GORDANA BRELIH returns to Fibreworks Kingston with her all new SURFACE DESIGN workshop: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER - CONNECTING FRAGMENTS September 18-20, 2015

          

 

Putting It All Together…Connecting Fragments

 

Gordana Brelih, Instructor

 

September 18-20, 2015

 

St. Lawrence College

945 Portsmouth Ave

Kingston, ON

 

Friday evening Lecture/Trunk Show 7-9 pm

 

Two Full Workshop Days 

 

Saturday and Sunday 9:30 - 4 pm

 

 

The Sunken Palace, Gordana Brelih

Traveling with THREADWORKS 2013 

 

 

Do you ever wonder what to do with your many samples from different workshops, fabric scraps, lace, eco-dyed silk, wool, beads, metal finds? You will work closely with Gordana over this weekend of stitch and design play to develop the plans to create all new work as you "put it all together". Your work may be collaged onto black felt while planning  one special dimensional piece, or you might consider mounting your design stretched onto a frame…

 

There are so many options this dynamic artist uses in her own prize-winning art that will be shared during this fun-filled, design focused workshop. Time to explore, plan, sketch, dream and stitch!!!

 

detail, CIRCLE OF MEMORIES, Gordana Brelih

Free motion machine and hand stitching will complement your  stitched designs which might include techniques shared in class: heat modified/burned felt, stamping, wax resist printing, stitching onto water soluble film, painting Stitch-witchery or Wonder Under fusible , mono-printing on fabric,  gold foil, and so much more. In this fast paced, technique-packed weekend, there will be time to learn many new skills and practice laying out several new designs for your upcoming exhibition entries or just personal satisfaction and artistic growth! 

You will try your hand at drawing and stitching on a muslin base and preparing it for inclusion in your art work after painting or other colouration techniques including embellishment with shiva sticks, artists inks or gel pens etc.  Gordana loves to share her best loved tools and will work with her students one-on-one to share favourite stitch rhythms, and encourage practice over the two days to help with free motion design play using many types of threads and stitches.
 

 

 

Lets be creative!

So many techniques to explore that are the specialty of this dynamic and inspirational artist. Please plan a visit to Gordana's website at  http://www.brelihart.com and take the time to walk though her galleries for inspiration.


Artist Profile:

Gordana Brelih studied at the Academy of Applied Art and Design in Belgrade before immigrating to Canada in 1991. Following a successful career in fashion design, Gordana discovered quilting in 2002.  After receiving a strong grounding in traditional quilting she began experimenting with different techniques. These experiments cultivated a devotion to all forms of quilting and a love of hand-embellishment, free motion embroidery and machine piecing.

Her work has been in many, many exhibitions and she continues to experiment and stretch her talent in many new directions. Experimenting with all new techniques keeps her busy in the studio when not traveling the world with her family and friends.

Gordana has put many hundreds of hours into her work, stitch-by-stitch, adding lustrous threads, beads and non-traditional materials like paper and metal. Her art definitively takes on a life of its own. Please enjoy!

 

Three Leaves, THREADWORKS, Gordana Brelih

 

 In 2010 she received the Grand Prize at Threadworks and Curator's Choice Award at renowned Canadian "The Grand National" Quilt Exhibition. Her work has traveled across Ontario and Canada.

Please mark your calendar NOW and register for this exciting workshop soon, seats will fill quickly...

Registration information is on the side bar here at FIBREWORKS KINGSTON Blog and REGISTRATION IS OPEN... as final plans are underway for several additional dynamic workshop weekends this next year.

Mail Registrations to:

Bethany Garner, FW Coordinator
3275 Orser Road
Elginburg, ON K0H1M0

Information: fibreworkskingston@gmail.com

And just for inspirations sake, please enjoy a few more photos of Gordana's beautiful art work:

 

 

Triptych, World of Threads, Gordana Brelih

 

Shield of Colour, 2011, Gordana Brelih



SHIMMER, Gordana Brelih, at CELEBRATING THE SEVEN, 2014
Wellington County Museum

Weekend Workshop with DIANNE GIBSON hugely creative and enjoyed by all...THANKS so much Dianne!

