Mixed Media/Fibre Art, Kansas Sunset – Waiting for a Breeze © Diane Duncan 2014
My roots in sewing and stitching are never far below the surface, in fact, I’ve become like one of those aerial plants with my roots exposed! Although I work in a number of media – I like variety and one media informs another – I always return to fibre!
Evelyn Mather was an only daughter and grew up on a farm near Balderson ON with her three brothers. She didn’t talk a lot about her childhood but based on information from Uncle Gord, her early childhood may have been greatly affected by her Mother’s farm accident. She seems to have had a love of needlework all her life and was probably inspired by her Mother’s work. Mom was a star pupil in SS#9 Bathurst and went on to do well in her studies at Perth Collegiate Institute. She completed her senior matriculation and went on to...
read moreGrandma Bella was a little more of an unknown to me when I undertook this series for the TREX exhibition. Although Grandma and Grandpa Mather were frequent visitors, especially for Sunday evening supper, they did not play as large a roll in my life as Granny Alice. As youngsters, we stayed with these grandparents for short periods during the summers and it was during these stays that I was able to take a few swimming lessons at the Perth swimming pool and actually take proficiency tests that allowed me to collect swimming badges! But,...
read moreEach piece I prepared for The Tie That Binds has a series of stories embedded within it. Granny Alice is the first fabric collage/assemblage created for this series and I found myself taking a major trip down memory lane as I worked on it. First of all, Granny Alice and I were very close. I was the eldest of four children and we shared a house with our paternal grandparents for most of my childhood. By the time I was wandering around, she was ‘retired’, completing her housework in the morning and stitching many afternoons. Many...
read moreI’m looking forward to the opening of a new Alberta travelling exhibition(TREX), The Tie That Binds. This year north central Alberta will be treated to the work of f0ur Alberta fibre artists….. and I was invited to be one of the four! I share this exhibition with Judy Weiss, Edmonton, Margie Davidson, Edmonton, and Matt Gould, Red Deer. Opportunity! I was first approached in early 2015 and I almost couldn’t believe it when it happened! After some correspondence back and forth and a lot of planning and winnowing of ideas, I...
read moreMended: an Exhibition sponsored by Surface Design Association BC + Yukon While in Vancouver I was thrilled to be able to visit a juried show sponsored by Surface Design Association BC + Yukon: Mended. It did not disappoint. Even my husband enjoyed it! I can’t find my notes written after visiting the show and although I have photos of the artist statement cards I can’t match them to the photos. My apologies! I am sharing just a few of the pieces, an indication of how varied the artwork is. If you get a chance to see this show...
read moreOn a rainy morning in April 2015, after breakfast overlooking the harbour with my cousin and her husband, I searched out the studio of Jill Sullivan. Jill lives on the wonderful Sunshine coast of British Columbia. Jill started quilting before she knew the rules, then when she learned the rules she didn’t want to follow them! Today her work is abstract is style and has layers of colour and luscious texture painted on fabric. Although her beginnings were in quilting, today her foremost interest is Surface Design using dye, print paste,...
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