We welcome all of our friends and neighbors, from our Community and visitors across southern Ontario to join us at the Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning for our Resident Artists Exhibition in the Gallery, Lower Level from December 9 thru December 20th.

Come see what we have been up to this past year! Nine Tett Artists will be participating, including two new resident artists.

Mark your calendars for a unique holiday shopping experience.

Thank you to the Tett Centre for Creativity & Learning for donating the Gallery space.

Date: December 9-20, 2021

Mon. to Thurs. 11am - 5pm

Fri. & Sat. 12pm - 7pm

Sun. 11am - 5pm

Meet the Artists Friday, December 10th, 7-9pm

TETT Resident Artists:

Sasha French

Michelle Reid Art

Adele Webster Art

Natalie Bohnen-Twiddy

Bethany Lise Garner

Floriana Ehninger-Cuervo

Pengyuan Wang

Alice Melo Fine Art

Rhonda Evans

Location: Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning, 370 King St. W.

www.tettcentre.org

 

The ponds are refreshed with the rain waters that arrived in force last week. Traveling birds, fowl celebrate and lands are happily coming to life once again

So here we are in November and the days are getting shorter, the time clocks have changed to the FALL BACK range and we in Eastern Standard Time are struggling to try to remember that! The leaves are down and the trees are starkly grey and lonesome looking... with many gatherings of the birds and squirrels and small animals seeking shelter as the days are cooling.

Along the Catarquit Trail, Perth Road Village link, Ontario

The Kingston Fibre Artists Show at the TETT was a huge success with many of our art pieces finding new homes, and I have a wonderful new piece from Janet Elliott hanging in my home...

Her's is a story of angst and fires raging through Western Canada, but a reminder that we are not immune to tragedy and are the keepers of the land. This artwork will be passed along to my son and his son and hopefully, the message will travel forward - the EARTH is our responsibility! The trees, the fields, the birds, and the small and large animals.. all on our collective responsibility list! (Janet's piece is on the left in this show photo below).

Other works on this wall of beautiful art were created by Robin Law's Field, Seymone Armstrong Lori Everett and Wilma Kenny. Well done ladies - so beautiful.

The Kingston Weavers and Spinners had a wonderfully attended show from Thursday Nov. 4th through Sunday the 7th and we extend so many thanks to all of the many visitors - some who had never been inside the TETT Centre for Creativity and Learning and happened by, as well as the devoted fans that can't wait to shop the KHWS Sale each fall. Congratulations ladies.

Laurentian Lake #8, Joan Reive, Belleville, ON 2021

I had the pleasure of visiting with friends in the Quinte Fibre Artists group a week or so ago, and while on my way to Belleville, stopped to pick up my treasured artwork painted by pal, JOAN REIVE, and bring it home to add to my collection. This work is a treasure as Joan is a renowned Ontario and Canadian Artist - I am blessed.

Me - well I have been housebound due to a back injury for almost a week now, but mending nicely. 

Hoping to have some additional walking photos to share soon... see below... Cataraqui Trail. Until then... lots of HGTV, some reading including some new planning for weaving when I can get back to my looms. Looking forward to the last of fall days watching the weather change and my Lake Ontario view outside my Studio window tell her story!

Bethany

 Good news from our KINGSTON HANDLOOM WEAVERS AND SPINNERS GUILD Sales Team.

https://www.khws.ca/

TETT Centre for Creativity and Learning

370 King Street West, Kingston, ON

just east of Sir John A Boulevard and the Kingston Penitentiary (your landmark)

Our KHWS MEMBERS are invited to an 'early' opening on Thursday, November 4 beginning at 3:00 p.m. MEMBERS only - so this special two-hour event is a wonderful reminder to join in the fun of seeing the gorgeous displays and adding some amazing artwork pieces to your gifting (or personal stash).

And, we would love to have you consider joining our active and very wonderful Guildm at the TETT if you are not a member!! There is so much to learn and many wonderful, sharing members to teach and support you as you learn to weave, spin, make felt, and dye your cloth/fibre...It will be great to see you!

For everyone else in our Community of Fibre and Weaving lovers:

Our Annual KHWS Sale is the Rehearsal Hall on the second floor at the TETT Centre Art's Hub at 370 King Street West, just off Sir John A Blvd. in Kingston, and doors open at 5 pm Thursday!

- NO admission fee - we accept cash/cheque/credit/debit

- proof of full vaccine required with ID and sign in for contact tracing

Public hours are here below...

