Charmed by new prints in Prints Charming

This week is the start of a couple of workshops I am teaching at the Nova Scotia Centre for Craft and Design for the Spring term: Prints Charming and Irresistible Dye Techniques. It was delightful to see a few familiar faces in the group who have participated in my previous classes. 

Prints Charming is a four week course where we cover designing and printing a one stencil print;  exploring different effects through printing with more than one colour ink through the screen; registration techniques to create a two colour print; block printing; and combining all methods to create some stunning designs.

Below are some of the charming prints created in the first week by my talented students.

Beetroots by Rebecca

Lavender by Maya

 Doily Blossoms by Roberta

Two tone hearts by Elizabeth

Layered sunflowers by Linda

Marine Sticks by Moira 

Art Mentor

Earlier in the year I was approached by a Masters student studying Education who is writing their thesis focusing on the phenomenon of student learning within the context of adversity. Trauma can interfere with the healthy and normal development of academic and cognitive skills needed for students to succeed in school. 

They asked me to assist them in the creation of an altered book that would visually represent their experiences of adversity as a teaching aid for the classroom to provide a better understanding into the academic failure and struggle that children can encounter. 

We are currently exploring different options on how to represent the visual journey. It is anticipated that the altered book will be completed by the end of the year, with a printable version available for the school curriculum available shortly thereafter. 

Furoshiki at NSCCD

This weekend I taught a two day workshop to make furoshiki Japanese wrapping cloths. Working with cotton and silk with indigo dye we experimented with different shibori (resist dying techniques) to create beautiful fabrics that can be used as an alternative for wrapping paper.

  

Both beautiful and functional they can be used as a lunch bag alternative, a eco-wrapping technique, and even a clothing garment. The fabulous thing about furoshiki is that the fabric can be as special as the gift inside and it can be reused many times.

Ne-maki shibori - thread resist pattern

The end result is a gift that keeps on giving.

Itajime - folded and clamp resist pattern

For more information: 

Pinterest board for shibori designs - a collection of ideas and techniques 

Facebook page - A place where workshop participants share images of their creation

Furoshiki - fabulous site on ways to fold and wrap your present using cloth 

Honeycomb shibori

This course will be offered again as part of the Spring program at the Nova Scotia Centre for Craft and Design  over two Saturdays, May 27 and Jun 03, 2017 from 12:30 - 3:30 pm. 

REGISTRATION Details:

It is easy to sign up for a class! We need your name, contact info, and a payment.
We will take payment over the phone with visa or master card.
Pay in person with debit or cash.
**A payment must be taken to secure your spot in the class.**

Class registrations are first come first booked.

Call us! (always the best way to sign up)

Call Alexis, our Studio Coordinator, at 902-492-2524. If you're leaving a message, please make sure to - Leave your Name, Number, and the Class you want to sign up for. If you're in a hurry, you can also call Becky, our Administrative Coordinator at 902-492-2522.

Detached Objects: live footage at CFAT

Detached Objects was a light art animation that was projected upon sheer fabric into a courtyard space on a snowy Thursday in February 2017. This footage captures the mood evoked using 3 projectors and combining the imagery of the Detached Objects files. The project was compiled using Isadora.

Detached Objects at CFAT

Detached Objects is an investigation into stone and its human-lithic relationship with the development of the human mind. 

Heavy physical ceramic objects that resemble stones or asteroids were animated, distorting our perceptions on their size, scale, and weight. The title refers to comets that inhabit the distant regions of the Solar System, and it is theorised by scientists that the impact upon the Earth of one or more of these objects may have been the catalyst for life as we know it.

The screening of the five scholars work: Jeighk Koyote (Mentor: Sam Decoste),Tamar Dina (Mentor: Becka Barker), Todd Fraser (Mentor: Lukas Pearse), Ryan Josey (Mentor: James MacSwain) and myself, Kate Ward (Mentor: Susan Tooke) took place on a snowy stormy night last Thursday. A big thank you to all who braved the conditions to attend.

My work was screened from 3 projectors which projected Detached Objects simultaneously onto sheer fabric in the central courtyard space. The snow enhanced the effect, dancing in the projected light, and shimmering on the fabric. Each of the detached objects had a sonic audio personality which appeared as each of the objects appeared in the dark. 

For more images of the event visit the CFAT Facebook page.

A big thank you to CFAT for such an amazing experience. I really enjoyed my time , and the experience of the scholarship surpassed my expectations. I learnt so much and met so many wonderful and talented people - it truly has been the most marvellous experience! 

I was super impressed by everyone's project - I thought they looked incredibly professional which demonstrates the wonderful knowledge that has been shared with us through the workshops and mentors. Being paired with an amazing mentor (Susan Tooke) is such a great experience and I couldn't have achieved what I did without her support. Lukas Pearse was also incredibly helpful offering his time so that I could catch up on the missed sound workshop and he also shared his passion and knowledge for Isadora with me - its definitely a program I would like to learn in more depth once the dust settles!

Id also like to say a SUPER big thank you to CFAT staff Tori, Tom and Sally for all their amazing help with the lead up to last night's exhibition. It takes a lot of hard work, time and dedication to have such a successful show. 

xxx

Art Jewellery Today 4

Im delighted to share with you the publication that has recently been published that features a 3 page spread of my work, Art Jewellery Today 4.

Compiled and edited by Sandra Korinchak, editor and writer who has over twenty years of experience in the subject areas of art, crafts, and jewellery, the book features delicious large colour images of the works, and an artist statement for each artist.

Featuring 72 hand picked artists from across the globe, the hardbound book is a lovely collection of works by contemporary jewellery artists.

Im delighted that I was selected to be part of such an amazing publication. 

This is a sneak peak of one of the pages in the book. 

Out of the Centre - CFAT Scholarship Screening

Join me and the rest of the CFAT Media Arts Scholarship gang at the screening of our works on Thursday 9 February 2017. The evening commences at 7pm.

I was awarded the scholarship in August of last year and have been participating in a series of workshops where we have been taught digital editing. As part of the mentorship, each of the scholars is paired with a mentor. I have been very lucky to be working with Susan Tooke, a prominent painter and media artist (and all round lovely person). 

The digital work I have been creating is a continuation of my MFA thesis work, where I was exploring the physical relationship between stone and human memory. In the CFAT scholarship I continue this in a metaphysical realm where the objects, when devoid of their physical presence, become weightless and float in space.

Detached objects is a philosophical investigation about stone and its human-lithic relationship with the development of the human mind. Heavy physical ceramic objects that resemble stones or asteroids have been animated, distorting our perceptions on their size, scale, and weight. The title is a play upon the meaning that is associated with comets that inhabit the distant region of the Solar System, and it is theorised by scientists that the impact upon the Earth of one or more of these objects may have been the catalyst for life as we know it.