7 Works Collective artists residency from home

Challenge Two

Our next challenge was from Textile artist Judi Miller.

"Forest Floor", 8"h x 8"w, free motion embroidery, $400, framed

Forest Floor was inspired during a spring artist's residency in Wales, 2017. The lush forests in the Welsh hills were a new and exciting place to explore. The differences and similarities to our Canadian landscape were both exciting and comforting at the same time. All forest floors have so much they could tell us, each image captured changes with time, temperature and light. Each luscious view has a tale of its own.

I use free motion machine embroidery to create my work. The colour and texture of the threads are like paint and the sewing machine needle like a paintbrush.

7 WORKS COLLECTIVE PROJECT

Residency Replaced

Kathryn Bossy

"I Went Barefoot"
6”h x 6”w, mixed media mosaic with Japanese paper, glass beads, Italian smalti, stained glass, wire and glass tile
$185, unframed, ready to hang

Every summer meant 2 months at our family cottage at Lake Clear. As soon as we could, socks and shoes were put away and going bare foot was the norm. There is something so connecting and satisfying walking barefoot through a forest. The floor is so soft and inviting and a wonderful sensory experience.

Mario Cerroni

"Forest Floor"
14"h x 11"w, cyanotype print on 140lb (300g) watercolor paper
$150, ready to frame

Cyanotype is an alternative photographic printing process that dates back to the 1840's.

In this case, the chemically treated paper is used as the base to print a digital negative. The print is exposed using UV light and then developed in an acidic water bath. Similar to a custom dark room print, each cyanotype is an original one of a kind print.

Lynn Dubinsky

"Evening Forest"
8"h x 10"w, acrylic on Aquarius watercolour paper
SOLD, ready to frame

My thoughts here are of a dense forest with beams of light filtering through to the forest floor.

Catherine Gutsche

"Beneath My Feet"
20"h x 20"w, mixed media on watercolor paper mounted on a birch wood cradled panel
$600, unframed, varnished sides, ready to hang

No one walks through the forest without looking down. If they do they will trip on the rocks and roots. Judi's observation of the forest floor inspired me to pick up on the colours beneath my feet of the mosses, leaves and wood. I called upon many enjoyable walks on forest trails enjoying the greens, yellows and browns in my environment.

Karen Wynne Mackay

"Beneath the Forest Floor"
20"h x 20"w, acrylic
$450, unframed, ready to hang

As soon as I saw Judi’s piece and heard the description I was immediately brought back to Isle of Skye, Scotland. Memories of walking up an ocean side path that led to the remnants of my great grandmothers family home.

Beneath the forest floor made me think about how the earth holds the remnants of our ancestors footsteps, stories, tears and blood. I didn’t listen to music or a podcast, I was too busy listening to the stories in my mind. Once again I loved this inspiration that had me thinking outside the box.

Jo-ann Zorzi

"under and over"
12"h x 12"w, silk fiber drawing/fusion with stitching
$150, unframed, ready to hang

The silk fibers that I use are very much like the blades of grass and the tree needles that you find in a forest.

They bend and twist with a light breeze and lay randomly scattered while somehow still being in a beautiful arrangement.

Challenge Three