Found Paper

I use found paper in my textile work.

My mineral piece,
Looking for Labradorite
detail showing paper

What is found paper? It's paper that is FOUND.

And you can find paper in some wonderful places.

The piece of paper in Looking for Labradorite is from Arles, in the south of France. I found it while I was there on a holiday.

me in Arles-it was so windy that day
I had to sit down so my dress wouldn't fly up!

Well... I didn't really find it. I ripped it.

view from the top of the Arles amphitheatre

The Arles amphitheatre measures 136 m x 107 m.
The Colosseum in Rome measures 188 m x 156 m

It was an advertisement for a film, I think, and with the rain it had become unglued and was draping off the wall. The event was over so I decided to "find" it and I ripped it off. The raw uneven edge is very interesting.

fossils from the stone of the Arles amphitheatre

I have also used found paper in "My City", a collage I created for takepART 2012. The paper is from an advertisement that was on a pole in downtown Toronto. I specifically tore off the part with the letters.

The best time to find that kind of paper is after a rain.

Found paper seen in the creating stage.

Your found paper does not have to be found outside. Found paper can be a stamp from an envelope, a school child's homework, a chocolate bar wrapper, a page from a book that is falling apart.

Keep your eyes open.

Rain Puddles

Rain is part of spring.

Pink rain puddles, Tuileries Gardens, Paris.
photo credit, S.J. Reford

May all your puddles be coloured!

Is Spring Around the Corner?

It's sunny...

and spring-like today.

How energizing.

Make yourself sunny today and smile.

Exhibit in Italy

Last year, I was invited to make a piece for an italian exhibit that was scheduled to tour.

Right now, my piece, Cyber City, is in Vicenza, Italy, at the event L'Abilmente, from March 7 to 10, 2013.

They hung my work right beside my bestest bestest friend! In fact, we call ourselves sisters.

Le Tue Righe, Le Mie Radici
by Maria Teresa Sansotta (left)
Cyber Cities by me (right)
Both pieces from the exhibit entitled Le Città Invisibile

Click here to see more about the exhibit.

Late Night and Early Morning

Five textile art pieces inspired by minerals were exhibited last night at the 40th anniversary party of PGW, consulting geophysicists.

Two works in the Alberta Room at the Royal York Hotel
 Fundy Flame Agate by Kate Madeloso from Nova Scotia (left)
"We dig. We cut. We polish. We colour our world!"
by Suzanne Neilson from Ontario (right)

I was setting up all 16 pieces of the MINERALS exhibit for the KEGS breakfast (Canadian Exploration Geophysics Society) at the Royal York Hotel this morning at 6:15 a.m.

I have never seen the Royal York main lobby empty.
Notice the time on the central clock.

Again so many compliments and many earth scientists came to speak to me as I was packing up the works three hours later.

The Imperial Room at the Royal York Hotel
For artists' names please view past posts.

I think these works would look stunning in an office! Click here for prices of the works.

More Mineral Pieces in the Imperial Room at the Royal York Hotel.
For artists' names please view past posts.

I am back home. Later I am packing up the works to send them to Verona for Verona Tessile.

Right now, I am going back to bed!

inspirational mineral: Labradorite

There are so many beautiful images of minerals. I was particularly interested in representing a mineral found in Canada.

Looking for Labradorite
79cm x 74cm
hand-dyed assorted fabric from Ms Emma designer S. Verna,
found paper from Arles, France,
magnetic map paper, machine stitched

I liked the variety of colours of the Labradorite and the black lines showing fractures on the rocks.

detail

I interpreted those straight lines as contour lines much like a geophysicist would do on a magnetic map.

detail

(text from the label of my piece for the Minerals exhibit I recently curated)

Copper Symposium

The MINERALS works are exhibited all day today at the Copper Symposium hosted by KEGS, Canadian Exploration Geophysical Society.

works from left to right by:
Pat Caffrey, Gordana Brelih. Wilma Kenny, Helena Scheffer, Sandra Reford,
Clare Kirby, Catherine Timm, Kate Madeloso

The textile art works that are in the meeting area will be enjoyed by geophysicists from across North America and around the world.

It is KEGS 60th anniversary this year so I am sure their event will be well attended.

works from right to left made by:
Sofia Verna, Suzanne Neilson, Lorraine Roy, Susan Johnson,
Joan Freeman, Anna Hergert, Joan Hug-Valeriote

During the set up, one geophysicist (works in Saskatoon) took tons of pictures! He was impressed!!

My apologies to Alice Vander Vennen who was one of the invited artists for this exhibit. Her piece arrived while I was at my grandmother's funeral in Montreal and I was unable to pick it up in time for the 6:30 a.m. set up. It will join the works in other events within the PDAC throughout the week.

Here is a glimpse of her art work.

Hidden Narrative,
25cm x 80cm
by A. Vander Vennen