Thursday Nov. 4 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m

Friday Nov. 5 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Saturday Nov. 6 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Sunday Nov. 7 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 pm

For updates... follow us at FACEBOOK:https://www.facebook.com/kingstonhandloomweaversandspinners/posts/1865037040366460

The objectives of the Kingston Handloom Weavers & Spinners Guild are, to promote interest and education in weaving, spinning and related fiber arts.

Monthly meetings that feature guest speakers, demonstrations, show and tell, take place on the second Wednesday of each month, except July and August. There is a social time at 6:30 pm, followed by the general meeting at 7:00 pm. Members of the general public are very welcome to attend.

Members may take advantage of our workshops, equipment rentals, a fully equipped weaving and spinning studio, and an extensive library that includes hundreds of books, magazines and videos which cover topics such as spinning, weaving, knitting, dyeing and basketry.

The Guild welcomes all levels of interest in traditional and contemporary weaving, spinning and other textile arts and crafts.

Come see what we’re all about!

 

 

ART THREADS 

is open at the TETT CENTRE

370 King Street West, just off Sir John A Blvd. 

in the west end of downtown Kingston 

October 24-November 4, 2021

10 am to 4 pm, with artists in the Gallery for greetings

To our friends and always to visitors to the SAQA area across Ontario, the Kingston Fibre Artists welcome you to enjoy our Annual Show this next two weeks if you need a lovely ride to Kingston.

14 members, all creating the most beautiful art have finally had the opportunity to come back to the Gallery on the lower level of the TETT Centre for Creativity and Learning a located on the Lake Ontario Waterfront.  Our Opening was wonderful yesterday, and we enjoyed seeing many friends, community neighbors and distance visitors enjoying our art over the 10 am to 5 pm first day to visit the Gallery.  

Many of our members are or have been members of SAQA and we certainly have all benefitted from our associations with each of you along the way!

Please share and bring a friend for a lovely walk-through - the artworks are beautiful!! Just a little peek here... starting with the stunning artwork of DENISE SOKOLSKY... above. 

Artwork from left to right: Janet Elliott. Robin Laws Field (top), Seymone Armstrong, Lori Everett, center and far-right, and Wilma Kenny (two floral pieces)

Artwork above by Linda Coulter, Denise Sokolsky, top, Lori Everett, lower, followed by Hilary Scanlon (2 pieces one above the other), Lori Everett (pink and red/circles), and Carolyn Barnett, felted vest.

The group created small fabric boxes (about 30 of them) for support for next year's Gallery Rental and they were very popular - many going home to distances far beyond Kingston as gifts.

Many visitors stopped to chat and share their love of the artwork they were enjoying throughout the day. Our Artists were all there to share the stories of working through 18 months of pandemic lockdowns and staying creative and busy through those long months. 

All in all, Opening was a great day and very inspirational for the visitors and artists alike to be together in person once again - all COVID protocols in place, masks on, and QR codes checked at the door... a big change over the many years we have shared art with guests.

Artwork shared here created by Robin Laws Field, Bethany Garner, and Janet Elliott!

Many more wonderful pieces awaiting your visit! Hope to see you before November 4th... Everyone WELCOME!

Here we are in August and I have missed you during this pandemic year.. I have been busy, MAKING artwork to share. How about you?

CLOTH IN COMMON

 QUESTIONING, What's Next, Bethany Garner, 2021, Art Quilt

https://clothincommon.com/

Summer is flying by and it has been a busy albeit fairly locked down summer... and being able to create ARTWORK is all the fun I need to just keep working away during these days when we all are still pretty well homebound. We arts practitioners are busy enjoying walks, taking solace in the world around us, and yes, setting calendar dates for possible openings for galleries and shows. MAYBE even being together with the friends and relatives we all love so very much to be with... LIVE, in the same room or at least out of doors... a few feet apart!

Living in the beautiful City of Kingston, ON, and sharing the water views from Lake Ontario through my Studio window with a few visitors is wonderful! As the Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning opened its doors once again to the public - all Kingston Frontenac Health Unit rules in place and being observed so well, we are seeing a few visitors now and then. Many folks are just staying close to home and immediate family!!

I recently accepted an invitation to become a member of CLOTH IN COMMON, a tremendous 12 Artist Collective of the most amazing artists, living and practicing their art worldwide. Having followed this group for MANY years now as they shared their new artwork, created in the homes/studios that I would dearly love to be able to step into one day... I am honored to have this opportunity. Over the past few weeks, I finished my first contribution to the group's ROUND 3 Series. Each year, 6 quilts, created by each member, working on the agreed STRUCTURES theme and with a prompt by Karol Kusmaul to work on FACES.