Walking through a creative weekend is all about FUN and FRIENDS

The classmates with DIANNE GIBSON  at end of Day Two -, tired, packing up and happy!

 

We welcomed Dianne to Kingston as she shared a wonderful talk and trunk show of her beautiful textile art on Friday evening May 22nd at St. Lawrence College. For the thirty or so who attended the talk and presentation, it was a treat to see the pieces we know and love in her collection that are available for sharing. Hearing from Dianne about the processes and inspiration that are the impetus for her new work made the pieces on her display table much more important and familiar as we toured the table and asked questions. She shared her experience and stories of the reality and ups and downs of being a Studio Artist, including being faced with a hugely successful commission project that would have scared off any artist other than Dianne. A great evening for all in attendance.

Knowing how important careful planning is to a class of students before beginning with the basics of making sure you have materials that work and that inspire creativity, Dianne made sure that there were beautifully presented samples of her technique work to introduce to the students over the two days of workshop fun.  Her students enjoyed a truly BUSY and exciting design/stitch focused  weekend of assembling small works that will be developed into a focal point for perhaps a much larger piece after the workshop. While many had come to the workshop with some similar experience, there was Dianne's 'artists viewpoint' that meant so much to each of us.
 

glorious line study....

Design boards and walls filled quickly as the students developed a feel for layering the many various textures and colours of fabrics and bits of yarns, paper, grids of crisscrossed textures and more into  small works of art. The pieces amassed quickly as the process fell into place and the piles and piles of inspirational fabric, sheers, yarns, beads and other embellishments brought into the classroom by the students poured out onto tables. Here are a few pieces that inspired us so much MORE....

if I remember correctly, this is Mary Andrews Minigan's work

New friends often gathered at each others tables to network and chat about possibilities, and at the end of the second day, the 'show and share' table filled with results that WERE art, and evoked a feeling of accomplishment and awe as the assembly process explored and thoughts about next steps for each piece was discussed among the students.

the work of Margaret Morris

More and more pieces came to the review table at the end of day two, while others remained at the students' tables for further embellishment and stitch. Discussions around exploring assembly options, the amount of stitch to be added, and the possible taking of a piece into a totally new composition were enjoyed by the new friends from across Ontario. One of the great things about FIBREWORKS has always been the sharing, the new friendships and the links created as students introduce themselves and their own individual talents throughout the weekend.
 

Surely some of the best options came out of just playful "trial and error" and the addition of small bits shared among the women working around the room. There is never too much to bring, but there is often not just the right bit to take a design to the finish line... so friends sharing with friends solves that problem with ease. I saw pieces at one table in the morning that had moved into a lovely artful creation hallway across the room by afternoon!

Dianne with Robynne Cole - art pals from Niagara Region
 

 

Dianne was so busy circulating the room and sharing her expertise and advise with students that it was hard to catch her for a great photo, but knowing that she was there was a solace when a dilemma emerged. Great quotes she shared on the front white board inspired and reminded us that art comes from within, and that determination and a commitment to finish ensure great results! We saw those yellow posts all through the weekend! Again, thanks Dianne.....




created by Garrie Joyce

 

Beautifully executed designs emerged all weekend, with so many variations and individual artists special touches. Collaboration, and the fun of sharing their comments like  'maybe move this' and 'oh, add a bit of that' helped along the way as the pieces grew and morphed into a final design. That in itself was a huge treat to witness.

 

One dilemma was just where to lay the stitch to ensure that all of the threads were at least temporarily held in place. Using the Pellon 551 Sol-U-Film water soluble stabilizer, introduced to the group by Dianne, both under and over the collage of threads and fabric bits meant there could be some measure of control during the stitching stage, which resulted in a web of pieces that could be applied to a background for further development. Sharing tips and resources was a highlight of the weekend.....

 

Nelly Kamphuis created a stunning design..

Several of the artists got right to work and before day two had ended had design boards literally filled with inspired designs. Sometime a series emerges that might result in a collage in a whole cloth, large size piece, or a selection of smaller framed works for display.

