What's in Your Library?

Here's a shout-out to SAQA member Marie McEachern of Calgary for sharing not one but two of her library favourites with us this week!

Marie writes:

I recently purchased two books through Amazon that other members may be interested in.

• Mixed-Media Master Class (2013) by Sherrill Kahn is a wonderful reference book for fibre artists.  The author describes 50 surface design techniques, using either fabric or paper.  Sherrill includes techniques such as creating surfaces, resists, texture, rubbings and printmaking.  I found her instructions very easy to follow and her illustrations are excellent.  I will use this book often.  C&T Publishing, ISBN 978-1-60705-423-8*

• Visual Texture on Fabric (2012) by Lisa Kerpoe describes the use of eight water based resists and how to apply them.  She wrote this book because their are limited comprehensive resources on resists. She provides recipes for the resists and her results are stunning. Although paints can be used, Lisa recommends the use of fibre-reactive dyes.   This book is a great reference for those who like to create their own art cloth.  C&T Publishing, ISBN 978-1-60705-447-4*

 *Editor's Note: both books are available in "Kindle" format as well as in paperback.  Mixed Media Master Class is available from Indigo/Chapters online as well -- as of this writing, it is in stock and at a lower price than on Amazon.ca. Ditto for Visual Texture on Fabric Go figure!

Thanks for sharing these with us, Marie!

Who's next?  Send me an e-mail (margblankATxplornetDOTca)...

On and Off Our Walls

It's time for the We-Hope-Spring-Comes-Soon Edition of On and Off Our Walls!  :-)

Calgary member, Alison Cowitz, has been busy; today she shares this work with you:

This is what’s been on my wall for the past few weeks. Meet “Ozzie”. I started him in a summer 2013 class at Along Came Quilting (Calgary) given by Roxanne Nelson, who is super talented (who can forget her parrot that was at Quilt Canada when it was in Calgary!) I was not the best student, as it was hard for me to work with tiny little pieces.

"Ozzie" at the outset

 I really didn’t see myself spending the next 5-10 years creating this piece. I had some other projects going on at the time the class was given, so I didn’t make much progress. However, I got back to work on it this past February. This is 5 weeks later… almost everyday I was able to work on it I had fun taking it in different directions. I still have the quilting to do, not my forté, but I’m excited about where my dog portrait is headed. 

"Ozzie" - pre-quilting

 Isn't he terrific?  Thanks for sharing, Alison; we look forward to seeing the quilted piece!

Photo courtesy of Central Alberta Quilt Guild

I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN ME

at the

Central Alberta Quilt Guild Show

Friday, April 4 and Saturday, April 5

Westerner Park, Red Deer

I hope to have a table in the refreshment area for the hours of 11 a.m. through 1 p.m. both days.  It would be great to meet and greet any and all SAQA Western Canada members who attend!  Look for a short-haired greying woman with glasses sitting at a table on which rests a plate of cookies.  :-)

I'll be hand-stitching facings on pieces that are going in a show and sale in Lacombe at the end of April, so grab a beverage at the refreshment counter and come by, take a load off your feet, enjoy a cookie and say "hi"!

Opening Soon in Edmonton!

SAQA Western Canada's long-running touring exhibit, "Meet the Best of the West", makes its final appearance at the Royal Alberta Museum in Edmonton, as part of the up-coming "Western Threads" exhibit. 

There will be a by-invitation preview for the artists (and guests) on Thursday, April 10; the show opens to the public on Saturday, April 12, and runs through August 4th.

SAQA Western Canada will be joined with the Focus on Fibre Arts Association in a terrific exhibit of Western Canadian textile talent.  If you're travelling through Alberta this spring or summer, do make a point of taking in this show!

Do you "Go to Meeting"?

From the latest SAQA Yahoo Group Post:

The Mentorship Webinar committee is pleased to announce this upcoming webinar!

SAQA Mentorship Webinar: Selling Art Quilts
Tuesday, March 25 at 1 pm ET
Join Wen Redmond, Roxane Lessa and Frieda Anderson as they share their experiences and ideas about selling art quilts. Attendees will be able to listen to the panelists and watch digital slide shows on their screens during the webinar. There will be a short Q&A following the presentations. Registration is limited to 100 attendees. If you can not attend the live webinar, you will able to watch and listen to the entire program on the SAQA website after the event.

Follow this link to register: 
https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/766841335

Don’t forget to check your time zone, especially since different parts of the world begin observing daylight savings time on different days.

Remember, webinars are one of your many benefits as a SAQA member. In fact, you have access to all our past webinars. Find them on the SAQA webpage herehttps://www.saqa.com/members.php?ID=2238.

Or you can find them by logging into the SAQA website, clicking on Members>Member Resources, scroll down to Professional Development and click on Mentorship Webinar recordings.

Of particular interest and related to the upcoming webinar on Selling Art Quilts, I recommend the webinars on Social Media, Tax Considerations, Internet Marketing and Tips on Commissions.

- posted on the SAQA Yahoo Group by Deborah Boschert, Fibre Artist and Member of the Mentorship Webinar Committee.

Cross-over Art

Exhibitors in the following show are SDA members...and several are SAQA members too.  If you can get to this one -- do so and enjoy!

What's In Your Library?

Are you a bibliophile?  I confess!  I am!  Here's just a peek at the book storage in my sewdio:

Okay; okay...so my love of the written word has spilled over into my studio...

In truth, though, I am of a generation (b. 1952) that puts greater credence into the printed word than in the digital one.  It matters not a jot that I've been blogging for over ten years.  Apparently, that makes me some sort of pioneer.  So be it.

When I am in the midst of research for a project, I confess I prefer to be able to find it in HARD copy, so I can attach a bookmark of some sort and come back to it easily, without having to print it out first.

BUT

That said, this new blog column (to be interspersed with (I hope), "On and Off Our Walls") is intended to be a resource for member who, I hope, will contribute and share:

1. What you like to read (art-related or not):
2. Favourite websites;
3. Favourite sources of inspiration;
4. Poetry;
5. Ideas;
6. Technique sources...

and whatever else strikes your fancy.

PLEASE e-mail me at margblank AT xplornet DOT ca -- to offer favourite books/magazines/e-zines etc. and/or to contribute to the "On and Off Our Walls" column.  I'd like to alternate weeks.

Thank you for your support! ;-)

ON NOW! Visions Art Quilt Show, Canmore, Alberta

Hosted by the Mountain Cabin Quilt Guild, the show runs through March 18.  

Location: CAG Gallery, Elevation Place

700 Railway Avenue, Canmore, Alberta

Contact: Lynn Cooper - 403-609-0228