Thank you Loree Ovens

Between Heaven and Earth, dyed rayon laid on cotton and hand stitched  by Judy Martin

Thank you Loree Ovens for organizing the Evolve exhibition that was installed in the Propeller Gallery from September 14 - October 2, 2022.  

It was nice to spend time with you, Loree, on the closing day of the exhibition, October 2 when we were both there for the entire time, (1 until 5:30).   

Thank you also for doing the installation of my work on September 12.   

The first thing I saw from the street was my bundle sculpture,

 "in my arms humble" , displayed on a plinth, leaning on the wall.

in my arms humble, wrapped and stitched silk, the size of a 2 month baby by Judy Martin

Thank you for receiving my three pieces in August and keeping them safe until the installation time.   

New Growth, acrylic, ink on heritage washi paper by Loree Ovens

I liked how right from the beginning  (late January 2022) you told us that we each would be given 8 feet of display space and that although the work didn't have to be new, it should reflect our endurance as artists through the pandemic.

Thanks also to your partner T C, who designed the invitation.  I printed some up and mailed them to my southern Ontario artist friends.   

I was glad to see my piece Turning Forever To The Heart hung near the entrance, next to your paintings on Japanese paper. 

Do you remember how I wrote about your work on this blog in 2015, Loree?  Click here if you'd like to read that post.

Turning Forever To the Heart, stitched taffeta by Judy Martin

Propeller is a co-operative art gallery located in the Queen West district of Toronto.

You, Loree Ovens, are an artist member.  Thank you for inviting me and the other non-members to be part of this exhibition.  

Chung-Im and Eva in front of skeleton v2 by Chung-Im

Also, thank you for leading the discussion about the title of the exhibition and the statement for the website.    

Evolve is a glimpse into the world of six resilient female artists who continue to show ingenuity and strength through their practice.  To evolve is to constantly learn, adapt and take on challenges.  Resolutions are found, perfected and the evolution continues.  Artists include Eva Ennist, Chung-Im Kim, Judy Martin, Liz Menard, Loree Ovens and Saskia Wassing.

skeleton v2 (detail) screen printed industrial felt, hand stitched by Chung-Im Kim

Chung-Im Kim and I have been curated into an exhibition before when Sandra Reford created a show of Canadian textile artists and took it to the Carrefour in France in 2012.  I wrote about that exhibition on this blog when Tradition in Transition showed in Oakville, Ontario. Sandra came to see Evolve on October 2.    

Chung-Im Kim's work in sculptural felt is fabulous.  It's fun to see how I wrote about both Chung-Im Kim's and Eva Ennist's work in 2015 when it was on exhibition with other Ontario College of Art and Design professors at the Craft Council gallery.  Click here.

Shelter series, A Sure Instinct 3, 2, and 1, encaustic and mixed media by Eva Ennist

Eva Ennist was also at the Propeller gallery on October 2 and it was great to finally meet her.  I wrote about her Nesting sculptures at the 2018 World of Threads on Judy's Journal.   

I was charmed by Liz Menard's etchings of wild plants on eco printed paper.  Those and her small pinch pots grounded the back wall of the gallery.  

On Purple Loosestrife, etching on artist made purple loosestrife paper with embroidery and pastel by Liz Menard

Two of Menard's pieces had remarkable French knot embroidery.  Thanks Loree for telling me that the paper itself was made from loosestrife fibres which was then etched and embroidered.  

It was nice to meet Saskia Wassing on Sunday.  We talked about our fine art degrees in Embroidery from UK universities.  Her degree was in Embroidered and Woven Textiles from the Glasgow School of Art and mine was Embroidered Textiles from Middlesex.  Embroidery has as much respect as painting does in the United Kingdom.

Stitched Stories, embroidered and applique silk by Saskia Wassing

I appreciated visiting with many friends and colleagues on October 2.  David Kaye came and that was especially wonderful.  So many of us miss the David Kaye gallery which closed in early 2019.  David continues to keep his website entitled David Kaye Projects live.  Past exhibitions and artists' work are on the site.  You can find Eva, Chung-Im, Loree and Judy (moi) on his site. 