We enjoyed hearing from class student, Diane Eastham, author and art quilter... who shared her 10 year journey of discovering the foundations of connecting to your creative genius..."exploring, developing and expressing creative capacity". Diane is an award winning internationally recognized artist in her own right, and shares her many suggested resources that may be of value to you...

And here is a link to her new book 'BLAZE OF COLOUR, Embracing Creativity" .





a beautiful series of work by Dianne Eastham

 

As I look back, if day one was a suggestion of what was to come, I found at end of day that my photos captured innovative, and design focused small works that can stand alone or be a foundation for larger work. Just circling the room over the two days and stopping to contemplate where the idea may have come from, how the layering and stitch enhanced the design play was certainly inspiring to me.

Design board of Ann Armstrong

Was it a picture of something seen in a garden while on vacation in Costa Rica this past winter??? Certainly the visions of those gardens might have influenced the designs evolving at Hilary Scanlon's table... the colours and line frame that vision, but could be many different things to each individual viewer... and isn't that what art is all about. Interpretation, contemplation and joy!

Hilary Scanlon - a dynamic original

Or a pair of jeans that had to be rescued and the amazing embroidered section from a leg used as a backdrop to an all new piece of fibre art... Lynn Young thought so and her stash revealed the perfect piece for this collage.




Lynn Young saved a favourite pair of jeans here

Creating with fibre, bits of ephemera and cast offs from other projects can bring us the true exhilaration of seeing art develop right before our eyes, and some of the students just kept that art coming all weekend. As the second day passed, the numbers of pieces mounted on sewing tables and the results were wonderful!

'Starting points', Joyce Macdonald - more evolved



Wonder where this one will go next? - Nelly Kamphuis

 



Overall, "MIXED MEDIA ASSEMBLAGES" with Dianne Gibson was definitely a great spring  workshop with a terrific Artist/Instructor!

 

We have reached  the end of our FIBREWORKS Kingston Weekend Workshops Series for this year.... but stay tuned. We will be announcing what is to come for Fall 2015 and Spring 2016 in mid June. Please keep the link for FIBREWORKS on your bookmarks page and check in  at the blog to see who our Instructors will be and what great workshops they will bring your way. Do plan to join us for more exciting workshops in the new fibre focused year starting in September.

 

Bethany Garner

Fibreworks Coordinator/Registrar

www.fibreworkskingston.blogspot.ca

fibreworkskingston@gmail.com

Please join me as we WELCOME our Guest Instructor DIANNE GIBSON at her evening lecture May 22, 2015 at St. Lawrence College

 FIBREWORKS KINGSTON WEEKEND WORKSHOP

presents an 

EVENING LECTURE AND SHARING OF THE ART OF

DIANNE GIBSON

Fonthill, ON Artist

7-9 pm

Room 12040

St. Lawrence College

Light refreshments

EVERYONE WELCOME

I am so pleased to announce that a wonderful friend and outstanding Instructor, Dianne Gibson will be arriving in Kingston on Friday, May 22nd to share an evening talk about contemporary fibre art, and share many pieces of her beautiful work with the Lecture attendees.

Waterfall by Dianne Gibson

The Lecture will be held in Room 12040 on the Upper Level in the Link Corridor just off the Administrative Wing. Our guests may come in through the main doors of the college and walk through the cafeteria and into the Link Corridor. Classroom 12040 will be on your right near the end of the corridor.

Alternatively, guests and students may come into the campus off Country Club Drive, and turn into the SECOND entrance and drive past the technology building which faces on Country Club across from the Golf Course Clubhouse. 

There will be a parking lot just past and behind the Tech building where you are close to the entry door. Turn right into that lot and you will be facing Door E12 which is the entry to take to come to our Lecture. Take the stairs up or ride the elevator and turn left into the Link hallway. The classroom will be on your left.

There will be signage all along the way to the classroom.... and you will be my guest - no entry fee for the Lecture evenings this year!!!

We have two seats available in the workshop... and you can  click on the Workshop #4 - Dianne Gibson page on the right sidebar here at the blog for all of the details. 

Workshop Registration forms and information is available on the sidebar as well.

Please make time to come meet and, if at all possible, spend time in the Weekend Workshop "MIXED MEDIA ASSEMBLAGES" with Dianne and friends.



