BirdBrain Designs

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Two great fibre exhibits on my holiday

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I was in London when the Fashion Textile Museum had its exhibit of the work of Orla Kiely.  I’ve long been a fan of her work and it was so interesting to see her process up close–pages from her sketchbook and samples of her clothing and bags.

Here is my sketchbook page from the day. 

Then, totally unexpectedly, I stumbled into an amazing textile sculpture show in Isle de la Sorge in Provence. Next to our sketching site was La Fondation Villa Datris and inside and outside were amazing fibre sculptures. From Sonia Delaunay and Sheila Hicks to others I had not been introduced to, this was a thrilling exhibit. The museum staff were incredibly welcoming and I wandered happily taking photos both in the gallery and in the amazing garden. 

I was particularly interested in the work of El Anatsui who “has managed to turn salvaged materials into a mainspring of the creative process. His work questions global commercial exchanges, the destruction and the transformation of materials, symbols of events that spread across the African continent.” (quotation from museum notes)

And in the garden the sculptures of Odile de Frayssinet who winds polypropylene rope on wire frames and then uses fire to give her pieces “skin with a half-animal, half-plant appearance.” (museum notes)

Next stop London, day one and two

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We stayed in Kensington where the sketching opportunities were limitless. The charming mews in the area beckoned and the Victoria & Albert and Hyde Park were just a few blocks away. I loved the Frida Kahlo floral sculpture in the V&G garden.

In Hyde Park, we saw the Diana fountain which is unexpectedly beautiful, running like a brook over changing terrain. You could not help but feel her spirit there as the children played in the water and people sat sunning. And right there as well on the Serpentine was Christo’s latest installation, 7000 oil barrels forming a kind of pyramid. We didn’t realize what it was until I read about it in the Guardian. And finally we saw the Peter Pan statue and nearby birds and squirrels everywhere feeding out of people’s hands. I felt that Mary Poppins would appear around the next corner. It is a magic place!

And then there was the Canada Fountain in the park just behind the Canada Gate across from Buckingham Palace. I’m including a photo of the plaque so you can read the description of this moving sculpture and the sacrifice of so many Canadian lives. It was a moment to contemplate what it means to be a Canadian.

June travelling: first stop Glasgow

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I started my trip in Glasgow and spent several days walking around this magnificent city. Glasgow was my first European city which I visited when I was seventeen. It has a special place in my heart. This visit coincided exactly with the tragic fire at the Glasgow School of Art so it wasn’t just the cloudy skies that made the city subdued. 

In spite of this sadness, the loss of the wonderful interior of the historic building, just lovingly restored after an earlier fire, the Glaswegian sense of irreverence and fun is everywhere. Across from my hotel was the Museum of Modern Art with its statue of Wellington on horseback. On his head were two traffic cones.

The city was going to raise the plinth on which Wellington and horse stand to prevent such adornments, but there was such an outcry that officials reneged, and Wellington remains with cones. 

The taxis in the city also add to the frivolity–a welcome flash of colour in an often dreary climate.

I did some sketches, sometimes dodging the showers in a café…

and sitting on available steps…

Visited the marvellous Kelvingrove for a Charles Rennie Mackintosh exhibit…

and found the Hatrack, a delightful Art Nouveau beauty wedged into the street. This article describes the building as “Gaudi-esque”… I thought Mackintosh had designed this, but the article says it was designed by his associate , James Salmon. Either way, it is a delight!

After a marvellous visit with family, I took the train for a short stop in  Edinburgh…

with a timely reminder from Sir Walter Scott in the Waverley Train Station…

my new travel bag

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I’m travelling to Glasgow, London and Avignon this month. The trip involves lots of train travel, some of it solo, so I decided I needed a new travel bag to accompany my backpack and rolling suitcase. There was no question that I wanted a cross-body bag with a wide adjustable strap, large enough to carry all travel essentials, including a sketchbook and paints. I also wanted an outside zipper pocket and lots of pocket options inside. 

