The Power of X - 2

And even more amazing was how they made the previous post's video...

Check that out here, because now you can see how many bodies were used - fascinating!

The Power of X

I just love this video posted by TedTalks (specifically the xSummit) which celebrates dance and the human form.

The music is by Yasmine Hamdan and more can be learned about her here.

It is mesmerizing to watch - enjoy:

The evening after...

Long busy day talking and selling art at the Calyx sale in Calgary. Had lots of people interested in textile art wanting to talk about techniques... and had lots of customers willing to buy... It was a great day and now I get to spend the rest of it with  my feet up watching my backlog of PVR'ed show on the TV. Big happy sigh... and a couple of weeks to catch up to do it all again, next time in Edmonton.

More to sell... 2

I will also have some small pieces of wall art that incorporate embossed copper metal or aluminum metal, hand and machine stitched onto decorative backgrounds.

Two are based upon Celtic Runes. They are small treasures mounted on 6" x 6" canvas frames that are 1 1/2" deep - so meant to stand on a bookshelf.

This first one has just sold.

 

Then I have three that are floral. They are all mounted upon 12" x 12" canvas frames, but wired on the back for hanging.

Bamboo

 

Glimpse of Poppy - on linen background.

Plus I will have the pieces that were exhibited in Banff over Christmas at the Whyte Museum. There are four based upon Burgess Shale site found on Mount Stephen by Field BC. My artist statement for those reads:

"The fossils contained in the Burgess Shale, which detail the incredible array of life in the early Cambrian period, have amazed the world with their detail and diversity since their discovery in 1909. Concealed in compacted mud, muscles, gills and other soft body parts are revealed along with bones, teeth and shell, exposing the mysteries of the beginning of the Cambrian era.  These pieces attempt to convey the richness of the layers of life found there."

Preserved Impression - "Burgessochaeta"

Preserved Impression - "Gogia"

And the Mountain Pine Beetle invasion that man countered with by burning large swatches of forest in the Rocky Mountains. My artist statement for these five pieces reads:

The charred remains of pine trees that are visible throughout the Rocky Mountains are signs of man’s attempt to control the spread of the destruction caused by the Mountain Pine Beetle. Cross-sections of the growth rings of these burnt remains echo the shapes of the original scribbling of maps that early explorers used to navigate the Rockies. With no roads, natives travelled along animal trails, and when the white man arrived, their native guides jotted jagged lines onto paper to direct them.

Guide Me Through The Dark Unknown 1

Guide Me Through The Dark Unknown 3

The Calgary Calyx sale is tomorrow - Saturday April 21st - and the Edmonton sale is Saturday May 5th. I am finishing up labelling and tagging. Still busy....

Contact me if you are interested in any of the goodies on the previous posts...

More to sell at Calyx... 1

I do have other things than the brooches - I am just really excited by them!

Some of the brooches I have mounted into 4" x 6" tabletop frames with stitched backgrounds...

I will also have silk scarves -> some silk chiffon; some silk-rayon devore (patterns burnt into the fabric); silk velvet; and some eco dyed ones (the very few I have left from last summer's dyeing - raspberries!)

I also have a new line of 100% cotton scarves that fit into the "Deconstructed... Upcycled" category, made from thrift store finds of cotton flannel men's shirts.

Contact me if you are interested in any of the goodies on the previous posts...

Red - Blue 3

And more brooches made from my handmade fabrics...

Red - Blue 2

Here are some more of the brooches made from my handmade fabric...

The two with free machine embroidery (#1 and #3) have a purple metallic thread that doesn't show up very well in the photos.

Red - Blue 1

Another set of brooches I have made are from fabric that I create by melting various synthetics together - chiffon, tulle, metallics... then embellishing with machine stitching, beads and charms. They are then backed with leather and signed.

Here are some of them...
Again, 2" by 4" in any one direction.

"Deconstructed... Up-cycled" 5

Here are more of my new line of brooches... All of this hand stitching took me the whole month of February!

Made out of 100% cashmere wool and extra-fine Merino wool with lots of hand embellishments.
Contact me if you're interested!

"Deconstructed... Up-cycled" 4

Here are more of my new line of brooches...

Made out of 100% cashmere wool and extra-fine Merino wool with lots of hand embellishments.
Contact me if you're interested!

"Deconstructed... Up-cycled" 3

Here are more of my new line of brooches...

Made out of 100% cashmere wool and extra-fine Merino wool with lots of hand embellishments.
Contact me if you're interested!


yeah!
first one sold!!
--->

"Deconstructed... Up-cycled" 2

Here are more of my new line of brooches...

Made out of 100% cashmere wool and extra-fine Merino wool with lots of hand embellishments.
Contact me if you're interested!

Goodies for Calyx

So what have I been working on for the past three months???
Creating new goodies for the Calyx sale!

One major item is a new line of brooches (I try to create a new one every year or two). This time my theme is "Deconstructed... Up-cycled".

Deconstructed is defined as "To break down into components; to dismantle."

Whereas up-cycled is defined as "to reuse an object or materials to create a product of higher value or quality than the original object or materials."

So what was my source? 100% cashmere wool sweaters and extra fine Merino wool sweaters brought from local thrift stores... in as many colours as I could find - although I did stay with a natural theme of browns and greens.

Like quilting, I started with a big piece, cut it into lots of small pieces, and reassembled it into various patterns. After making a background, I then embellished the small pieces with hand stitching, beading, charms and/or buttons. The pin is then backed with leather and signed.

Here are some. They average 2 to 4 inches in any one direction.
Hope you like them... (let me know!)
and there's more...