BIO:

Dianne Gibson is a textile and mixed media artist who grew up in Niagara Falls, studied at the Ontario College of Art and now lives in Fonthill.  

She has been exhibiting her work for over 20 years and is an active member of the Connections Fibre Artists group. Her artwork has been featured in both Canadian and International publications; and the atrium of the Niagara Regional Headquarters houses her 24’ permanent installation.

A passion for textures and a fascination with experimentation are major influences on her art.  Drawn to the juxtaposition of hard-edged materials combined with the softer qualities of fibres, Dianne consciously looks for unique combinations of materials to construct the textured surfaces that fascinate her. She says, “It’s a wonderful excuse to collect an endless array of tools and treasures, to play with.”

See you at St. Lawrence COLLEGE

Friday evening May 22, 2015 - 7-9 pm! 

BRING FRIENDS

Absolutely a stunning weekend with HOLLY DEAN and thirteen creative and really talented students!!

Muse Journal created by Frankie Lemonde Meunier

When a truly talented Artist/Instructor (and amazing new friend) walks into a classroom, and not knowing any of her students, can take a group from "I don't think this is my bag" to "WOW...look what happened - I love it!" you have to know you are in a good place. Excitement reigned....

 

One of Holly's special MUSE JOURNALS, with mica...

We welcomed Holly Dean on Friday evening to deliver her evening talk at St. Lawrence College, and along with her came the beautiful work that so represents her special skills - her unique and evident talent as a painter, designer, mentor and coach! We knew from the table of beautiful art in front of us that this was going to be a great weekend of experimental PLAY!  The beautiful MUSE JOURNALS Holly brought for us to see and share over the weekend as inspiration were certainly a treat - and perhaps, for a lucky few, to take home to enjoy for a lifetime!

The Lecture evening audience on this busy spring Friday was small, but all enjoyed learning more about Holly and her work, her studio and her techniques. Most importantly, the smiles at the end of the day on Sunday underlined the grateful thanks the so well received instruction this very special artist brought our way was received ... and we will all look forward to more time with Holly in the future. (Needless to say, she comes HIGHLY recommended for other groups and Guilds.)

Holly with Hilary Scanlon, FW Coordinator, retired

The students took the lessons Holly shared to heart, and began their day on Saturday taking lots of notes and asking many questions about the paints and gel mediums that Holly uses most often and shared  during the "orientation" part of  Day One as a great jumping off point. 

We talked about the book board sets received in our "kit" prepared by Holly that contained everything we needed to create our Journals, save for paints and our own special touches. She walked us through the process for accepting the white canvas boards as our "all original, personal base for new art" - her challenge for the weekend. The paint palettes and paper plates which held the student's chosen colours came out along with a variety of brushes and the work began...

Favourites for use on the covers, GOLDEN Fluid acrylics

Holly walked us through the many options for using the paints we had brought from our stash and generously allowed us to use her paints to add some wonderful, luscious colour as needed. We learned much great information about the properties of the various paints and gels as we worked through the project on Saturday.

Gel mediums used most often - Soft Gel and Extra Heavy

Each step of the painting, collage work was shared in demonstrations by Holly, and with many of the special elemental bits Holly brought to share with her students... the work got underway swiftly. 

Holly's demonstration covers finished beautifully!!!!

Some of the students were quickly using Gel Mediums as "glue" for the first time, while other participants were very experienced and raced toward the finish line goal of having both covers painted and decorated by the end of the first day - both inside and outside...  really good fun to watch!

Tools of the trade included lace from old linens, photos that inspired, corrugated cardboard to cut into shapes to tell the story, old "door keys" from hotel stays, ribbons, wigs, cut paper shapes etc.

Frankie Lemonde's Journal underway at the design stages

Students with lots of experience with design using black and white printed text and other papers as a jumping off point, like our special friend Marion Spanjerdt, got started this way (below) by layering on specifically chosen and placed cut outs and developing the "story line" on top of their book board covers using gel mediums to secure the pieces to their design board...

Marion's wonderful underlay of  B & W copies - amazing start!

Using some transparent paints as a wash of colour, and adding elements of brushstrokes and highlights with metallic paints, the book covers began their journey...

