The Flipside : )

I'm back!  I headed to Edmonton with my family of 5, letting the kids skip a couple days of school to hang with the inlaws - cousins, aunt, uncles, grandparents.  We swam, we played, we ran around West Edmonton Mall's amusement park.  We didn't sleep much.  I drank more coffee than I thought was humanly possible.  I taught in St. Albert, which was so much fun!  (I will make a separate post to show off those wonderful ladies!)  Then yes... the Focus on Fibre Arts Association had their opening ceremony for the Prairies Show.  I AM SO GLAD I GOT TO ATTEND THIS!  There were lots of awards called out for entries that came from all over Canada.  Everyone present and also everyone not present got a big warm round of applause.  (If you won ribbon and couldn't be there, I want you to know that you were warmly celebrated!)  You can see all of the entries HERE.  Last I looked, the winners were not listed, but all the accepted entries are up.  There is also a catalogue for sale and is is BEAUTIFUL.  It is also likely sold out so here's hoping for a second printing.

The category I had entered was Needlework - Original Design, Surface Embroidery (there was also a category for kits and counted work).  There were awards for quilting, needlework, weaving, rug hooking, dolls/soft sculpture, wearables, mixed media (oh dear, am I forgetting anything?).  Suddenly I heard the MC announce, "2nd Place - Monika Kinner-Whalen."

!

My favorite piece won a ribbon!!!  Oh my gosh!  : )  I went up to the front to accept the award feeling my cheeks turn pink.  What an honor.  What a privelage.  This was my favorite piece, and I was getting my secretly-wished-for-ribbon to take home.  WOW!  : )  Here it is - vertically so that you can see the piece larger.  It is LARGE for hand work.

I really love 'Where Sunlight Falls'.  What an honour.  Here is the artist's statement:

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title: Where Sunlight Falls

The ditches lining the grid roads to the lake last summer were lush with blooms under dappled shade from overhanging berry bushes.  I was struck by the cool depth of shadows together with the intense hot sunshine.  ‘When I die, please bury in me in a sweet smelling prairie ditch so I will always have fresh flowers’.

Year completed: 2014

Size:  15” x 5”

Technique:  Freestyle Hand Embroidery, Needle Felting.

Materials:  Yarns (wool, mohair, silk, unknown blends), stretched on heavy cotton.

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Here is the photo that inspired that piece...

I was heading back to my seat in the farthest row when I heard the MC say, "First Place goes to Monika Kinner-Whalen!"  I stopped in my tracks, turned around and went right back up to receive the award!  WOW!  First place went to Prairie City!!

I am still letting it all sink in.  Take a look.  See the two ribbons?  I was heading back to my chair again when the MC announced, "Best of Category goes to Monika Kinner-Whalen" - and back up I went for a third time to receive the generous prize from the Edmonton Needlework Guild.  They went all out and had their ribbon hand stitched too!  The red barn is needlepainted.  That was the icing on the cake.  : )  THANK YOU!

Here is my Artist's Statement for this piece.

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title: Prairie City

The whole point to this piece is that you don’t have to go far to enjoy the free flowing beauty of the prairies.  Inspired by a photo I took within city limits, I must say I was surprised to feel heartfelt emotions with this combination of urban & rural.  Nature is all around us, isn’t it?  Home, sweet home.

Year completed: 2014

Size:  4.5” x 14”

Technique: Threadpainting – combined freestyle machine and hand stitching.  No tracing, transferring, or templates used.

Materials:  hand dyed cotton fabric, 100wt – 12wt threads (cotton, rayon, poly), hand dyed silk and sari ribbons

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I have to say congratulations to everyone involved and thank you to everyone who helped organize this show!  You made it so incredible for us to be part of it all.  And I really mean that.  After the reception, I got to spend an hour enjoying all the work that was on display, and will remain there in the building until the end of August.  I had a very fun time visiting with the artists, judges, appreciators, and organizers in attendance.

But that's not all.

Then it was back to Jackfish Lake, SK for a triple birthday party.  MORE CELEBRATING!  We had three cakes and made three wishes:  My daughter, my mother, my self.  On the way home, I caught this one last photo of fire and ice.  The big lake is still frozen on top.

That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it.

Bundle Of Butterflies

I was going to call this post 'bundle of nerves', but really it's a happy energy so we'll go with butterflies.  Today I'm sending in my three accepted entries to the Prairies show in Edmonton.  (Agh!  Just typing that made the butterflies flutter again!)  There are 9 categories and 84 entries.  My three will all be in the Original Design Surface Embroidery category.  I have two entirely hand stitched pieces and one of my 'trademark' (?) threadpaintings in the the show.

Here's one.

Where Sunlight Falls, 2014  (framed 12" x 22")   Click Image to View Larger

Here is two.

June Grasses, 2013  8x10"  (click image to view larger)

This is exciting!  The last time I was in a major juried competition was Quilt Canada 2012 with my Prairie Dress.  This is exciting.  I am also thrilled to be going there for opening night.  I will be attending as an entrant, but also as a curator.  I am on the hunt for a few more key pieces for the 2015 show I'm putting together.  This will be a busy weekend - it's my birthday (again!?  AGAIN!?) and I'll be teaching a super fun class in Edmonton.  On the way home, we'll celebrate a triple birthday for my daughter, my self, and my mother.  Last year I was in Winnipeg on my birthday.  Can you believe that was an entire year ago?  Manitoba was so awesome.

Here's three.  I'm not sure if you've seen this all dolled up.

Prairie City, 2014  framed to 12x22"  (click image to view larger)

Curious about the schedule for the Prairies Show?   I found this exhibition information on the Focus on Fibre Art Association website.

