Happy Birthday To Me!

Welcome to my brand new website, an incredible birthday gift from my computer genius son, Nate. We’ve been talking for some time now about creating a virtual space to showcase my artwork but it just seemed as though time was against us. Today actually is my birthday and I just got off the phone with Nate (he is out on Vancouver Island and I’m here on the Saskatchewan prairie), and after singing Happy Birthday to me he told me to check out my new site and gave me a brief tutorial on navigating my website and creating my own blog. How awesome is that!

Each year on my birthday I work on a gift to myself – a self portrait. This year’s piece is a three dimensional figure that has been lurking in the shadows of my mind for some months and today is the beginning of her creation. For the past four years I’ve made two dimensional portraits in the form of art quilts and have found that very satisfying. This move into a 3D figure is unusual for me but exciting and the prospect of actually blocking off time to create something was thrilling. So, although I’d like to stay and chat… I’m off to create.  Keep checking in for updates on new artwork, including my self portrait, and information on upcoming exhibits and events.

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Ancient Artifacts

8.5” x 15.5”

This one-of-a-kind wall hanging began as an experimental project, intended for use as samples. During the construction process it became more and more elaborate with handwork, beading, and personal attachments. By keeping the colour scheme neutral, the emphasis lies in the textures and details, and evokes the imagery of an ancient Greek island.

Various textiles, papers, metal, found objects, glass and fabric beads, hand and machine embroidery.

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Self Portrait: Shattered

8.5” x 11”

Commercial cottons, glass beads, found objects and broken glass, fused appliqué, hand and machine embroidery.

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Inspiration

10.5” x 9”

Commercial and hand-dyed fabrics, copper mesh, glass and fabric beads, hand and machine embroidery.

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The Devil is in the Details

16” x 15.5”

Commercial and hand-dyed cottons, synthetic fabrics, hand embroidery and beading, machine quilted.

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Summer Storm

17.5” x 19”

In August, 2007 I was humbled by the immense power and beauty of a summer storm. The prairie sky, whipped dry by the unrelenting winds, cracked like an eggshell and released its brief fury onto the parched landscape. As dust and brittle twigs swelled like sponges I tilted back my head and allowed the delicate balance of nature to revitalize my own dried spirit.

Hand-dyed cottons and threads, machine pieced, hand quilted.

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Left of Center

Left of Center

There once was a square peg

suspended in a vision

of vivid coloured dreams

searching for anything

that was not a round,

black hole in the universe.

Her discoveries were unexpected

and just

a little off center.

Hand-dyed cotton fabrics and threads by the artist, hand and machine quilting.

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Motherhood

39” x 39”

This quilt was made for the Heritage Park Annual Quilt Festival Challenge 2007, held in Calgary every spring. Each year the entries must be designed around a pre-selected challenge fabric, and this year’s fabric was the stripe that I incorporated into my borders.

I was inspired by the African mood of the stripe and upon recently hearing about the Oprah Winfrey Leadership School for Girls in South Africa. By keeping my artwork simple I could clearly depict the universal symbol of mother and child surrounded by a global village, represented by the various authentic African fabrics.

Commercial cottons and batiks, authentic African fabrics, hand appliqué, hand and machine quilting, beading.

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Sakura

12” x 12”

Based on the book “Hitching Rides With Buddha” by Will Ferguson, in which a young English teacher working in Japan hitchhikes from the southernmost tip of Japan to the north, following the cherry blossom season as it moves across the country. “There are no straight journeys in life because all journeys are essentially circles. You may set out to leave your SELF behind, but in the end you always come back to it…”                                                                                                            Hand-dyed and hand painted cottons, commercial batiks, silk ribbon, glass beads, hand appliqué, hand embroidery, machine quilting.

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Self Portrait: The Inner Child

9” x 11.5”

Commercial cottons, photo transfer, hand embroidery, and machine quilting

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Self Portrait: Dreaming

9.5” x 11.5”

Commercial batik cottons, hand embroidery and beading, and machine quilting.

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Blue Winter

40” x 27”

Commercial cottons and batiks, fused appliqué, machine pieced and quilted.

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