Seeds. I'm in!

I'm in! : ), a photo by My Sweet Prairie - Monika Kinner on Flickr.

Seeds: An exhibition featuring the work of emerging Fine Craft Artisans in Saskatchewan opens January 13 until February 26, 2012 at the Affinity Gallery of the Saskatchewan Craft Council on Broadway in Saskatoon. Curated by Stephanie Canning.

Whooopeeee!! : ) My 'A Prairie Dress' and the accompanying shoes I made will be on display there along with a dozen other artists' work. The gallery is open daily from 1 to 5 pm.  The reception will be held on Friday, January 20th from 7 to 9 pm. You can bet that I will be there with bells on!!

Workin' on It!

Sorry the posts have been slow.  My kids have had four days off and we've been playing, playing, playing.  What a great start to winter.  When my husband has been home, I've been making trips back and forth getting matts & frames.  What a LOT of work it is preparing your own art.  I used to complain that framing was so expensive.  Right now, paying someone else to do it would be worth every penny.  I'm pretty happy with the selection I've collected so far.  These photos are a bit dark as the nights come early now!

First I clean up the loose threads, and then I satin stitch the open edges to the canvas underneath.

finishing Flourish, on of my favorites.

As much as I love variegated thread, I find solids work best here.  Otherwise, you get stripes of repeating colors.  The right solid seems to blend way better.  Trust me.  Learn from my mistakes.  ; )

This time around, I am making a variety of sizes and a variety of frame styles.  Last show, I had one uniform style.  So far so good - I am liking the variety.  Here are some lying on top of matting & frames as a simple way of auditioning to find a good match.

Winter Comes at Night looks simple and striking in a minimalist square frame

I like the drama with that last small piece when it is laid on the stark & deep white matting.  The frame is a deep dark brown with undertones of orange the really make the deep indigo POP.

Bloom II in a coppery brushed wood grain really brings out its warmth and texture

This next one is already sold as a commission.  I love the blonde solid wood frame with the barley.  It's a very feminine piece.  I haven't heard back yet what color of frame the buyer is wanting, so I will wait before going ahead with this choice.  It looks very modern and sharp with a dark coffee colored frame.  The coffee brings out the greens.  hmmmm...

So that's what I've been doing.  I've been finishing things.  It will take over a week to get all this completed for the show.  I went to the Centre today to check out the space.  It's not a huge wall and I have about ten pieces, so I'm sure I'll fill it all.  I'm sure people were looking funny at me when I was in the mall.  I'm like my mom - I measured with my arm lengths and then went home to compare it to our wall space.  lol.

I'm also registering for my class that is being sponsored by a scholarship from the Saskatoon Quilters' Guild!  (thank you thank you!)  I get to start in January.  I'm taking 2 classes through University of Saskatchewan Certificate of Art & Design program and one on Handquilting.  Lots of you have asked, so here is the description of the first one:

USCAD Experimental Fiber Art Advanced II

"This course will be an advanced level on continued exploration and development of personal interpretations and experimental approaches to fiber art and design. Student will focus on creating mixed-media works of art utilizing a variety of media and techniques such as weaving, fabric collage, dye, screen printing, knitting, and crochet utilizing analytical and critical thinking during the art-making process. Course content will be presented through hands-on projects, demonstrations, lectures, discussion and critique. Students are also encouraged to experience and engage in starting projects reflecting on variety of media such as sound, vocabulary, other visual media and various contexts of their interest."

Linking to The Needle & Thread Network.  Tell your knitter, crocheter, weaver, dyer, and embroidery friends if they have a Canadian blog, they are more than welcome to join. ; )

Jack Frost & Mourning Joy

I love mornings.  Today I rolled out of bed waaaay too tired from blogging late into the night.  I opened the blinds and look!

I considered taking an early morning paper route for extra fabric-cash, but you know me.  I'd get distracted and take photos instead.  Maybe something in the gallery will sell soon.

The ice fog was gorgeous.  I could smell coffee brewing and sausages sizzling from the kitchen, but I couldn't leave the upstairs windows!  The morning air was so mesmerizing.  It's interesting that I have recently added all this muslin, greys, and soft yellows.  Those colors are all here in the photos.  And it's the first time I noticed that most of my neighbors have yellow chimneys.  Look how that color stands out in the fog!

This next one has the contrast tweaked a bit.  It's all so droopy isn't it!?  It's the neighbor's tree.   They are moving today.  The big truck is parked out front.  We'll miss them. 

