Alton Mills

About once a year my sister and sometimes our sister in law get together for a girls weekend. this year it was just my sister and I and I went to visit her over family weekend (yeah a 3 day weekend).I was really looking forward to it, my cancer treatment has kept me more or less house bound for the last nine months and it was great to get out of the house and out of town.

 

Alton Mills in the fall

 

Next to the dam

 

 

The old machinery

 

Saturday we went to a little village north of Toronto called Alton Mills. The old mill has been made into a group of galleries and artist studios.

 

Gallery space

 

I confess I did not take these picture, they actually come from the mills web site.  I had my camera and wished I'd used it for a couple of shots. Basically a lot was to hard to get to with all the snow.

 

After seeing all there was to see we went for a wonderful lunch at the local 3rd generation bakery called "Rays". One of the artists at the mill recommended it. I would do the same. Great food and they had a talented musician playing his guitar and singing, mostly Gordon Lightfoot songs. He even sounded and look a bit like Gordon. Ah, memories of youth. He did play  others as well such as Neil Diamond, etc. A lot of 60's/ 70's music. Great stuff.

 

I'm hoping to take a few friends back to the area come the nice weather. Lots to see including some great old houses, including some derelict places...great photo ops. Lots of inspiration for future work.

Friends

I've been on a campaign for buttons to use in a new project. Several friends have sent me some or have sent me in a new direction to find some. However, one of my Gallery 96 mates gave me a real treasure, his Grannies sewing box. I had buttons of course...from another era as well as an unusual needle threader, pin cushion, spindles etc. The box itself is priceless.

 

I think I am going to make a scroll/book out of the 2 spindles. Am still thinking on a piece to commemorate his Granny. Meanwhile another Gallery 96 friend didn't have buttons but gave me a bunch of bone beads from Kenya. He use to teach medicine in Nairobi for several years

 

 

How lucky am I ?

 

Meanwhile I am also involved in a surface design fabric swap. this is the first month of it and I have received these one so far. Top to bottom; reverse stencil print, rust dying and snow dying.

 

 

 

Meanwhile , my own work continues and as usuall I have a couple of things on the go. Here is some more embroidery for the "boro" jacket project. I've given myself  a deadline of the 2nd week in March. When, hopefully the weather starts to change into something warmer.

 

 I have also started building to figurative bases for some felting. One is a 1/2 torso for  the moss, ferns and toadstools of the forest. The full torso is for another coral reef. Here is how far I've gotten so far. the first one is cast from my old judy....when I used to be that slim (40 yrs ago). the second one is cast on the body of an actress/dancer that I know. Probably the only one willing to pose nude and get covered in coopy plaster.

 

Adding the head

 

 

6 layers of heavy brown paper

 

                                             Adding pumice gel and beads for texture

 

Front view, first coat of laytex and aersol stone paint

 

 

Back view

 

Final coat of paint and the beginning of felting next week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Embroidery

Well finally I can upload photos to my blog. I've been trying for days and the browse buttton never showed up. It gets so frustrating when things don't work. I'm so computer challenges I'm never sure what to do next.

 

Anyway, now that things are back to normal, I can show you a few pictures of what I've been working on. I decided my wardrobe was pretty bland. You know what happens, you get married, have kids and the time and money go elsewhere. So I've decided to make myself something out of what I have....lots of denim, denim shirts, pants, yardage. I've been inspired by the |Japanese "boro" jacket only I'm adding some embroidered patches featuring birds and bird relate images.

 

 

 

 

This one is still in progress. It's going to have some robins eggs in it when I get that far.

 

Boro jackets were a kimono styled garment made of patches of indigo fabric. Consequently the denim. I'm hoping I don't look like an aging hippie in this thing when I"m done. I figure I need about 12 pieces to spread throughout the other patches. I have 8 at the moment so I"m closing in on the objective. I'll post more pictures as I get further along.