Between Heaven and Earth, rayon laid over cotton and hand stitched by Judy Martin

Loree, there are a lot of links in this post and I hope that is OK.  I will provide two more.  Your personal website,  Loree Ovens and my own,  Judy Martin.

The Evolve exhibition has come down from the walls now, but it continues online until November 13.   Read the artist statements and see close ups of each piece at this link. If you scroll to the bottom there is a video and an online catalogue (downloadable)

Thank you, friends, who came to Propeller on Sunday Oct 2 to see the show and to visit me.  I treasure the selfies of us that I took.  

I get emotional

My Light Green Heart by Judy Martin and Gourd (hulu) series by Lin Xu
at the Quest:Innovation 19 exhibition in Midland Ontario  

Help Me To Balance 2018 by Judy Martin (detail) upcycled flannel blanket and cotton hand towel

I went to two openings this month.  

Both of the exhibitions were juried fine craft, not just textiles.

Three Chairs made in 2018 by Amanda McCavour from thread and Bone 2017 by Wanxing (Samson) Wang (furniture) 

Last night I was at the Housewarming exhibition at Craft Ontario gallery in Toronto.
My flannel quilt Fields of Brown Grass was juried in.  Ned had a meeting the next day, so I came down with him and we both went to the opening.

Recipe Cards 2018 by Elycia SFA   handwoven silk linen with sewing thread inlay (group of 7)

Recipe Card 2018 by Elycia SFA handwoven silk linen with sewing thead inlay (from group of  7)

 

These two pieces are by Holly Fedida and Christopher Mendoza and the title of both quilts is
Interminable Fields (I am with you) made in 2018.  Painted, embroidered and pieced fabric quilts.
They were awarded a Design award from Design Toronto.

I am posting images of just the textile work in this show.
When people are at openings they look at the work a little bit, but mostly they meet up with other people that they already know and catch up.  I knew a  few people and talked to them.

Be Careful Where You Step  2018 by Vanessa Dion Fletcher   Trampa Mat and porcupine quills

Fields of Brown Grass 2018  by judy martin plant-eyed flannel and cotton, stitched with red thread

The other opening that I attended was in Midland, Ontario on January 11.
My daughter April is working in Toronto this winter in the ceramics studio at Harbourfront, and I asked her if she would meet me in Midland (2 hours north of Toronto) and she said yes.    Images are of ceramic and textile pieces in the Quest Art School and Gallery's juried show.

Gourd (hulu) series  2018 by Lin Xu from Brandon Manitoba, from local clay

Pillow 2017 by Lin Xu, woodfired Japanese clay started in Japan and completed in Brandon Manitoba, with bone beads and rachis from feathers

Maria DeGraff mixed textiles and thread by Fuzzy Mall

Inheritance by Charlene Colette   Hooked Kraft paper and projected image

We Talk About That Storm But The Ice Was Beautiful, 2018 by Victoria Carley, pieced mixed fabrics

 

The next day January 12, there was a symposium.  Susan Low-Beer was one of the panelists and also offered a hands-on workshop that April and I took part in.  That was fun.  Collaborative tea-pots that the class made in 12 or so  minutes shown below.

About last night.
David Kaye and I had arranged to meet at the Craft Ontario exhibition as his gallery is just around the corner and I needed to pick up my work.  I am so sad that David is closing his gallery.  He made the difficult decision in December, and Toronto will not be the same for me without that beautiful gallery.  I got so hot at the Housewarming reception and needed to leave so Ned and I just went to David's and knocked on his door.  He was there, packing up.  As soon as I stepped in, I started to cry.

patchwork by Susan Low-Beer

Why did I cry?
I don't know.  All the packed up boxes and wrapped textiles.  David in his denim shirt.  Realizing that I do not know the art community of Toronto.  My aching body that had stood and chatted for more than an hour.
.
Ned put my work in the car.
We also put the above sculpture, Patchwork, by Susan Low-Beer into the car as well.
I had admired it at David Kaye's during my show there in October 2017.
Now I give it to myself.  I deserve it.

