Karen Mackay is looking forward to spending time in Perth at Gather - this restaurant is well known for its delicious soup and other home made delicacies. Stop by for  lunch or just a cup of tea and a treat. 
 
Judi Miller has been displaying her work at Stréve Design since the last  Art works Tour. This tour Judi and two other  talented artists are showing at Stréve Design for your viewing pleasure. Judi has a new series all ready for you to see. A delight for the eyes and especially for your walls!

We are now a month into 2022. Although some of the top news stories do not look pretty, at least in the 7 Works Collective studios things are rolling along with many interesting projects. 

• Kathryn Bossy joined the Ottawa Artisans online marketplace where people can find and purchase her mosaic works.
• Mario Cerroni showed us an image that he's been working on for his photography residency's liminal spaces project.
• Lynn Dubinsky is keeping busy in her home studio working on the groups next collaborative challenge and keeping up with documenting her neighbourhood in pictures.
• Catherine Gutsche tried out painting on fabric with embellishments using hand embroidery based on a workshop by Gwen Hedley.
• Karen Wynne Mackay picked up working on collage and textural pieces, enjoying the stream of winter sun in her home studio.
• Judi Miller began a new series of delicate botanical embroideries from her sketches and studies.
  
• Jo-ann Zorzi continues her work using silk fibers to draw in 2D and 3D.
  

It has had significance in almost every major religion. In the Old Testament the world was created in six days and God rested on the seventh, creating the basis of the seven-day-week we use to this day. In the New Testament the number seven symbolizes the unity of the four corners of the Earth with the Holy Trinity. The number seven is also featured in the Book of Revelation (seven churches, seven angels, seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven stars). The Koran speaks of seven heavens and Muslim pilgrims walk around the Kaaba in Mecca (Islam’s most sacred site) seven times. In Hinduism there are seven higher worlds and seven underworlds, and in Buddhism the newborn Buddha rises and takes seven steps. In Hindu weddings, the couple walks for seven steps Saptapadi, after which they are declared as husband and wife. They have to make seven rounds around the holy fire as a part of their wedding rituals.

7 continents in the world.
7 wonders of the ancient world.
7 colours in the rainbow.
7 musical notes.
7 phases of the moon.
7 days of the week.
7 brides for 7 sons.

Don't forget the Group of 7.

Seven has the highest probability of occurring as an addition when rolling dice.

A ladybug commonly has seven spots.

The number of rows in the periodic table of elements is seven.

Three of the 7 Works Collective artists are exhibiting together at Strévé Design in Perth until the end of December.
64 Gore St East Perth, ON, Canada K7H1H7
http://strevedesign.com

Judi Miller, Karen Wynne Mackay and Kathryn Bossy

You’re invited to Little x Little's online art market 🎄❤️
November 20 - December 31❤️🎄featuring 8 Ottawa Valley/Ottawa artists including one of our 7 Works Collective artists.

Almost 100 pieces of art to view/purchase ranging from $25-$300. You can browse and shop in your PJs, with a cup of coffee or a midnight snack - all from the comfort of your couch!

All artwork inquiries can be made directly on a post in the comments section. OR interested purchasers can contact the artist directly. Artists will complete transactions and make shipping arrangements. ALL INQUIRIES will be answered promptly. First come, first served. Should you require more info please contact @KathrynSpoonerBossy through FB messenger or kathrynbossy@yahoo.com

Please enjoy this fabulous seasonal online show and thank you for supporting local makers.
**Watch for a special contest**

Mario Cerroni has been accepted into a 6 month residency program at the School of Photographic Arts Ottawa (SPAO). The SPAO Residency provides mentorship, support and structure for professional photo-based artists to focus on the next level of their art practice.

This 6-month residency is one of the most unique residencies of its kind. It is designed for visual artists who have previously completed formal training in visual arts and/or lens-based media and are ready to focus on an aspect of their existing career or on a specific upcoming project. As a self-directed residency, artists are afforded the time and environment needed to research, experiment, and produce an on-going body of work as a professional working artist.

mariocerroni.com

FINALLY the 7 Works Collective gets to go to the Island!!!

It was a relief to finally feel comfortable enough to go to Artscape Gibraltar Point this past October. Still exercising strict covid protocols and staying completely on the island. Certainly we missed our usual mainland gallery trip and visit to the ROM but being safe was more important. And it gave us the opportunity to concentrate 100% on our residency work. We managed to get six of our seven members to the residency in person but still connected with our seventh member via Facetime.

Each artist was assigned to their own large studio space where we created with extreme focus while still popping in and out of other studios throughout the day checking in with each persons progress, giving feedback and support.

Since Toronto Island is a car-free island, we rented "vintage" bikes to get around enabling us to dine out most nights and that means really OUT as in outside. Fortunately our weather was ideal for this.

On the day of the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, as a group, we met on the beach near the residence to remember and recognize the Indigenous Peoples and Communities across Canada. As we thought and talked about these events of the past and the ongoing impacts of wrong doings, we created a meditative stone spiral on the beach.  

