Happy New Year

Dreamweaver the missing manual (for CS5 from out of the Calgary Public Library) is 1074 pages of information, tutorials, hints and even some extra advice for those who are experienced in all of this.
So that would be 11 days at 100 pages a day.  I have had it since Tuesday night and am on page 109
Don't expect to hear from me for at least a year!

Art around the city

We were thrilled to see an artist (Mary-Leigh Doyle) at work en plein air.  What could be more wonderful -  just at the Elbow Drive, Glenmore Trail junction... which I drive by every day (school run).  So we will have happy memories of chatting with the artist as she, firstly, prepared the background and then made it come alive with her everyday scene?!? of shoeing magpies.
Like my daughter Mary-Leigh loves puns... Hope you get them.

This isn't to say that we wont miss the ghosts that used to make random visits to this area... indeed, at this very spot, some months ago.  I am sure they will have gone to better place.

And what of my progress re-website?  Well, I find that a combination of some knowledge of Photoshop + my age, such that I do remember some code ( from typing up my thesis in one of the first versions of word processing ), put me in a good position on the exponential learning curve for Dreamweaver..... though still on the uphill and struggling part...

Thanks to all who messaged me advice.  I'm really encouraged, thanks.

Iran do Espirito Santo - Wall Drawings

Whilst on a visit to ACAD this morning I dipped into the work of Iran do Espirito Santo  at the Illingworth Kerr Gallery.
Below are a few images of some of the 7 large pieces on show.

Tape 2007/2011 latex on wall

Is is the result of a month long residency at ACAD and involves precise drafting, drawing and painting of latex, acrylic and marker on wall.
What a timely opportunity for me to visit 4000 square foot of line and mark since I am currently devoting some of my time to practicing and investigating design principles once more.

I found it v. amusing to see the ripped off edge on one piece of 'tape'  After many hours of using this nasty plastic for my packing boxes I know these shapes only too well.  The stunning feature is that it isn't plastic tape at all but rubber.

Fence 2007/2011 Permanent marker on wall.
Was rather disorientating for me - perhaps the interplay of the light and my vari-focals! was this the exact effect the artist wanted.  It appears that the fence is suspended some distance from the wall.

 Such brilliant variation in line... you could feel the bends in the wire.

A piece of ebony - probably a veneer leant up against a wall?
No, "A large square in black is carefully etched in minute detail, suggesting a faux ebony wood grain"  wrote Wayne Baerwaldt, Director/Curator, Exhibitions

 Detail of line...

Pieces are at times humorous, intriguing, illuminating or disorientating.  But always very fine.  "His work aims to critically engage or unhinge high modernist ideas associated with "progressive" architecture and design."  This from the documentation accompanying the exhibition... along with "Wit and paradox" So if you are interested in these things... what a great place to visit.

And what of my meeting at ACAD with the Extended Studies team?  Very positive I would say, very positive.

Web site for ioftheneedle - revisited

Thanks heavens I didn't go down the iweb route.  That is being discontinued with no replacement.  Thank you... v. much Apple.
So what else is there out there for a web developer newbie...
Saw  Susan Sorrells simple and lovely looking website....  powered by wix... but that works in Flash which wont load on some mobile devices... iphone/ipad unless I develop a mobile version of my website too.  What about Realweaver then?  Well, as a beginner I would probably work it more like a blog using their own themes... and that might cause some problems later if I discover I want it to do something and the theme I chose doesn't allow for such modifications.
Hmmm... is this a case of a little knowledge is a dangerous thing?  It is certainly out of my comfort zone.  But I am the sort to rise to a challenge.
Better get some more knowledge... Spent a happy hour in the library reading about Dreamweaver... or was it dreaming about Reed-Weaving...
Do I really want to spend precious arty time learning about web development when I could be weaving reeds.
As they say in Lancashire "Think on."

Off to ACAD this morning to discuss possibilities for future collaboration to bring in more visiting artists... Here's to wishing and dream-weaving.

Norwegian art in a Triangle

Friend and I went to Triangle Gallery to see Construction - an exhibition of Norwegian works of art (all textiles by the way) and here are some of the works...  Details of their titles, makers and construction can be found at the link above, as well as more photos.

