Here is another little mat exploring geometric shapes in landscape. This one comes from my love of the rows of Amsterdam houses. I like the way the water echoes the shape of the houses and has a sense of movement. Next time I’ll try to work in shadows and reflections–I’m thinking about the connection between hooking and sketching. In the meantime, this was a joyful piece to work on in the rainy days of the last weeks.
I was in Toronto last week and was fortunate enough to get to the Textile Museum fabric sale. I had never been before and was delighted to find all kinds of fabric — and even a bolt of leather — for bargain prices. Here are some of my fabric pieces, great selections to line my totes and some others for spring and summer tunics. Those pieces in the middle are beautiful slub linen.
I was also in Kingston on Saturday to see the fibre show at the Tett Centre. It is an excellent show, well worth a visit and lunch at the delightful Juniper Cafe is a must. Afterwards, I dropped into my favourite vintage store and found these–cherry red leather bellbottoms! What a great find. You will be seeing these transformed into pouches in the fall.
And finally, in the little time I have had at home, I have begun another village. This is to be a row of houses on a dock with water at the bottom. As you can see, my first idea for the dock did not work out. But that hasn’t taken away from the fun of designing these little studies. I’m learning a lot about colour and composition as I hook entirely from my leftover strips. Once I have the dock and water figured out and hooked, I’ll post again. In the meantime, I am heading to Montreal for a week of sketching. I hope the forecast improves and that I have lots of opportunity to sketch that wonderful city. I hope to post from there so I don’t leave such long gaps without writing. Thanks for sticking with me. 
This is the next piece of hooking in the series inspired by Dutch artist, Ton Shulten. This is 12″x14″ and will be a pillow. You can see the wool frame around the outside that I sewed on to the linen before hooking in the hopes that pillow construction will be smooth. I find this a challenging and addictive kind of hooking, each rectangle affecting and transforming the others. Lights/darks, dulls/brights, warms/cools. I’m already designing the next.
I am working on another colour-block hooking inspired by Ton Schulten’s work. I’ve drawn a one-inch grid on the linen and am hooking the buildings in warm colours and the background in cool. You can see where I’ve had to pull sections out that didn’t work and start again. It is challenging to combine the values and hues into a cohesive piece with the buildings as a focus and the sky and ground as a frame. At this point, I’m not sure if it’s coming together or needs more modification. I’m going to plunge ahead and, if you want to come along, I’ll post again later in the week and we can see where it goes.
Here is another little mat done in the style inspired by Ton Schulten. I put a grid on the linen this time to help with the design. Hooking in this style is a great lesson in composition–lights/darks and brights/dulls. I didn’t leave room for borders on the sides as I was hooking on a small piece of backing–a mistake. I also tried varying the sky in colour blocks, but it seemed in this small space that it overpowered the designs.
Next steps: I think this style would work well for a pillow. I like the quirky geometric pattern and the pops of colour. Enough ‘sketches’ for now. I’m taking a fresh piece of linen and planning out a larger rectangular design. I’ll show you when I have it on the backing.
Sometimes an idea for a project swirls around in my head for years before it comes to fruition. Here is the beginning–a small mat I’ve just finished, inspired by the work of Ton Schulten. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. My wedding rug, completed in 2012 was a start. But for this one, I set out to understand his use of colour and value and to learn how I could take this into rug hooking. The impetus now for this piece is a project for a study group where I am to hook a larger piece inspired by his style. This is the first ‘sketch’.
But there is a sad note to all of this today. In the process of learning about Schulten’s colour block style, I discovered the work of quilter Ineke Berlyn. Her book, Landscape in Contemporary Quilts, which I bought and read in 2009, describes her discovery of Schulten’s work and her journey to creating landscape quilts based on the style of his paintings, “a bright picture-postcard centre…offset against shades getting darker towards the borders.” (p.25) I loved the pieces Ineke created and followed her development of the style on her blog. It was with sadness that I saw today that Ineke died just yesterday. I encourage you to visit her blog and look at the many online images of her work. It’s amazing how we form bonds with other textile artists online, and although we have never met them, feel so saddened by the passing of their creative light.
I was away last week in an idyllic place. It was a perfect spot to hide away from world events. While there I worked on the small hooking below of another favourite retreat, our small island cottage. These small hookings I have been doing lately are like sketches done in preparation for a larger piece, investigations of colour, texture, composition and materials. This cottage piece has loopy shiny yarn and small pieces of painted velvet which I cut into strips. Translucence.
I am back home now in the grey, soggy, climate-changed January of my city. And I am retreating again, this time to my basement studio with my sewing machines and bins of leather. I know I can’t hide from what is happening, that attention is required, but I also know that my sanity comes from these quiet places of creativity. And maybe some new creations. 
I visited the Textile Museum last week to see the Sheila Hicks exhibit, Material Voices. This link will take you to Hicks’ site with photos of the full range of her work. The large wrapped and coiled structures are exuberant, brightly coloured and impressive. The show in Toronto contains some of these and also excellent videos of the installation of her enormous architectural pieces.
Bas-relief panel for an architectural project.
But it was the small framed pieces which intrigued me, her minimes. From the museum: “Working on a small scale provides her with the freedom to investigate colour, line and form; to test new techniques and to respond directly to her lived experiences. Indeed when she leaves her house or studio, Hicks often carries with her the small loom she build in the 1950’s should inspiration arise.”
I loved the thought of carrying a small frame and weaving on the spot. Testing out ideas in small hooked pieces is something I’ve been doing in the last few months–although in the studio, not on location! I have two big projects in mind and I’m taking my time working things out in my small mats.
By the way, I’ve updated both the Rug Hooking Gallery and the Leather Gallery to include all my work for the last year. It’s good record of what I’ve tried and helps me see where I want to go next. Check these out by clicking the link under Navigation on the right hand side of the blog page.
To all those who visit this blog, I wish you and your close-ones the very best for 2017. The world seems an uncertain place these days–and I’m hoping along with Liz Lochhead that “the light comes back”. We can work together to make it happen for climate, for civic harmony and for peace. Let’s each do our bit, whether big scale or small.
In the quiet after the Christmas rush, when everyone was on their way, I started to hook this landscape. Pulling the wool through linen is so satisfying–the colour and texture entertain part of my mind, while the rest wanders. This is my version of an island near our cottage. The craggy trees and vegetation stand heroically on the bald rock of the Canadian Shield. We are city-bound for much of the winter, but still visit the lake in memory.
I’m using a balance of wool, fleece and yarn in this piece. I’m determined to use what I have in the baskets in my studio. I want lots of variety for the sky and as I was hooking I thought of my stock of wool and cashmere sweaters, some perfectly felted and easy to run through the cutter. I’m going to add them to the sky and the water–I’ve piled some below. I’ll report back on how they worked out. 
