exhibitions

“sisters”
(egg tempera, prepared panel), 16” x20”.

The strength and magnitude of the Canadian landscape continues to stir the imagination, in the hearts of people who experience it. Recently returning to the place of my childhood and seeing it through the fresh eyes of these sisters who had just experienced this place for the first time, I was deeply moved by their expression of joy and the clapping game that they created while surrounded by the rocks, trees and water of Ragged Falls, Muskoka. These surroundings, so familiar to me when I was their age, are my source of inspiration and imagination. I use egg tempera, a medium which is built up in thin layers of paint on a gesso panel, prepared by hand, using marble chalk and gelatine. Through the contemplative process of making art in this way, I “ see my way through all things”.

“sea to sea”. 8”x 9”, 2019, (hand woven tapestry, silk, wool and cotton)

The longest border in the world passes through rivers, lakes, forests, mountains, towns and villages, from east to west, running like a ribbon from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. The border between Canada and the United States even runs through a house that is situated in both countries, on the border. Lines invisible to the eye cross land and waterways; invisible lines are also between race, politics, religion, economies and fear of the “other”.

American Astronaut/Photographer, Mark Kelly observed, “When I see the world from space, I am more aware of our common humanity; there are no borders and the world looks very fragile.”

The language of tapestry lends itself to the exploration of “interface”, as the place where two places or people meet, and where the borders are both visible and invisible.
The design process for this tapestry involved making line drawings of the Canada-US border from a 1924 map.The tapestry technique of weaving “hachure” through out the design was used to explore the concept “interface”, as it relates to this border; what happens when two colours meet and overlap? The colours of yellow, red and blue were mixed and used in this prepared improvisation.The line running through the tapestry, the actual border, is less visible but ever present. Lines and shapes, colours and textures float like clouds across the landscape, a reminder of our fragility and shared humanity.

Garden Songs: “Between Darkness and Light”

8” x 8” (hand woven tapestry, wool, silk, cotton, linen on cotton warp)

What is the feeling when we stand at the edge of a garden, a city, the border of a country?

It can be both exhilarating and frightening. Going beyond the edge once meant crossing the line, into the woods, at the edge of my house. Today, my tiny city garden, is a place for day dreaming and going beyond its’ border, more metaphorical than physical. It is more complex because as I observe the ever changing conditions between darkness and light, what is unknown and known, death and regeneration, I am always asking questions.

“Between Darkness and Light” was woven using an improvisational technique in which the bobbins are mixed and the weaving takes shape without preconceptions of what will become the finished work. Responding to immediate challenges, as the piece develops, my imagination takes over; with each new dynamic change, addition of colours and choices of tapestry vocabulary, I arrive ‘beyond the edge’; thoughts come to the surface.

“Many of the tapestry makers in this group have embraced risk-taking in their approach to composition and technique; they recognize the edge not as a boundary but as a place for exploration. For others in the exhibition the risk lies in the subject matter. The theme opens the door for provocative ideas that challenge the viewer to recognize and to participate in a conversation about issues and concerns that reflect our contemporary world.”
-JANE KIDD

“After the Rain”
122cm x 94cm
cotton warp, natural hand dyed wool and silk
woven tapestry (high warp)

“After the Rain” records a brief moment when I experienced the sun streaming through a stained glass window, creating dancing light spots on the floor. The light from the cathedral windows contrasted with the black iron work and cold stone walls. Overwhelming sadness was replaced by delight and joy.The piece developed over two years from a photograph to a painting and finally to a woven form. My own memories and emotions about the struggles of a shared humanity occupied my imagination.