It is 14.5″ wide, 14″ tall with a 4.5″ base. Inside there is a zipper pocket and two slip pockets. It’s lined with the last piece of the fabric from last year’s sale at the TMC  and the pockets are from another TMC remnant. I love to make each bag different inside and durable upholstery fabric works very well. Low profile metal hardware. I’ll let you know how it performs on its first test run and then I’ll make a few for sale.

second time

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I’ve mentioned before that I try to wear second hand clothing or clothing designed and made by local designers. Since I have an amazing store, City Revival, in my neighbourhood, finding the right gently-used clothing is pretty easy. Shopping this way is definitely better for the environment and it’s far more economical…and as I don’t much enjoy shopping anymore, it means I can find what I need in one stop: shoes, coats, dresses etc. 

And sometimes there is a bonus. I was delighted to find a very large pair of men’s leather pants on a recent visit to CR. These are made in Canada out of fabulous leather. You can see one leg laid out flat and the other rolled in two pieces. Definitely a bag or two here! Check back in a month or so. There should be a new bag out of my Doc’s leather pants. 🙂

another messenger in black canvas and brown leather

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Here is the second in a series of messenger bags using the last of my waxed canvas from Kenya and leather. This one is for a smaller computer. It measures 16.5″ x 13″ x 3″. It is also lined in waxed canvas (this time from Eddie Bauer) and has three internal pockets as well as the two outside. The strap is adjustable and made from 2″ black cotton webbing. I like to use repurposed materials when I can and the flap of this bag is lined with second-life black leather. Durable metal hardware.

a new messenger bag, leather and waxed canvas

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This is a large messenger bag, able to carry a 17″ computer. The body is made of waxed canvas (which I bought in Kenya and sadly is almost gone) and cognac leather. It has a wide cotton webbing strap with a shoulder pad, a leather grab-handle and durable metal hardware. Under the flap there is a slip pocket and inside a large double pocket. It is lined with durable canvas, has a double bottom for strength and a vintage leather tab closure. Overall, a great bag to take you back and forth to work. 19.5″ x 13.5″ x 3.5″

textile adventures

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Finally spring is here and I’ve been out for some textile adventures. Last week I was in Toronto for the TMC sale. Traffic was difficult and I didn’t get there for the lineup–but still managed to find some good pieces which I will use to line leather bags. It is a huge sale, four rooms jammed with fabric and notions. You can be sure that next year I’ll be in the lineup!

I did manage to get to the Marimekko shop while in the city. Those of you who read the blog know that Marimekko is my favourite textile design company. I’ve loved their designs since the sixties. I bought a metre of each of their iconic patterns to make summer totes…and for the first time bought a piece of clothing! This t-shirt dress will be great for my travels.

Last week I was in Kingston at my favourite place on the shores of Lake Ontario, The Tett Centre. You can see my sketch from another visit here. Inside the door is this wonderful portrait of Tett by J. David Brown.

Even the bathrooms in this place are wonderful!

The Kingston Fibre Artists had a wonderful show and sale in the Community Gallery. I fell in love with this depiction of buildings, Metropolis, by Sylvia Naylor. Free motion embroidery on hand-dyed and painted cotton. Inspiring!

It was a week of colour and texture. So now it’s time to settle in to make a few things. Right now I’m working on two messenger bags which I hope to show you soon. 

new teal dot cross-body bag

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Here is a new bag for Spring. It is a special order made from a great piece of dot-pierced leather, a remnant we found in Savannah. It is lined with more dots, fuchsia Japanese cotton/linen. There are two large slip pockets on the exterior which extend to make a 4″ double bottom, and three more pockets inside. The strap is adjustable and can be worn as cross-body or on the shoulder. Solid brass hardware and a heavy duty matching zipper. 12″ wide by 12″ tall.

yellow sky

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I’ve been working on this test/sample piece for the last week or so, trying out some new ideas. I’m planning to make a longer and slightly wider piece with a village at each end and connecting sections and images between the two.  I am working out shape and colour in these small pieces as well as the concept of border. I still have more thinking to do before I begin the larger piece. I decided to do circles in the sky as it seemed to lighten the small space–and the warmth of the yellow seemed much better than the blue I began with . You can see the full evolution of the piece on my instagram feed (connection in the menu bar above).

I am inspired by Jane Kidd’s exciting exhibition at the Textile Museum, Curious. It is intriguing to see how she overlays design features, incorporates grids and divides the canvas turning a landscape into a complex layering of ideas, many of which feel like warnings. An exceptional textile artist!