Archive for the ‘Available work’ Category

Thinking in Circles – The Root Language of Trees

Wednesday, January 10th, 2018

Greetings and Happy New Year!

In my last blog post, I described how my touring exhibition of round wall hangings, Woven Woods, came to be. This collection is now launched at its first venue at Art Gallery of Burlington and will be there until January 28, 2018. It will then move on to several other venues until 2021. You can imagine that after four years of dreaming and working toward this goal, it might be hard to let it go.

Woven Woods at Art Gallery of Burlington
Dec1 – Jan 28, 2018

Well, not surprisingly, it turns out that circles are simply irresistible. No sooner had I finished the last wall hanging for Woven Woods, an intriguing new direction presented itself. I was checking out images of cut tree trunks, when it occurred to me that tree rings have a great deal to say. They tell us about a tree’s history, about growth and aging, about endurance, about how their stories grow from the heart and mark them forever. Circles are symbols of eternity and commitment. I thought that these tree rings might help me better understand trees, from the inside out.

As I studied various types of cut tree stumps and their rings, it struck me how differently trees must experience their world from that of humans. As mobile bilateral beings, we humans interpret our surroundings from the centralized perspective of our brain. Trees however are radial beings, with no bundled nervous system, and live their entire lives in a fixed position. In spite of these limitations, we know now that they developed sophisticated ways to communicate with each other. Wouldn’t it then be natural to wonder if trees might share their consciousness with beings like us? Moreover, is it possible for us to reach out to them too?

Right around that time, the movie Arrival came out. The film is based on a short story in “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang. In the story, an alien ship lands on earth, and the life forms on it, mobile radial beings, are desperately attempting to communicate. A specially trained linguist is hired to decipher their written language, which is comprised of intensely ornamented circles and spirals. By the end of the movie, we understand that these beings use a communication system that incorporates time – past, present and future – in each of their missives. Time for them is measured in a circular way. This new language is in fact their special gift to us – reminding us that we must always take into consideration the karmic effect of our thoughts and actions. This led to an exciting AHA! moment for me, in support of a fresh approach to relational experience.

Could not find the creator of this wonderful cartoon 🙁

Of course, in my online research I came across numerous techniques for approaching and communing with trees – some arising from ancient cultures, others that seemed, well, just made up. Here is one of the better examples, a very detailed series of steps of Chinese origin: How to befriend a Tree. As I’ve said before, I’m a doubting Thomas when it comes to most of this new age stuff. Still, my direct experience tells me there is a distinct field of energy that surrounds each tree, and the strength varies greatly from one to another. I can feel it. I wonder, does the tree also feel me?

Wind in the Willow #2
12×12″

Working with tree rings in fabric is a rare delight – there is an unlimited scope for play and ornament using the wealth of shapes and structures that nature provides. I layer circle upon circle of fabrics, stitch them down, and start the journey using free-motion embroidery on my sewing machine.  Each one is a fresh meditation, leading me along a slightly different path. As I make more, I discard some motifs while bringing in new ones. With these pieces I put myself into the heart of the tree and work outwards, letting the prints and colours guide the choices. They take a long long time to make.

Mother Oak
16×16″ 2017

Might tree rings help us understand the language of trees? Is it possible that a tree’s consciousness extends, aura-like, beyond the rough bark of its exterior, like radiating tree rings? Do trees embrace the full cycle of time as they witness the world around them? These are questions I continue to ask as I explore the imagery and possibilities. As I walk in the woods I try to stay open to the fresh perspectives my art has opened up for me.

Heartwood – Hawthorn
12×12″ 2017

You may well ask, is all this just a stretch? Maybe. But not long ago, inter-plant communication was also considered a stretch. Our scientists have now proven it true. The First Nations people honour and speak to trees. Perhaps in the near future, we will determine without doubt that they are indeed reaching out to us, and are only waiting for us to accept their gift.

Communion #2
8×16″ 2017

Woven Woods: A Journey through the Forest Floor

Thursday, November 2nd, 2017

At long last I can tell you about a major collection I’ve been working on for nearly five years, that just began its cross country tour of Canada. This project has been on my brain since the initial idea found me, and naturally I’m excited, if only to be able to see it at last on gallery walls.

