Blog Hop Around the World

I was recently asked by Linda Cote of Musings From the Studio, to take part in the “Blog Hop Around the World”. I’m all for an opportunity to meet more bloggers and expand my community of internet friends. There are so many wonderful artists to meet!

I first met Linda through a mutual friend and was taken by her marvelous prints. Her artistic and technical skills are an absolute marvel. I do some lino carving but my work is primitive by comparison (not that we should compare). Fortunately I have been able to collect a lovely selection of her work. Linda lives in the beautiful mountain town of Canmore, Alberta, where she expresses her love of printmaking on a daily basis. Be sure to check out and follow her blog. You will enjoy her work and her stunning surroundings.

Now on to the blog hop questions…

What are you working on?

As I recently completed a self-directed residency at the Alberta College of Art and Design, I’m busy cleaning and sorting everything I brought home from the college. I printed a great deal of fabric and I’m trying to decide exactly what to do with it. I started out with the intention of printing fabrics to incorporate in my quilts, but the volume and variety of the work I produced has caused me to reconsider. I still want to make quilts, but I’m sure that there are other projects that could showcase this material. This is the stack of my summer’s work, along with a printed panel from the end of residency exhibition:

I am working on binding 6 quilts which recently came back from being quilted. No “proper” photos yet but this should give you an idea of what they look like. This is the first quilt of my Bouvardia series completed.

As the weather here has reminded me, Christmas is coming. I’d like to take part in a craft sale with the fibre group I belong to – Contextural. Guess that means I’ll be printing napkins and tea towels and more cards. I am going to silk screen and print with my carved lino blocks. I love printing on almost anything! Also stitching some unusual pincushions as I love having sewing projects on the go.

I favour simple graphics and sometimes layer them to create more complex patterns. I’m comfortable with colour and enjoy working with a variety of materials. Sometimes this diverse range of interests has me at a disadvantage, as there are too many things I want to do. I can’t even seem to get this blog post written as my mind jumps to various work I would like to be doing. I realize that many artists suffer from the same dilemma. Here’s a sample of my tile work from the front of our house:

Currently I am focused on printing patterns and designs over existing designs, both on paper and fabric. I think this starting point for my work is somewhat unique.

Why do I create what I do?

Probably the driving force in my work is color, and one of my favorite expressions is “Too much is not enough.” I love art for art’s sake, but the practical side of me wants to create useful items. I feel that many people don’t want to add “things” to their lives unless they can justify owning them. I think that personal items that we use should be beautiful and give enjoyment. I like making  and embellishing beautiful things that people can use.

How does my creative process work?

I think the style of my work is artistic, but I consider myself a designer. I have a degree in Interior Design, and that background guides my choices. When I start a project, I usually have an idea in mind, and the work develops from there. I find having a few restrictions or limitations helps me make decisions, and I let the materials dictate a lot of what happens.

Between power outages and computer problems I think I’m a bit late getting this post out. I’m afraid I haven’t heard back from a couple of people I’ve invited to take part in the blog hop, but I’ll put their names out as soon as I can. I hope you feel you’ve gotten to know a little about me, and I look forward to meeting more of you on this internet blogging adventure.