My 40"h x 26"w quilt started with the base fabric from Cultured Expressions and owner Lisa Shepherd in New Jersey, USA. Her cloth lines are original, created by young artists in Africa, and are a group I have supported with cloth coming into my collection over many years. This piece is Jacquard linen, hand-dyed and purchased as a 2 m. piece. It speaks to me of the virus that is circulating through the background of our lives... and while yes, I know this piece was created long before we knew about the Covid-19 virus, the artist who created the cloth may have had experience with circulating. deep visions in her own creative mind.

I selected fabrics from my growing Marcia Derse collection, and drafted some small line figures and card stock patterns, and got going... creating a group of ten figures with BLANK faces - unknown but collective friends I may know, but perhaps are gathered somewhere about the world during these pandemic days. What are they considering - "QUESTIONING, What's Next". Africa has billions of humans who have not even seen a vaccine... no shots in arms, no outdoor vaccination centres, drive-throughs, health unit walk-in centres... AND SO MANY LIVES WERE LOST TO THE PANDEMIC..

The people gathered here in my workspace... each little figure a bit different and giving me the time to think about where we are, and who we could be if we just all pitched in to save the world!

The finish line was set by a "prompt sharing" on the 27th-31st of  July, when each member of the collective shared their work and story on our blog: (have a good peek and enjoy all of the series and artwork, and if you have time, go into Rounds 1 and 2 and see what has happened as the artists worked through the various themes and prompts over the years.

https://clothincommon.com/category/musings/

Finally, I added a series of hand-stitches and may add more now that the piece is "finished and framed (and yes, I can do that now, filling empty spaces carefully by hand). Hope you enjoyed the story!

See you along the way - at my Studio 214D the TETT Centre for Creativity and Learning on W. King Street in Kingston, or here at the blog. I will try harder to get back to posting along the way! Hard to believe we are walking into August! 

TETT CENTRE Zoom Talk... Please join me for an evening of chat and sharing of my Inspiration and art play as I created artwork during the Pandemic Days of 2020-2021... Everyone welcome!

 (photo inspiration, Virginia Spiegel, SAQA Artist, and arts practice friend)

ART of Creativity and Survival during the Pandemic

Bethany Garner

The Tett presents resident artist for a ZOOM presentation on May 20, 2021

6:30-8 pm in Studio D, Tett Creativity Studios

Registration: https://art-of-creativity-tett-talk-with-bethany-garner.eventbrite.ca 

During the past year, the time I have been able to spend with my Arts Practice while a Resident Artist at the TETT Centre's CREATIVITY STUDIOS has been a quiet meditation on the situation we have all been exploring together during the Pandemic Days here in Canada and specifically in Kingston.

I am so pleased to be one of nine Resident Studio Artists who each practice their skills and create amazing new art in their studios at the TETT. Since joining the cohort in 2019, I have so enjoyed the opportunity to share my skills and artwork with students and visitors across the Kingston and Frontenac County area and beyond. While time is available. we each use our studios to create as pandemic Health Regulations allow. The chance to be actively teaching our in-person classes has been restricted for quite a long time. 

WE MISS YOU, our art friends, dancers, musicians, and visitors!

This presentation allows me the chance to not only support the Kingston Arts Community through your registration and attendance at the TETT Centre's TETT TALK on May 20th but to have the time for sharing an evening of my artwork, talk about what inspires me to continue exploring new skills and techniques. It will be fun to enjoy an in-person chat with each of you attending and share how I have survived the quiet days and weeks during the pandemic's progression over the past 13 months.

I do hope that you will come along and enjoy time with our Community friends who love a Zoom talk... and the chance to have time for questions and share your thoughts about your artwork is important to me. We will have time at the end of my presentation to do just that!

Joining the presentation is easy: just click on the EVENTBRITE link at the top of the page and register through their tickets portal for your seat in our evening talk. The donations of your fee will go directly to the TETT Centre for the ongoing support of classroom events starting as soon as our KFL&A Public Health professionals are able to lift the restrictions for in-person classes at the TETT. 

We all look forward to those wonderful days with area friends and especially the youngsters to seek to come and visit and learn with us here at the TETT.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE THE LINK to register with friends near and far. Everyone welcome!

https://art-of-creativity-tett-talk-with-bethany-garner.eventbrite.ca 

I look forward to having time with you and please feel free to share our link for the talk... the more who attend, the more chance for YOU to share in the evening of slides sharing, artwork viewing and learning about my inspiration with friends around the world as I work on projects during these quiet days.

