take hold of each day and live it

It's very quiet here all of a sudden.
They've left.
Thanks to the members of our family that made long trips in winter weather to be with us. Safe travel home.

Canadian Craft Federation

I am pleased by J Penney Burton's interpretation of my work in her article for the Canadian Crafts Federation. She says: "The wall quilts of Judy Martin demonstrate many surface design techniques. In Moisture and Greenness, she combines many quilting patterns to form a cohesive yet non-traditional whole. This work could be seen as an environmental call to arms, referencing windmills, alternative sources of power, extreme weather, and the potential water crisis. These elements exude the peace and fragility of the earth, all shown under cover of the night sky." You can read her entire article about Canadian Textile artists or a wider variety of articles on the 2007 year of craft on the CCF website.

Opus Assessment

Pictured is an amulet made from recycled material. It fits secretly into one's hand while in a coat pocket. It's part of the "cultural stitch" work I sent to England earlier this fall. Today I received email assessments.

This from my tutor, Joan Richardson: " Judy, the diversity of your research has produced many areas for potential further study; not all can be explored within this module but will be a valuable resource for future work. You have devoted time and thought to acquire any new information necessary to move the research on creatively. Move on with confidence, many steps have been taken on your personal creative journey – be brave and enjoy the next stage!"

And from the team of assessors: "The team encourage you to widen your research base and be more experimental with materials. Challenge yourself and take real risks Judy. Now is the time to be brave and reflective."

art is when one plus one equals seventy two

I enjoy reading the interviews by Robert Enright in Border Crossings magazine. His thoughtful questions to a wide variety of artists over the years has provided me with much to ponder. For instance, I love this insight by photographer Laura Letinsky in issue 99 in response to his comment "You wouldn't think the elements you put together could add up to such elegance and formal beauty."

"I think that art is alchemical if it is good. I think that not good art is not alchemical. One of the key tests for whether art is good is one plus one equaling 72. It isn't about putting this thing with this thing: It's not like making a sandwich. It's that you make it and it turns into a 4-layer truffle cake."