Heritage Artisans in Action: Fibre Art!

This weekend you will find me at the picturesque Avon River Heritage Society Museum which is housed along the banks of the glorious Avon River in Newport Landing. I'll be joined by fellow Fibre Artists Rose Marie MacDonald and Kim Ellis and together we will demonstrate our craft and hopefully share a few secrets!

Please join us Sunday June 30th from 10am - 5pm for this free event!

17 Belmont Road, Newport Landing, Nova Scotia

A Part of the Scenery

Home is where the ART is!

Over the River and Through the Woods

I'm happy to announce that I will be once again taking part in the Avon River Heritage Societies 'Great Little Art Show' in Newport Landing.

For their 15^th year, the ARHS is expanding the show's organization to include the Hants County Arts Council. We are thrilled to be working together and we've adopted a theme for this year’s show, “Home is where the ART is”.

The Great Little Art Show is a major attraction in the community and is a significant fundraiser for the Avon River Heritage Museum. It is known as the area’s flagship show fostering local art talent of all ages, right here at home. This year this will truly be the case with the début of our children’s art show, “The Great Little Youth Show” showcasing art from local youth under the age of 16, giving rise to a new generation of artists.

Newport Landing resident Jenny Mitson runs “Little Pumpkins” Daycare and is a pediatric nurse at the IWK. “I am so happy the museum is taking an opportunity to showcase local children's art work,” says Mitson. ”I feel very passionate about encouraging children to express themselves through art using what ever medium they choose allowing them to expose their individual uniqueness. Art is a huge self-esteem builder in a world that can be constricting for our children.”

The opening is Friday, April 26th, 7:00pm to 9:00pm with a wine and cheese reception and an opening presentation by Laurie Dalton.  

Laurie is the Director/Curator of the Acadia University Art Gallery and Adjunct Art Historian in the Department of History & Classics. Her curatorial work emphasizes the role of university galleries as part of the critical academic space of a university, bringing in exhibitions of both contemporary and historical work that promote visual literacy. Her research interests lie in Canadian visual culture, heritage and exhibition history, in particular how meaning is a process of display, didactics and audience exchange.

Viewing times throughout the weekend are:

Saturday, April 27th, 10am - 5:00pm

Sunday, April 28th, 11am - 3:00pm

For more information, contact Heather Desveaux, ARHS (902) 757-1933

www.avonriver.ca

Swooning over Winter!

So far 2013 has been keeping my hands incredibly busy! After the hectic holiday craft season and months of hooking trivets and cozies and felting hundreds of critters - I needed a break! 

You'd think I'd take on something that might be a little easier on my hands.... they had gotten a little angry after a few months of non-stop production... but no, I took on a few projects that required even more concentration and detailed handiwork. Oh well, that's my life!
 

Early in January I noticed that Swoon had put out a call to artists for a winter landscape themed group show and I decided to take on the challenge and create a snowy seascape. 

I'm happy to announce that my piece has been selected to appear along side the works of 40 other talented Nova Scotian artists. With an opening reception February 9th from 2-5pm, this show runs until March 2nd. 

For those unfamiliar with Swoon - Fine Art, Antiques & Fashion it is a commercial art gallery and antique shop located in a two-storey, 9-room Victorian farmhouse, just outside of Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Established in October, 2010, Swoon mainly features the work of professional Nova Scotia artists, craftspeople and designers.  

The gallery presents new solo and group shows monthly throughout the year. Media include painting, sculpture, ceramics, jewellery and textiles. Swoon also houses a fashion boutique, a folk art gallery and a gallery devoted to Nova Scotian Pottery. Antiques, collectibles and oddities are featured throughout, including a room with a large collection of vintage salt and pepper shakers - how exciting is that!

To top it all off they also have a pretty nifty website with an excellent online inventory. So if you happen to not be one of the lucky ones living in Nova Scotia - well not to worry - Swoon has it all right there to view online and will be posting images from Winterscene in the weeks following the opening. You can check it all out here at www.swoonfineart.com
or on their facebook page !

A Beary Merry Winter Market

A Beary Merry Christmas indeed! 

The best craft show is in the city is back! Voted best darn craft show in Halifax by readers of The Coast, the Halifax Crafters are back for their annual winter market. 

With over 80 crafters offering everything from jewellery to paper crafts to plush to pottery -there is a little bit of something for everyone!



This year's Crafters market is sponsored by CKDU, The Coast, Yelp, Lunenburg Makery and Luvly in Lunenburg. 

I will be there all weekend with a selection of Woodland Wool critters and some of my rug hookings. Come on by and say hello and perhaps adopt a critter of your own!

The show is from 10am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday at the Olympic Centre, 2304 Hunter Street in Halifax. 



There'll be lots of great gift ideas at every table and food vendors selling lunch and cupcakes and coffee - a great way to spend some time!

 

Going with the flow will bring you HERE!

You never know where life is going to lead, so I tend to just go with the flow and happily take on whatever comes my way. This seems to have worked for me so far in life bringing me many wonderful opportunities. Most recently I was delighted to have been offered the position of organizing all the upcoming art shows for the Bread Gallery in Brooklyn, Hants County.

A few years ago Joan and Mike McKenzie began building a dream. With a background in real estate Joan has always had a knack for seeing the potential in a building and her vision to create a space for fine art and fine baking to come together wasn’t unrealistic in the least.

Knowing that it’s best not to bite off more than you can chew, Joan and Mike began by opening their doors as an artisan bakery. Once they became comfortable in their new life running a bakery, they took the next step and opened an adjoining art gallery.


Now nearing it’s one year anniversary of showcasing local Nova Scotian artists, the Bread Gallery is ready for it’s next step forward and has asked me to become a part of the family and help out in keeping the memento flowing.

As you may know I have already organized two shows for the gallery, one last spring for the Hants County Arts Council and another this past summer for Flying Cloud Boutique.

This month I am thrilled to officially take on the role of organizer and I proudly invite you to join us this Saturday evening from 5 until 7pm as we celebrate the opening of Lara Martina’s HERE.

　
　
　
　

Nothing like a rainy day for a little hooking!

 

With the craft selling season quickly approaching I've been keeping my hands very busy making stock for shops, Halifax Crafters and the Acadia Christmas Craft Expo... while also trying to sneak in some time on a few more elaborate visual art pieces!

 

 

 I've been working on a few special wall hangings to show at the Hants County Arts Council's next group show taking place October 12th - 14th in Windsor. 

 

Sometimes I get so caught up in the planning of the event and keeping track of everyone else... I need to stop and remind myself to work on a few pieces to show too!

 

This piece is based off of a collage I did ages ago. The more time I spend working on it, the more the layers of a story seem to develop.

 

It's been a while since I took on such a detailed project as this one - here's hoping I can get it finished and framed in time for the opening on the 12th!

 

 

 

 



Sloths are just one of the types of wonderful Woodland Wool
critters you will see "hanging around" at my booth this season!


 



 

 

 

I've also been absolutely hooked on hooking and keep finding inspiration everywhere! This past weekend all I had to do was look up to my shelf of childhood toys and books and I was motivated to capture my favorite icon Barbie (and her beautiful bus!) in wool.  Today as I was prepping my application for the Halifax Crafters show I started to get a little nostalgic for my city. I've been thinking a lot lately about all the quaint little crowded houses and I wanted to pay tribute some how... so I've started a piece called "Sisters" to remind me of my former urban home.

 

 

 

 

 

There's nothing like hooking to the sound of rain!

 

 

 

 

 

 

In case you are in the neighbourhood during the Pumpkin Festival.... be sure to come and pay me and the wonderful folks from the HCAC a visit!