Classics Reimagined

You Are A Single Star
fifty year old appliques, velvet, naturally dyed wool, 89 x 89 inches
hand stitched, 2024

When I was a bride, I made a dresden plate quilt from sewing scraps.  it became worn out after years of use, and in 2019, I began mending it by unpicking the plates and then re-applying them to new wool cloth that I've coloured with local plants. Some of the original patches were worn through, so I replaced those few with silk velvet.  My sensuous youth is held in these stitches.  Judy Martin

Helen Adams, The Textile Curator, was invited by the Surface Design Association to put together a virtual exhibition from the membership.  She decided on the theme of Classics Reimagined, and chose thirty pieces; One of them was Judy Martin's large hand stitched quilt, You Are A Single Star.  

Please visit the virtual exhibition at this link and see the entire show.    

Edge of the Forest

A travelling exhibition of work by Canadian members of the International Surface Design Association opens March 11 at the Richmond Hill Centre of the Performing Arts, Toronto Ontario Canada.

53 Artists from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland are in the exhibition.  Rachel Miller, head of textiles at Sheridan college, Toronto, Line Dufour master weaver, and Joe Lewis, writer about textile art, juried the exhibition.

The  artists juried into the exhibition are:

Anni Hunt  

Judi Alexander

Marci Horswill

Lois McArthur

Eleanor Hannan

Judi MacCleod

Jennifer Love

Laura Feelus

Jean Cockburn

Robin Wiltse

Lilly Thorne

Deborah Dumka

Patt Wilson

Bryony Dunsmore

Gloria Daly

Connie Chapman

Shamina Senaratne

Linda Coe

Joanna Rogers

Morag Orr-Stevens

Thomas Roach

Lesley Turner

Terry Phillips

Katie Stein Sather

Jill Sullivan

Donna-Fay Digance

Susasn Fae Haglund

Lorraine Ross

Diane Duncan

Terri Illingworth

Leslie Barnes

Mahira Murad

Siri McCormick

Wendy Klotz

Janet Scruggs

Donna Stockdale

Hilary Johnstone

Gwen Klypak

Leila Olfert

Ingrid Lincoln

Amanda Onchulenko

Mary Kroetsch

Jenny Iserman

Maggie Vanderweit

Barbara Goldstein

Mita Giacomini

Lorraine Roy

Pat Loucks

Kay Stanfield

Wilma Butts

Kelly Jane Bruton

Rikki Blitt, Melanie Siegel and Sheila Thomson formed an Edge of the Forest team and organized this exhibition.

Melanie Siegel and Sheila Thomson also each have a piece in the exhibition (curator's circle).

As well as two venues in Toronto and one in Belleville Ontario, the show travels to Newfoundland in August to be exhibited in Gros Morne national park.  It will remain in Gros Morne until October 18 as one of the major exhibits of the Fibre arts Newfoundland conference.  The team hopes that the exhibition will continue to travel across Canada well into 2016.

Judy Martin was asked to choose one piece for the award of excellence.  (nearly an impossible task)
She chose Sanctuary, by Gloria Daly of Duncan B.C.

"I have made my choice after much careful looking and consideration.Gloria Daly's piece, Sanctuary, is a very strong piece.  
The simplicity of the archetypal cross shape grounds the design, and draws the viewer from across the room.  Close inspection of the mix of interesting stitches and multiple layers that the artist placed with care and consideration is a reward for heart and mind.  Impeccable workmanship throughout, including the finishing.
Everything in this piece invites and deserves contemplation.
So many of the pieces were strong in this exhibition.  Congratulations to all the artists and to the organizers.Judy Martin

There is an amazing website about the Edge of the Forest exhibition with each artists's statement about and an image of their Edge piece .  Links to all the artists' websites are also included.  Click here for the Edge of the Forest website.