 

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On a sad note, I learned this week that a blogger friend has suddenly lost her partner of 21 years. Gretel Parker is an illustrator and felter extrodinaire. Her soulmate Andy McCauley has passed away way too early in life. Friends have set up a fund to help her with her expenses. Please go to The Gretel Parker Project and donate if you can. I can't imagine being in her position right now.

More from the World of Threads

 

 

I have shown you my two pieces from The World of Threads Festival. Here are some more. I managed to make my opening and went again with friends to see alot of the work in Oakville. We didn't venture into Toronto. It was all I could do to visit all the sights in Oakville. Every time I got out of the car, I got dizzy. not sure if that is the chemo or what.

 

One of my favourite Canadian artist Alice Vander Veenen. I connect to her canoe imagery and like her use of mixed media

 

There were four tapestries by Peruvian weaver Maximo Laura. Spectacular pieces with alot of 3D elements.

Another favourite is Leisa Rich, a Canadian by birth but now living in the US.

 

This one was hysterical, an animated piece..she just kept knitting and knitting. By Liz Ashton

 

Etching and French Knots by Liz Menard

 

Felting by Majolein Dallinga. I love her pieces in her interview page for The World Of Threads Festival. Large pieces set in the woods.

 

The next two pieces are by Emily Jan, my choice is the delicate deer. The Rhino was made of old lace and doilies.

 

Another felter was Jodi Collea, she was the favourite my friend Christine.

 

There were  six locations in Oakville, so this is just a sampling. Looking forward to next year.

 As I continue my chemo I find myself living vicariously through others. In this case my sister just returned from a trip to India, where she met up with her husband who was coming from Africa. Wow, I can only imagine. She sent a few shots, my favourite one is the picture of parasols. I'm attracted to colour so you can see why I'm attracted to these photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

They made a stop at a jeweler's shop in Jaipur, can't imagine the weight of the piece my sister is wearing. Love to see them in the rest of the outfit.

 

 

 

Then for a change in scenery they returned to Canada and visited Dave's daughter and son in law in B.C. Here's a picture from Whistler. Talk about a switch.

 

 

Old Friends

On Monday of this week I had to deliver my pieces for The World of Threads Festival, which opens tomorrow night. Due to my chemo treatments a gracious friend drove me down and back. We decided to make a day of it and we made plans to have lunch with my sister and some old friends from college days. It was a boisterous group of six women, all very creative. As one friend said,"gee if we could harness all the creativeity at this table, WOW!"



Pat Hertzberg Fibre Artist



Linda Lundstrom Fashion Designer

Wendy Orr Fine Artist

 

 

 

We were also joined by my sister who is the Director of Urban Planning for the city of Mississuaga as well as our 2nd year pattern making teacher "Mrs. B". Really Margaret Broadhurst, but after another college friend  got only a B+, rather then his usual A, he started calling her Mrs. B+. It just got shortened to "Mrs. B" and I"ve never been able to call her anything else. A delightful warm and caring friend.

 

After lunch Pat gave us a tour of her studio space at the Living Arts Centre. She too has work in The Festival of Threads, which is how I managed to find her after so many years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The World of Threads Festival is opening on November 2nd ,in Oakville, Ontraio, Canada  and I have these two pieces in one of several exhibitions. I'm excited yet  humbled with the company I"m keeping.

 

 

 

"Sentinel" is a mixed media piece consisting of an old cage, branches, shoe lasts and a stuffed torso with drawings of birds on the coffee stained muslin. The head is fabric feathers over a clay head. And yes, there is a bird nest with eggs on the inside.

 

 

Guradian #2 is a birch bark corset sewn on industrial felt with organza and velvet trim. The bark came from my cottage in Haliburton where the beavers have felled trees for the small branches and left the rest to rot. So no trees were harmed on this project. I simply shook out the rotten insides, slit and soaked the bark.

 

 

 

An old friend from college days also has a piece in. This is Pat Hertzberg's portrait of Hazel McCallion, Mayor of Mississauga, Ontario. She is a fiesty 90+ lady who still straps on her skates in the wintertime. she also used to play women's hockey when she was young. Quite the character.

 

 

 

 

Now can someone explain to me why I can't centre this photo.