We will return next year to continue our creative work in a peaceful, inspiring environment.

Kathryn Bossy

Mario Cerroni

Lynn Dubinsky

Catherine Gutsche

Karen Wynne Mackay

Judi Miller

With the improvement in phone camera technology and the popularity of social media, the photograph has become a form of daily journaling with people sharing moments. And the minutiae that’s captured in an instant of time begins to describe their persona. It is a form of saying “Here I am”.

Photography in a different vein attempts to capture relationships while trying to build a visual story that provokes an emotion or a question from the viewer. “What am I looking at?” “What is the story here?” “What is the photograph speaking about?”

When I look at what I like about photography. It is the allure of posing questions and attempting to invoke a moment or two of contemplation through the story telling potential of the photo. As a result, my goal is not to say “Here I am” but rather to say “Here you are. What do you see?”

Mario Cerroni
cerroni.photos@gmail.com
www.mariocerroni.com/
facebook.com/MarioCerroniPhotography/
instagram.com/cerroniphotos/

So what do artists do on their "days off"? Part of the fun of the 7 Works Collective group is the sharing of skills. On this day a small number of us (no big groups still) spent the day at the Fletcher Gardens in Ottawa taking photos in the company or our resident photographer. And learning about plants from our scientist textiles artist. Plus two of our painters who looked at the forest and gardens with a slightly different eye.

It was hard not to make comparisons to what we have found on Toronto Island during past Artist Residencies. Visitors to the gardens and beach combers on the island get creative on a whim and leave their constructions for the rest of us to find. Treasures!

Re-inventing the ancient mosaic flow in a contemporary style.

Our 7 Works Collective mosaic artist Kathryn Spooner Bossy has been juried into the prestigious  ANDAMENTO exhibition organized by the Ontario Mosaic Artists in partnership with the Leslie Grove Gallery in Toronto located at 1158 Queen Street East. The exhibition opens on August 25th and continues through to September 12th.

The opening reception is August 26th from 6-8pm.

No one was more surprised than I when I first took an art class - far later than most - only to discover the thrill and love of textures, colours, and the process of creating.  

Inspiration comes from my extensive travels, imagination, and intuition. (Sometimes that can be messy!). Many of my paintings evolve into a united collection of shape, colour and a familiar story.    
                 
I am always delighted when someone relates to these creative mixes that reveal something of myself and with how they themselves feel about my work.

- Lynn Dubinsky

Embroidery artist Judi Miller is a participating guest artist in the Perth Studio tour next weekend in Perth - check out all the details and map for location! Going to be a wonderful show!

Show dates: August 27 to 29, 2021
Stop #5: 64 Gore Street East, Perth
https://www.artworksperth.ca/judi-miller.html
Click for the map to the studios.

I am a textile artist, an embroiderer.

My passion for textiles has been lifelong. I am grateful to have had people in my life that instilled in me their love of handmade and homemade goods. My Mum and Nana both sewed, knitted, crocheted, darned and mended. Sewing clothes and home furnishings, often out of necessity, was a way of life. The tactile nature of sewing and working with fabric felt natural to me.

In high school I sewed my own clothes, repurposed old/vintage clothes, made kids clothes and soft toys for craft shows. As much as I would have loved to pursue a fine arts degree, I completed a degree in Chemistry. I joined the Canadian Conservation Institute as an analytical chemist.

I particularly enjoyed following the work in the textile lab. I was especially fascinated by the variety of textiles that came into the lab, from household textiles to magnificent historic costumes and ancient textile relics.

I continued to sew, embroider, paint and sketch. Inspired by a family friend, I finally discovered that the stitch, sewing was my medium. I chose to use a needle, hand stitching as well as free motion machine embroidery as my tool, just as a painter would choose a paint brush. I love to sew.

I have practiced and continue to explore new ways to stitch. There are so many ways to create using thread.

I no longer evaluate myself in terms of other artists using more traditional media. I let my chosen medium and my experience take me on my own journey.

‘It’s almost like art’ is something I have heard numerous times from visitors at art shows. My motivation and inspiration is the same of most artists. I observe the power of the natural landscape. I endeavour to create work that honours those observations.

I use stitch to challenge the viewer with the old perceptions that the textile arts are just as valid as any traditional media.

Embroidery is an excellent medium to interpret the beauty of nature. I aim to create landscapes, rich in colour and texture to evoke emotion and capture a moment in time.

Now when a visitor, perhaps unfamiliar with textile art says ‘it’s almost like art’, I say ‘it’s exactly like art’ and enjoy the opportunity to have a conversation.

Judi Miller
@jmillertextileartist on Instagram
@judimillerartist on Facebook
www.judimiller.ca

I have been asked to write about myself…don’t you get a little apprehensive when asked to do this?… lets start at the beginning…just kidding:)
 
Firstly, I am thrilled to be a part of such a diverse and talented group of artists our 7 Works Collective. We learn so much from each other and now we are putting ourselves out there to share with you.  I hope that you are enjoying our newsletters and our art, I find that it is diverse and for most of us very different from what we usually do.
 