It's truly magical to watch one season transition into the next.  People get all down when summer ends, but winter brings many joys.  Endings always make way for new, don't they?  Maybe I'll drive out to the country today and get some good icy prairie photos. 

And then I went to check my email with morning coffee in hand.  And can you believe it!?  One of my higher priced fibre art pieces have sold!  I priced it higher, assuming no one would touch it.  I secretly wanted to keep it.   I'm not done loving it.  Now it's gone.  I cried!  I was in shock and tears were streaming down my face.  I hardly had time to be with it and enjoy it.  I really loved that piece.  

The Moon One Morning (Flickr link)

Has that ever happened to you?

I told myself to smarten up.  I mean really.  I made it to sell to make money to buy more supplies to make more stuff to sell... and on and on.  So with joyful tears in my eyes, I wrote a note of gratitude to the couple purchasing it, and then clicked 'send'.  It means so much to me that they admire the piece too.  : )  It's all so good.

~Monika

beginning and ending and beginning again

Tweaking the Show.

I had a fun morning.  I took my little boy to the mall for a hot chocolate.  He homeschools, so he brought his story-book in the making...  

It was 9 am, and the retail stores were all still closed.  I took him through 'the link'.  

For anyone not in Canada, we have malls with underground parking.  You can drive in the winter snow from your garage to the mall without stepping outdoors.  This particular shopping center is TWO malls connected by an underground walkway which tunnels below the street.  Sounds pretty out-there doesn't it?  lol  Here we are going back up the ramp to daylight.

 

I love that my exhibit area is flooded with natural light!  : )  I ask my boy if he notices anything.  He pauses and stares silently for a while.

 

 

"MOM!  This is yours!!"  !!  That was the highlight of my day.  "That is totally epic mom.  I can't believe it."

 : )  I gave him my camera and got to work hanging more tags.

  and aiming the floodlights better...

All while carefully stepping over the threads and pictures.  Liam did a great job with the camera...

(Silly me.  I flipped that spool over so you can't see the price tag!  lol )

And here is a picture of my favorite little spot below the baby quilt...

I dig those half circle shelves.  Very cool.  I used lots of them.

I sat to take a break and a woman strolled by, stopped to look for a while at the exhibit.  I thought I recognized her.  : )  It was Flo who came to the first postcard workshop!  Nice to see you and thanks so much for taking the time to go out and look.  That was really sweet of you! 

Have a great day,

~Monika

Sunday Snapshots, #8

Today was the day.  I woke up calm.  Slowly packed all my art & tools etc into the van.  I drank lots of tea instead of my usual coffee because I figured that's what Michelle F. would do.  She drinks tea.  I made a pot of organic Blueberry White tea and it was soooo good!  I didn't even miss the coffee.

I took a break, and reached for my watch.  10:40.  I screeeeeeeeeeeeamed loud and high!  OMG  I was supposed to be hanging the show at ten thirty!  So off I went.  Michelle showed up later than me so I didn't feel so bad.  : )  We unpacked the van and got to work.  Here she is...

A BIG thank you Michelle!  We were there until 1:30 or so.  We were supposed to end by noon.  oops.  Arranging that shoe on the wall was harder than I thought.  I turned around to see another gallery with a hundred photos hung, and they were done & gone in less than an hour!  We took several hours.  Here I am...

We worked from the outside in.  The big quilts on the edges; the art in the middle.  I wanted everything horizontal in nice neat rows.  She was placing things vertically.  lol  It was Canadian Prairie Woman vs Australian Forest Woman.  That was so obvious.  ; )  

We ended up with flowing curves which I like, and a lot of crappy lighting which I don't like. I'm going to adjust some things and then I'll take a new & improved photo.  I don't even want to post this!  Here goes... (from my cell phone camera - click to see it bigger)

I'm not so happy with the burned out light bulbs and poorly aimed ones.  Good thing there is a glass ceiling above the walkway.  It's well lit in the daytime.  The floor has my red living room curtains topped with scattered photos and thread spools.  That was fun to do.

The mall opened by noon and the halls filled with movie-goers.  It was fun to sit there and listen to people as they stopped and pointed to their favorite piece.  : ) Maybe I'll hang out tomorrow and watch and listen.  

now to tackle the ridiculous amount of housework...

have a great weekend and thank you EVERYONE for your support!! : )

~Monika