 Inger Blix Kvammen -  A necklace of crochet silver wire

Inger Johanne Rasmussen – Magnetic House hand stitched patchwork

Lillian Dahle – Star Grille - Note the use of eggshell as lining to this wonderful bowl made of stained cherry wood (if I remember correctly) and egg-shell

  Anne-Gry Loland - beautiful "Rose 2"  a hanging of deconstructed fabrics created by use of devore

 Side view to show layering and wonderful shadows.

 Black Meadow by Astrid Lovaas and Kirsten Wagle

Lars Sture "Untitled No 1, No 2 and No 3".  1999 - 2000.  Embroidered and painted wood. 

 Reminiscent of Hardanger and Omani silver embroidery on leather.

  Inger Blix Kvammen

 Anne Lene Lovhaug 

  Marit Helen Akslen - "White Dress" (is made entirely of shirt collars buttoned together)

Havard Larsen "Garri" birch burl with reindeer antler

Kristin Saeterdal "Seen Through Tears No 10 , No 11. Stunning weavings of spelsau sheep wool on linen.

All images taken with permission (Catalogue available from Triangle Gallery).

Friend with Marianne Moe's "Anorak Bag and Salmon Bag.
This was a great exhibition,  thanks to Triangle Gallery for continuing to support fibre arts when so few galleries in Alberta and elsewhere are prepared to do so.  This is certainly one exhibition I would recommend.

Unfinished Tales.

Thanks to the group for making the workshop a great environment for stepping into the unknown.

Credit is not given to any of the artists (forgive me)  - You know who you are!

My apologies for not showing something from everyone, not all my shots were worthy representations of your pieces.  Hopefully I will be given another opportunity to photograph them when they are exhibited.

 Experiment with the background

 Wrap, paint, collage

 The three dimensional line.  A skeleton for its flesh.

 Works below demonstrates where arrangement results in excellent design.

 (Two images from the students' workshop)

 And back to ours -

  Elements can be fixed....Or loosely jointed to allow for articulation

 The maker wishes to add sound to the piece below

Where a background helps tell the story and transitions (excuse use of poor English) into the piece

 A skin, snare and lovely piece

 Thanks again everyone

Short and Sweet - the visit of Michael Brennand-Wood

You know how it is when you know you ought to do something but actually you want to do something else.  I know I ought to wax lyrical about the past week.  But I think I will limit myself to a few short comments.

I want, at this point to thank Maiwa who collaborated with Kreative Momentum and ACAD in bringing Michael Brennand-wood over from England for the events this September.  Thanks to everyone who helped set this up and make it run so smoothly.

It has been quite a vacation from hands-on work for me.  It was v. helpful having someone (who doesn't know you) listen and watch and then comment.  I have had a mega - tutorial from an expert.  Aren't I the lucky one?  Thank you so much Michael. (How many more citations can I give you from this blog?)

Apart from the jaw-dropping lecture - 90 minutes of intense barrage of imagery, explanation and ideas, (See the Maiwa write up for more on something very similar that happened just two days previously in Vancouver!) and the intense experience of a day long workshop 'Random Precision' there were many hours of chat that have produced quite a bundle of fresh ideas, directions and rethinks of old ones for me. I know it is just what I needed to help prolong the buzz after the event.  Unfortunately, in many ways, I now move into a weekend and can't keep going on this....  but I am not taking anything with me to Kananaskis except my sketchbook and pencils! So, hopefully I wont stall.

I have many action points - I wont bore you with them, they are de-briefed into my notebook and I have started to work with them already.

This blog is, however, an ideal location in which to talk - so I will mention the establishment of an Open Community of Fibre and Mixed-Media Artists in the vicinity of Calgary.

If you would like to be part of this network please contact me.... ioftheneedle@me.com to have your email address added to the list.  We will then send out notifications of upcoming workshops in and around Calgary Alberta, lectures and events so that more artists can share in these activities.  It does seem a shame to bring a visiting artist over from one country or province to have them work with only a dozen people when they are willing to carry out several workshops/ lectures tutorials etc. for many more artist who are thirsty to drink in their expertise and feel high and dry if they don't hear of the event in time to fill one of 10 precious slots.  If you live in this area and have read this far then - this is for YOU.
If you would like to participate, study, teach or exhibit please let me know.




Now, here are some images (with no write up - sorry) of Contextural's end of residency show "Collaboration" at ACAD Sept. 2011.

For more images click here
If any of the participating artists see this and want to add documentation to their works please forward the text to me.  I will be happy to add web/blog info and details of construction/meaning etc.  I am delegating you see.