May 4 - 30 - Faculty of Extension Gallery - Enterprise Square, Edmonton.  Reception & Awards May 4th, 2014

May 4 to Aug 30 - Hallways Gallery 2nd floor - Enterprise Square.  (This is what they had written and I'm not sure the overlap in dates makes sense?  I will find out...)

Sept 2 to 30 - Gallery @ Pagemaster Publications, 11340 - 120 St Edmonton AB

October 2 - Nov 28 - DOW Centennial Centre, Fort Saskatchewan, AB,  The reception is Oct 2, 2014
As I do with the Dimensions schedule, I will have the info as part of a running header on this blog with current and upcoming events / classes / exhibits / sales that I am involved it.  You can also check the "Calendar of Event" tab to see the whole year.

In the mean time, Michael and I are rolling right along with the renovations.  I'm sorting my old space and he's framing in more of the new.  I bought lights for my studio.  !  (Insert one happy little butterfly.)  I have the good ceiling lights, but I bought party lights too.  I found little white lights on a white strand in a wedding decoration section of a shop.  They are PERFECT.  The ones in my current studio space burned out.  How fitting is that!?

With the upcoming change come so many ideas.  * * * more butterflies! * * *    I have ideas for decorating.  I have ideas for creative classes.  I have ideas for open studio celebrations.  I have ideas...   and everything is falling into place quite easily so I know it's meant to be.  Furnishings, counters, repurposed doors & pegboards that my husband has extras from his shop, lights, and I even came across the perfect paint colours in the mistints section of a paint store for cheap.  (Always go for the mistints first.)  It's so SWEET!  Just when we were starting to feeling like this house wasn't a good fit anymore, we suddenly fell in love with the space all over again seeing it from a new point of view.  The family space that will be freed up on the main floor will be incredible.

Since this new studio won't be done until the fall, here's some news.  Back by popular demand, I WILL be teaching Threadpainting 101 in a few weeks at Creative House.  Yes!  Creative House Sewing Centre!  They are still there while they are up for sale selling fabric and Wonderfil threads, but no machines anymore.  Send me an email to Monika @ My Sweet Prairie .ca  if you are interested in signing up.  It will be a 4 hr class during the day and there is room for a couple more people.  I am keeping the class size small so there can be more one-to-one instruction.  If you can't make it, just hold on until the fall.

There are a few more surprises up my sleeve but you'll just have to keep watching, reading, & listening.  Oooooh!  - > BIG HINT there.  See you soon, and WELCOME to all the new people dropping in & saying hello!  It is great to have you here.

WHEW!  Now I think I'm all caught up.  : )

Finished It Friday

Holey Moley this was a lot of work.  One solid day of machine work and about 40 hours of hand stitching.  It's really, really big compared to my usual work.  This one is fourteen inches across.  That is a ton of thread...  Here are some progress photos.

above - Threads for the upper background.  

below - How I 'eyeball it', keeping a source photo nearby.

This one is inspired by the photo I took that is the header on my 'Calendar of Events' page.  I shared sneak peeks of this in progress on my FB page and had a few people know exactly where this was taken.  That's an awesome feeling!

On my mark.  Get set. 

Let the stitching begin...

One week later... 

Prairie City, 2014 by Monika Kinner-Whalen  4.5x14" / 11x36cm

So... this is not for sale, but it is made because of?  dedicated to?  (not sure of the right way to say it)  Eleanor.  She lives in Florida, USA and runs Meinke Toy.  She is also a fibre artist.  We had a conversation where she told me she wished she could come to see where I live because it looks so beautiful.  We talked about finding inspiration in nature.  I told her that I should go there, and help her hunt for her own natural treasures in her area.  "Oh, but I live in the city," she replied.  She sounded like it was so far away, or that it didn't exist for her.  And maybe it is far away.  (Eleanor I hope you don't mind me talking about you...)  Then I asked her, "did you know I live in the biggest city in our province?"  I think Eleanor was SHOCKED.  She honestly had no idea. She thought I lived in a field on farm.  She was quite surprised!  We had a good laugh.

I grew up on a farm, and at a cabin at a lake.  I lived right by the train tracks and had a giant grain elevator at the end of my yard.  That's likely where my nostalgia comes from.  My photos that inspire my art are taken no more than ten minutes from my house.  Many are even closer.  Sometimes I just have to look up.  It really doesn't take much.  Vacant lots can be full of local flora.  It just takes some 'treasure hunting' as I call it.

So Eleanor, here is my city: Saskatoon.  It's population is over a quarter of a million people in the city.  'Saskatoon and Area' is probably closer to a third of a million.  Still.  Here we are smack dab in the middle of the prairie, surrounded by rivers and lakes and fields.  Our province also has ski hills, forests, sand dunes, waterfalls and badlands.  We even have a lighthouse.  Imagine that.  But right in the heart of the prairie where so many people joke there is nothing to see... I find beauty.  I grew up in it.  I know it's there.  I don't find it difficult to see at all.  It is part of me.  It's everywhere I look.

I have a running joke with a couple other artist friends that sometimes it a prairie lover feels just as if everyone thinks you have an ugly baby.  But you love that baby, and it brings out the strongest emotions in you.  You want to prove that your baby is indeed loveable and beautiful no matter what people say.  Well, you know...  My baby is not ugly!  : )  It makes me jump for joy when my art can convince someone of that.  : )

okay.  Happy Friday!  To those of you who think there's no beauty near you, I challenge you to go out for a walk and take a look.  You might just find something to fall in love with.