Do you recognize the B & W under a first layer of acrylic paints???

The artists in the classroom stretched their designs in many directions... with bits and pieces of card stock, beads, buttons, torn paper lettering and so much more. The classroom went nearly silent while the students worked on Saturday, and save for a few consultations, special videos Holly shared, lunch break and some side conversations along the way, the day passed very quickly... covers evolving, smiles and determined study and the asking of  "what's possibly next?" - everyone seemed pretty happy at the end of a long, creative day.

Diane Hogan's Journal as posted on Holly's Facebook page... really terrific!

Greta Kristiansen's beautifully finished and stitched Journal!

Painting "signature wraps" and cutting them for the insertion on Day Two along with the eight sets of six pages making up the signatures of folded papers for their Journals kept students busy late Saturday afternoon and for some, into Sunday morning. 

Selecting just the right paints and designs to add effects to the edge wraps as you opened the Journal took decision making to new heights. Bone folders and the special "jig" trays designed for lining up the holes perfectly on the signatures before insertion for stitched Coptic Bindings came in awfully handy though out this process.

The tables quickly filled with painted sets of signatures, punched and ready for the stitching lesson for adding the Coptic binding to join the covers to the signatures and the finishing steps like signing the inside of the Muse Journals.  

All worked perfectly with careful listening, steady hands, concentration on the job at hand. The beautifully varied student made journals soon came to life at the stitch table... the technique of the stitched Coptic binding, a lesson well learned.

Hilary's beautiful Journal at the end of Sunday...

Crystal Patry's journal was painted in mythical browns and bronze.

The journal above, created by Crys, was a first try at painting and collage of elements as she began the process of creating her covers. She chose a stunning palette of gold, browns and bronze, and with some special effects created with stamps and the addition of the cardboard buttons and birdcage, her Journal is a treasure.

The special cover design created by Sarah Toomey

Sarah worked away quietly at her table, focusing in on using torn shapes in candy papers and laying on the paints. The beaded embellishments she separated, glued onto her covers with gel medium, and over-painted were fascinating. Sarah wiped away paint to create very special effects for her Journal and end wraps ... and the stunning background technique of layered paints was amazing to watch develop under Sarah's experienced hand...

Cath Adele created a stunning Journal cover (above) using collaged cloth and her carefully laid stitches. She created a  woven back cover made from painted papers, strips of cut clothing patterns and text. So beautiful - a journal to last a lifetime and bring her great memories of her visit to a first Fibreworks Weekend Workshop and the Kingston area... do come back, Cath!

New pals at the end of the weekend ....Hilary, Cath and Holly (below)  just as the tables were cleaned off, as the students had headed home and with just enough time to finish off last stitches with Holly's special personal care . Time for thank you's, smiles and some hugs as the workshop wound down!!!

THANK YOU HOLLY... what an amazing weekend. You brought us so much joy!

Please join me as I welcome HOLLY DEAN to Kingston Friday evening, April 17th as our FW Guest Instructor presenting her "CREATING THE MUSE JOURNAL" Weekend Workshop

 

A rare book of your own where you can spill your thoughts & ideas, hopes & fears, dreams & desires. Write, sketch,
doodle & paint...

Each unique Muse Journal is hand-made & signed by Holly Dean. Original hand-painted canvas panels become covers. Signatures are wrapped with decorative paper and a sturdy Coptic binding allows the journal to lie flat when open.

Muse Journals make great for gifts for creative people… including you.

Follow your Muse!

LECTURE and SHARING OF HOLLY'S WORK

Friday evening, April 17th

7-9 pm

St. Lawrence College, Room 12040

Upper level in the Link Corridor

Administrative Wing, Door E12

Light Refreshments

Enter the campus off King St./Country Club Drive. Follow second entry drive, right turn into parking

lots behind  the Technology Building (facing Country Club Drive). 

Enter Door E12, with steps to upper level. Elevator behind the stairway.... turn left into the corridor linking Administrative Wing to Cafeteria. Room 12040 will be on your left, second doorway after walking through the large Double Doors.

Everyone Welcome - bring a friend(s).....

Bethany Garner

FIBREWORKS Coordinator