Bethany

www.bethanygarner.com

The TETT Centre, 370 King Street West, Kingston, ON

TWO GIRLS AND A CANOE, Bethany Garner, 2021 

Now on display at the Wellington County Museum and Archives in Elora/Fergus, ON

      Under the needle in Studio 214 D at the TETT, Bethany's new Indigo wall quilt ready for framing...

So, here we are in a "Shutdown" and it is Easter weekend, 2021...

Just thinking of the preciousness of this beautiful April 2nd Good Friday morning ...starting off as a beautiful day! The sun rises earlier now and the days are growing longer, and the clouds have been moving out. Bits and pieces of the world are seeming to fall into place as the green of newly sprouting tiger lily pants are just outside the bedroom window, and the crepe myrtle plants are coming back to life.

I have been creating art and using studio time for some "just be in the space" time. One new Indigo quilt hanging on the wall and another is awaiting its change for being under the needle. A goal is to work toward surrounding myself with Indigo this spring and celebrate BLUE - blue water and blue skies and all things blue. 

FOR THE LOVE OF BLUE, Bethany Garner 

The Blue Jay and the Northern Bluebirds are returning to our yard, seeking nesting. The trails are open and the creeks are flowing. Porcupines are coming out of hiding and climbing to the tops of the newly budding maples to feast on the first leaves. Coyotes have returned to howling at the moon, and this week, our grandson stood on the deck with our son and listened to the song... wondering and waiting to see them, but they never appear... 'just out there" somewhere nearby.

Creating for another Art Exhibition took a week or two off of March 2021...and "Pandemic Lockdown - PAIN" has winged its way via Priority Courier from Canada Post to the show... I hope.

This piece was created as a replacement for several art quilts I made for the same CONNECTIONS Fibre Artists show at the Grimsby Art Gallery in 2020 which was canceled. I sold the three pieces to help support the rental payments for my studio space at the TETT Centre, and they were only in my collection at the studio for a short time. I am always happy to see my work appreciated and become part of a collector's art in their home or office.

This piece just needed to express a story - behind the screen printed barbed wire is a story of days that made me pause and consider a bit clearer what life is all about. The words that are hand-stitched at the bottom (and this is not a great photo) reflect the pandemic days we are stepping into..

Family, Health, Outdoors, Cooperation, Love, Vaccine, Determined, Forgiven, Anger, Hikes, Participation, Reading, LIVE!

Black cotton, match-stick quilted, and hand-embroidered letters in the words. DONE!

So, as we move through the holiday weekend, and make our way along the "shutdown" days... may your lives be calm and the opportunity to create be a major part of your daily plans. Take some walks and be inspired by what is happening in the world around you. Take along your camera and share the beauty with others. 

Join an online classroom and make some new art in ways you have never thought of: My Plans are

* tor work through an amazing online "Community Stitch Challenge - Paper Samplers" class with Jennifer Collier through TEXTILEARTIST.org - great fun!

* to wind multiple warps for hand dyeing using both Procion Fibre Reactive Dyes and Natural Dyes

* to work on the OHS Weaving Unit One samples that need to be finished so I can get the warps I am dyeing onto the JANE 40 loom and keep that moving forward. 

* to work on Tien Chen "Krokbragd" weaving and try some at new pattern designing for the samples

* to work some magic on my new Ashford 32" rigid heddle loom - weaving linen yarns into stunning cloth for new art quilts (I have 32 cones of Boken's Linen ready to go!)

* to sell my ASHFORD Knitters Loom/Stand and four reeds - $450 (anyone interested)

* to find a new home for the 36" Leclerc Loom in my studio, with three reeds...$400

Have a wonderful walk into spring 2021 everyone - Happy Easter weekend...

The TETT Centre is open once again under the Province of Ontario "GREEN" status, and I would love to have you join me for this workshop so long in the waiting...

 

We have waited so long -  and I would be so happy to see you and have you join me for a day of fun!

Let's Stitch Again - JUST FOR THE LOVE OF BLUE

A Full-Day workshop for those who have worked with INDIGO Dyeing

and now are ready to create artwork using their beautiful cloth and yarns

Saturday, March 6th, TETT CENTRE FOR CREATIVITY AND LEARNING

10 am - 5 pm

ACTIVITY ROOM, Level One - better light for us and lots of plus for machines!

Bring your fabrics, sewing machine, and accessories 

Lunch available at the Juniper Cafe or Brown Bag, bring your own drinks

https://www.tettcentre.org/events/lets-stitch-again-just-for-the-love-of-blue

ALL STITCHERS ARE WELCOME - and your projects even if no indigo cloth is part of your plan may be worked on in this class - come play!

