux at the McCord

This amazing image is one of eighteen large black-and-white photographs, some up to five metres in length, taken with a pinhole camera. The artist is Guy Glorieux, and the subject is Montreal.

For some years I have been intrigued with cityscapes, the interlocking shapes, the grid of the windows, the variety of structures and styles. My current series explores these elements. This show at the McCord Museum, continuing to May 27, was a must-see for me.

The images produced are "negatives"; the subject has been "flipped horizontal" by the process. The photos are taken in the daytime, and the exposure is three or four hours in duration. Because of this long exposure time, people moving in and out of the subject area do not leave their trace on the image. The result is like a ghost city, with the buildings almost "radioactive", and all the inhabitants gone. The strong contrast in value gives definition to line and shape.

More information about the show can be found at www.mccord-museum.qc.ca

CRDITM show

The Centre design & impression textile has mounted a fine show featuring the work of fourteen past graduates. Today, my text'art group had a chance to visit the show and then to tour the facilities of the school. This first photo shows the work of Sophie Jeanson.

 This second piece in three parts, below, is by Lucie Laurin.

 Finally, this piece, by Anne Simard, is devoré velvet.

The school is proud of the graduates it has produced in its more than twenty years, many of whom are employed by Cirque de Soleil, or who are working as independent artisans. You have likely seen some of their work at the annual Salon des Métiers d'Art.

We were treated to a glimpse of the students' working areas, located on the third floor of an old mattress factory, since converted into ateliers and small design-related business spaces. We were impressed with the enormous tables used for fabric printing, the many gigantic silkscreens, and the vast array of mysterious bottles of paints, dyes and potions. Smaller classrooms have been set aside for drafting tables, computers, and the "confection" of clothing.

As part of "en avril", the month-long event celebrating fibre in Quebec, the show continues until April 27, Tuesdays - Fridays from 1 - 4:30 p.m. It is located at 4710 Rue St.-Ambroise, in Montreal, not far from the St.-Henri metro station.

Log Cabin Exhibit

The Beaconsfield Quilters' Guild has an interesting exhibit of twenty or so log cabin quilts in the Media Room of the Beaconsfield Library, running until April 22.  Above is a detail shot of a quilt made by Suzanne Liddy. I love the square-within-a-square design, and I often gravitate to it in my own work.

The Guild will hold its annual show the first weekend of May. One of their special exhibits will focus on log cabin quilts. For more details, please go to their website, www.beaconsfieldquiltersguild.org.

new Hudson e-zine

Much energy around our little town of Hudson, with new initiatives to coordinate and promote our many cultural activities. Considering we number about 5000 residents, we have a surprising number of groups and individuals devoted to the production and promotion of the visual arts, theatre, music, film and literature, as well as history, gardening and crafts.

For a look at a new, English-language, on-line magazine, please go to http://artshudson.org

Hudson Artists show

I hope you will have a chance to visit this wonderful show. This local association numbers eighty members, about half of whom will be showing their work this spring. Michele Meredith and I both plan to have pieces on display.

Hudson Medi-Centre Gallery

For almost a year, I have been managing a showcase of local art at the Hudson Medi-Centre. One wall in the waiting room has been set aside for a rotating exhibit of work by local artists. Every two months, the display changes. The idea is a tribute to the memory of Rosemary Lombardi, who was an avid supporter of local artists. Rosemary's husband, Peter, was a driving force behind the new medi-centre building, as well as the general contractor. Patients and staff enjoy seeing the revolving display, and the artists appreciate the exposure.

This photo shows the oil paintings of Cork Winters, currently on display. Michele Meredith, Anne Pollard, Günther Mitsche, Tim Elliott and Kate Strickland have also had their work featured. The slot for September - November 2012 is presently unfilled, so please contact me if you're interested.