With regards to me lets begin with a word- Creative- this word has been used about me for as long as I can remember. My favourite time as a young girl would be sitting under the willow tree in my backyard and just write, colour and of course dream. As I got a little older I would “teach” to the neighbourhood kids using the steps up to the porch as desks. I was also a competitive swim team member of two teams and even had the pleasure of teaching “tiny tots” one summer. I have stripped furniture, calligraphed historical and important documents. I have painted in different mediums and still write poetry/short stories, songs all not published but just for the sheer joy of it. One other item that needs mentioning is my love of photography. I will always be a “student’ of photography- I have been out in nature, taken workshops, been on walks about with a group of photographers and even was lucky enough to photograph a model. I love taking photos for reference and for fun!
 
For me, art is painting, writing, designing art classes, partnering with other artists to teach and to run events as well as my own participation in shows, pop up shows, galleries and studio tours, demonstrations at conferences and Art Society’s here in Ottawa.
 
I have volunteered for Associations over the last 25 years and I have had the pleasure of meeting artists and calligraphers from a lot of different places and a myriad of different practices. I never tire of hearing about how other artists make their art. I don’t know if you have had the pleasure of just listening to someone talk about their art, it is fascinating to learn and “see” the process. If you haven’t attended an artist talk give it a try for fun!
 
Teaching has also been a great learning experience for me- the joy, frustration, eagerness and love of making art fuels the creativity and then ta da! the final piece. The pieces are so varied and I am always amazed at how one idea then becomes a part of many diverse works completed, it is captivating.
 
I also think that art is so much more than the finished product. It is the stories that accompany the pieces that are absolutely fascinating. Next time you attend an art show and see a piece that resonates with you ask the artist for the “story” behind the piece and I promise you that you will learn a little more about not just the art but the artist too.
 
I am influenced by what I love - family, friends, nature, music, writing, other artists and this thing called life.
If you are at all curious about the “stories” behind my art I have made it easy for you to find them. The stories behind the art page here: https://www.karenwynnemackay.com/paintings
 
If you would like to keep in touch you can always find me on my website and if you would like monthly contact sign up for my blog: https://www.karenwynnemackay.com/blog-3
 
Creatively yours,
Cheers,
Karen Mackay

I was the child who loved to make mud pies, build sandcastles, hold frogs and let the lake minnows bounce off my feet. If I sat on my hands, I couldn’t carry on a conversation – my hands had to be moving for the words to flow. Often, I unconsciously make decisions based on touch – the drape of a fabric, the firmness of a chair, the softness of a fruit.

Today, I am a fiber artist drawn to the tactile nature of my materials. Working with many different fiber textures to create, brings me inner peace. Similar to the hand movements that accompanied speech as a child, hand movements as an artist, help me crystallize my ideas and create art. If you find yourself waving your arms as though you are an orchestra conductor or if you make a grabbing motion in air when you are searching for a word or a memory, maybe like me, you see with your hands.

Jo-ann Zorzi
@jzorzi_silkartist/
joannzorzi.com

Where do artists find their inspirations? Some have specific muses but Catherine Gutsche finds her inspiration in her every day surroundings. These can be nature’s transient and unpredictable characteristics at home or on holiday that spark her creativity.
 
When it comes to nature it is the way imperfections stand out and become so captivating. Favourites are lichens on rocks, old crumbling bricks on a building or rusting metals as they melt and change colour. Often these layers of history can be scratched, rubbed and peeled back coming to life in a new way.

I never replicate my surroundings as I see them, I use their improvisations to spur on my painting process with my choices of colour, painting instruments, and feeling for the subject. Have you ever been in a place that you just had to preserve?

Catherine Gutsche
@catherinegutsche on Facebook
@gutscheartist on Instagram
www.catherinegutsche.com

So many novels and movies have been set in England around the historical River Thames, particularly in London. The waterway has been used for centuries by merchant ships and barges, influencing commercial pursuits and the location of important buildings and villages that were settled by the Thames. All of these activities have contributed to the contents in the water and the River’s mystery. Because of pollution the Thames is anaerobic - meaning, no oxygen. Items from centuries past, dropped or somehow left in the Thames, have been well preserved in the mud. Every day as the tide goes out a new bounty is revealed on the foreshore of the river. 

I often went to the Thames when I lived in London, mostly for walks during lunch at work or taking a water taxi to Hampton Court Palace with my son! During my last trip to London I spent a day on the Thames foreshore under Tower Bridge looking for pieces from the past - this practice is known as mudlarking. When holding a pottery shard, or piece of clay pipe, the sense of history was palpable. I imagined the Roman artisan who created the ceramic bowl or the spice trader who smoked the 17th century pipe. The river holds many beautiful secrets. I have collected items which I have used in mosaics and some of which I will keep when I have a yearning to visit the Thames. Do you collect treasures from the water?

Kathryn Spooner Bossy
@22mosaics on FB & Instagram
22mosaics.com