 I will be so happy to host the workshop day for up to 10 students in the workshop classroom at the TETT. Details here and registration is open through EVENTBRITE. Please visit the TETT Centre website and go directly to the EVENTS page where you can scroll down to find the link for the registration and all of the class details...

REGISTRATION LINK:

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/lets-stitch-again-for-the-love-of-blue-rescheduled-from-jan-23-2021-tickets-131326614439

Please feel free to contact me at www.bethanygarner.com, contact page 

or at bethanygarner.art[at]gmail.com

Bethany

All levels of experience are welcome.

Beth loves the chance to share her tips and guidance through the class for developing original design and assisting students to create a plan for the "making" part of the day with ease and creative energy built-in. Please know that this is a no fear classroom! Classroom samples will be shared!

Students: bring your cloth, threads, favourite sewing supplies including scissors and rotary cutting equipment if you have it (a rotary cutting station will be available in the classroom), and your sewing machine/extension cord or power bar for this play day. Hand- piecing is a welcome alternative. You choose! A supplies list reminder will be shared via email with registered students before the workshop.

NOTE: We at the TETT are working consistently to ensure the safety and health of our students: ensuring that our classrooms are safe and self-distancing, require that masks be worn inside the classroom, hand sanitizers are furnished and we are following the Kingston Frontenac Health Unit regulations for tracking student participation and maintaining contact tracing information.

Workshop tickets/ seats are non-refundable, but you may pass your ticket to a friend or family member or arrange to reserve the seat for a future date with your Instructor.

Hello 2021 and back to the blog...hoping you are well and safe during our "Stay at Home" time - Missing each of you!

Greetings Fibre Friends... 

I am finally back to the blog...starting the new year with a different take on sharing.  I hope to be able to continue with a more "reader-friendly" chat blog rather than always advertising classes and things to do... we are all doing a whole lot of "not much" just now, and that needs some support!

Has this been 'THE most difficult time in my life' for you and not just me?? I think about that a lot - and all of you.

I am so pleased that the calendar has turned and that we are all thinking about changes happening in the world that are on the POSITIVE side rather than focusing on difficult days. January has been just a bit scary lately - so hoping that you are all focusing on support for our Community, neighbors, and friends.

Here in Ontario, we are on a "soft lockdown" or pandemic holding period and once again a 'Stay at Home' order has been issued that is focused on keeping us all safe and protecting our neighbors and those we come into contact with as well as our family members and ourselves.

Sewing, design play, and my weaving practice continue in my Studio 214D space at the TETT. I am still traveling into Kingston (when the weather permits) to my little Stone-walled Artist's Studio at the TETT Centre here in Kingston, ON. It is both a sanctuary and a place to contemplate my next steps.

I am loving the camaraderie of the other six Creativity Studios Resident Artists and great artist friends who are allowed into our BIG EMPTY BUILDING because our Studio spaces are like apartment rentals - we can come and go, but it is lonely (and sad that we do not see friends and neighbors coming for their "Art" fix.) The Galleries are dark, the Weavers, Potters and Lapidary Guilds and the Dance School is not running classes at all... with the only people in the building being staff, and who are Guild members and have building access on a very limited basis. I have Lake Ontario just outside my window, so the days pass quickly, watching the skies and the changes in water and weather...

Busy working on a new project quilt - for the CONNECTIONS FIBRE ARTISTS group exhibition entitled "RE: Connections" that was to open in FERGUS, ON in early February. The Opening is now delayed by the pandemic shut down. We are hoping for a Gallery Opening for the exhibition with limited admission for visitors on February 20th (please follow the Wellington County Museum and Archives website for more information), but there will not be our normal and much-loved Opening Reception this year.

This artwork just happened - fun, bright colours and with a focus on an artifact from the Museum's Archives - "Two Girls and a Canoe". Based on a photo that I selected to use for my inspiration.

The quilt is in the last stages of the quilting process and will perhaps be done today - with borders to be added before the week is our and frame mounting to happen soon. I will be adding some photographs soon that will be fused onto the finished surface, and lend a hint to my inspiration. Below is the inspiration photo from 1915.

I will be adapting some silk organza prints of  'Two Girls in a Canoe - A Century Later' into the final piece... tracking and finding photos is good fun... sample below.

Have a good week ahead and I hope to be able to post more often...

Note that my "Let's Stitch Again - Indigo Cloth Piecing" class scheduled for January 23rd has been postponed once again and will not happen now until March.

Miss seeing you...

bethany