I'm embarking one a new one-a-day year-long challenge, this time with a good friend. And this 365 day project doesn't have to be done outside. (In 2016 I did an daily ephemeral artwork project outside, everyday!) Each of us are fibre artists but we rarely work solely in embroidery. It's the type of challenge which... Continue Reading →
Coiled Basket Workshop Summer 2016
Location: Winnipeg Beach, Manitoba, Canada Register with Heidi Hunter at 204-389-4083. Here is the link to all summer classes at Runs With Scissors Studio in Winnipeg Beach, MB.
On Ceremonies, Cloth Bags and Grief
One of the most powerful moments of my mother's committal service was seeing my brother and sister-in-law placing her ashes into the ground. They knelt down on the grass beside the small hole. Gently her arm went all the way to the bottom of the soil floor, over a metre down, like a final caress. Families who are not... Continue Reading →
Sitting on the Edge of Patriarchy
"Say 'goodbye' to Patriarchy," said my husband as he passed me the captain's chair. 1977, a very special wedding gift from my parents. A suitably expensive Roxton maple dining room set; 4 chairs and a table. We have gathered around that table for the last 39 years. We still love the table. Whoever designed the... Continue Reading →
Coiled Basket Joy
I recently got the opportunity to teach coiled basketry at The Craft Bee, a monthly maker's night in London, ON. I really love teaching. The Craft Bee is held at the homey Soulshine Studio in Wortley Village. So much can be accomplished with just three colours. Rachel McGarry, of Urban Farm... Continue Reading →
Colour and Shape
“I found I could say things with colour and shapes that I couldn't say any other way — things I had no words for.” - Georgia O'Keeffe
365 Day Ephemeral Art Project 2016
I'm challenging myself in 2016 to produce an ephemeral art piece each day. So what is ephemeral art? It's a piece of art made on a walk with no tools and only what I find and then leave behind for others to find (or not). This came as a result of gazing around Instagram and... Continue Reading →
Where the Good Way Lies
“Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls." Jeremiah 6:16
God’s Nest of Creation
I've been weaving a series of coiled basket creations mounted on driftwood, which I call "Bird Nests". Recently someone purchased this one and sent me this beautiful story. Nests evoke all kinds of emotions and bring forth thoughts of birthing, creating, preparing, anticipating and incubating. This Christmas I am gifting one of your nests to... Continue Reading →
Grapevine Weaving
It all started with this. A huge grapevine choking a large tree on my property. I dragged it all down and this huge pile became art material! Find two trees far enough apart, but not too far. The weft comes first. Up to ladder height. Warp and weft. Yes, that is an old wooden chair... Continue Reading →
Nests in Trees
Dusk. The perfect time of day to see into the trees.
Machine-stitched Rag Basket Class – August 2015
A very enthusiastic group gathered on August 29th at Runs With Scissors Studio in Winnipeg Beach to learn how to make rag rope baskets. The first project is to learn the method by sewing a coaster. Then comes the basket and learning how to 'throw a pot' on your sewing machine. With lots of hard work... Continue Reading →
The Inner History of a Day
by John O’Donohue No one knew the name of this day; Born quietly from deepest night, It hid its face in light, Demanded nothing for itself, Opened out to offer each of us A field of brightness that traveled ahead, Providing in time, ground to hold our footsteps And the light of thought to show... Continue Reading →
Fibre Art Commission – “The Gospels”
I opened my email and waiting for me was correspondence entitled "Artist Request". It was from a dear friend I've known for years, Barbara Billey. "I would like to commission you to use your sacred artist gifts to create a faux Book of Gospels for my ordination. The Book of Gospels contains the four gospels, will be... Continue Reading →
Coiled Basket Workshop Summer 2015 Here is the link to all summer classes at Runs With Scissors Studio in Winnipeg Beach, MB.
Humming
A wonderful way to wake up is to hum to yourself before even getting out of bed. Humming is a simple vibrational pattern with profound effects. "Sound vibrations move and alter matter. The purpose of sound has primarily been known as a mode of communication, forewarning, or entertainment, but the true benefits of sound are... Continue Reading →
Art Making as Self Love
"As artists it takes courage to create when the world around us keeps saying that there are better things we could be doing with our time. There is often little recognition or money in being an artist, and yet I invite you to consider art-making and creativity an exuberant act of self-love. To say, “I... Continue Reading →
First Friday, May 1, Sarnia
Cultural walkabout. Dip in for some healing sounds.
Machine-stitched Rag Basket Class – March 2015
What fun today teaching machine-stitched rag basketry. Held at the new quilt shop in Wyoming, ON, Stitchaire. Starting off with learning the technique making a small coaster. Then learning how to turn the bowl, or throw a pot on a sewing machine. Sewn pottery. Thank you Laurie Johnson, owner of Stitcharie, for stepping in to... Continue Reading →
New Path Waiting
Discovering a new path is always exciting if not a little scary. I pulled into the parking lot at Lorne Henderson Conservation Area (#SCRCA) at the same time the park ranger was finishing her rounds. I started out on my normal walking route and then noticed fresh footsteps in the snow so I thought I'd... Continue Reading →