My Light Green Heart 2017 by Judy Martin

 I get so emotional when my work is out there mingling with others.    

I spill, I overflow

I am large and empty and naïve and beautiful and raw and nowhere and everywhere and as if I am dreaming all the time.  I visited my kids in Toronto last week.

 Above bird drawings are collaborations by grand daughter Aili and grand mom Judy

I also saw some art.
The bird sculpture above and the wire wall piece below are by Kai Chan.
Showing now at the David Kaye gallery in Toronto until December 23, 2018

 The wire sculpture is entitled 'The tragic Venture of an Ant in my Bathtub 2018'

Maia, who will be 2 years in January, made the circle drawing above.
The barns are between Spring Bay and Gore Gay on Manitoulin Island

I live on Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron, Ontario, one of the largest islands in a freshwater lake in the world.

I have lived my entire life in northern or north western Ontario and its rural emptiness is held in the work I make.  We raised our children here
The two grand daughters and their art live in Toronto. 

I was in Toronto last week.  Now I am home,
The final two images in this post are wall sculptures by Kai Chan
Above:  In the Early Morning: The Lake
Below:  'the artist as a young man'

I am an ocean in a bowl

I spill 

Overflow

There is too much of me and at the same time there is not enough

I am dreaming and mindless at the same time

I am here and there

nowhere and everywhere

I am

I am

                                                                    I am still more                                                                       

 Jim Morrison

Barbara Klunder

Trojan Horse (detail) by Barbara Klunder 2018  linen with cotton and silk thread 

The text and images in this post are by Barbara Klunder about Gwendolyn MacEwen, Toronto poet (1941 - 1987)

Trojan Horse (detail) by Barbara Klunder 2018  linen with cotton and silk thread 

Gwendolyn MacEwen grew up near the junction area of the city and then lived on the Toronto Islands during the early 60's.  She and Margaret Atwood were close friends during that time. 

The Trojan Horse was the name of a coffeehouse that she and her second husband, Greek musician Niko Tsingos, opened for a few years on the Danforth in 1972.

Trojan Horse 2018 by Barbara Klunder   linen with cotton and silk thread  47 x 67.5 inches

Her poetry is full of longing

for Egypt,
for deep love

Trojan Horse (detail) 2018  by Barbara Klunder  linen with cotton and silk threads

for understanding,

and I wanted to make something for her.

Death is a Snake (detail) 2018 by Barbara Klunder

I used many images that were built inside her poems
as she wrote to explain her desires

her dreams,
her hopes

and her betrayals.

Death is a Snake 2018 by Barbara Klunder    linen with cotton and silk thread  59 x 34.5 inches

She would symbolize her love in many ways.

As lions,

Death is a Snake (detail) by Barbara Klunder

as storms,
as tigers,
as birds,
as magic.

Death is a Snake (detail) 2018 by Barbara Klunder  linen with cotton and silk threads

Everything that is in my embroideries
is based on her poems

Cape for Gwendolyn 2018 by Barbara Klunder hand embroidered velvet  

The exhibition Barbara Klunder: Tattoos for Gwendolyn MacEwen remains on view at the David Kaye Gallery until April 29, 2018

cape for Gwendolyn (detail) 2018 by Barbara Klunder

the red bird you wait for

you are waiting for someone to confirm it
you are waiting for someone to say it plain
now we are here and because we are short of time
I will say, I might even speak its name

it is moving above me, it is burning my heart red
I have felt it crash through my flesh
I have spoken to it in a foreign tongue
I have stroked its neck in the night like a wish

its name is the name you have buried in your blood
its shape is a gorgeous cast off velvet cape
its eyes are the eyes of your most forbidden lover
and its claws, I tell you its claws are gloved in fire

you are waiting to hear its name spoken
you have asked me a thousand times to speak it
you who have hidden it, cast it off, killed it
loved it to death and sung your songs over it

the red bird you wait for falls with giant wings
a velvet cape whose royal colour calls us kings
is the form it takes as, uninvited, it descends
it is the power and the glory forever, amen

Gwendolyn MacEwen