An exhibition is coming! An exhibition is coming!

If you’ve been following my posts, you will know I’ve been working with a number of natural concepts, centered mainly around trees and tree biology. The current research that interests me most is about tree communication, particularly the mechanics of how trees send and receive nutrients and messages through their roots with the help of forest fungi.

Here is a short description of this natural process, which I’ve described in greater detail in earlier posts (including this one):
In the top six inches of the forest floor lies a vast and flourishing communication system as old as photosynthesis itself: an exquisitely balanced symbiotic relationship between mycorrhizal fungi and tree roots which provides a network of channels for resources and messages between individual trees. The resulting plant chatter is as complex and efficient as our own worldwide web. In recent research, biologists have also discovered the existence of Mother trees: larger, older specimens that, with the help of their fungi, serve as system hubs in life, and as nutrient pumps in death. This mycorrhizal network thus connects and stabilizes the forest, and by extension, our entire planet’s biosphere.

Fascinated by this current research, I applied for an Ontario Arts Council Grant to travel to the University of British Columbia and meet Dr Suzanne Simard who is a leader in this field. Together with her and some of her gracious Grad students, I toured her lab on campus and her field facilities through the mountains to Kamloops. It was an eye-opening experience.

Dr Suzanne Simard in her natural element, the forest.

I couldn’t wait to share my reverence for this ancient forest system, not only for its own sake but also because we have so much to learn from nature for our own survival on earth. After visiting Dr Simard I spent three years of sometimes excruciating trial and error, trying to nail down the best way to portray the process, without having it look like some kind of neo-artsy science project. You will not believe the crazy things I drew on paper, the weird thoughts I thought, and the strange clunky semi-formed beings that were born and died. And all the hours of sleep lost over flashes of brilliance, while awakening to yet another non-germinator.

What IS that thing?

But something finally clicked – I kept coming back to it with many of my earlier concepts and realized that the most logical way to show connection was with the CIRCLE. The circle is not only present everywhere in the natural world, including the shape of our planet, but it’s also symbolic of environmental cycles of all types from seasonal to reproductive to regenerative. Not to mention, the circle is inherently spiritual and beautiful.

From there, it was a matter of choosing technique, size, and cohesive elements. How many to make? Which materials? Is my 45-year old Bernina up to the task? Am I? I’d rarely worked with circular designs before – what might be the challenges?

While reading as many research articles I could find for inspiration, I drew and drew and drew dozens of coloured samples… trying out designs, layouts, colours, concepts.

One of many ideas in pencil and pen.

I decided to make quilted wall hangings rather than framed works, because I didn’t want to feel limited to any particular size or standard ‘look’. Each was to have an organic shape of its own, unencumbered by the rigid expectations of a square format. And thus began a new journey for me, working in a larger format and in the round. Once I’d made the first, I was hooked.

Ubuntu- Source 2014 47″
The very first one.

The resulting collection, entitled Woven Woods, is a series of twelve round quilted wall hangings, measuring 36 to 46″ in diameter, each depicting twelve trees of varying types, seasons and stages of growth, and portraying a different aspect of their connection with the mycorrhizal net. I chose the number twelve because in numerology it is the ‘number of completion’, and it is found almost ubiquitously in our measuring and mathematical systems, our measuring of time, and in several key spiritual and astronomical concepts. Each circle encloses the story of a thriving ecosystem, where all individual elements contribute to support the whole. The word Ubuntu, given as a prefix to each title, is an African word which means “I am, because you are.”

Ubuntu – Winter
2015 46″

For materials, I used fabrics of all kinds, mainly dyed and printed cottons, some silks, a variety of synthetics and sheers, and cotton batting. The surface technique is raw edge appliqué enhanced with machine embroidery. In a few of them I also used acrylic paint for shading effect. They are all machine quilted, and hang flat with the help of a ‘brilliant’ (ie, my own secret idea) structural framework on the back.

You can see them all HERE.  If you click on the photos you will see a description of the inspiration for each quilt and a relevant quote or poem.  Or you are so very welcome to see them in person wherever they may be. They really are better in the flesh.

Woven Woods at Art Gallery of Burlington
Dec1 – Jan 28, 2018

This collection was shown for the first time at the Art Gallery of Burlington, Ontario, from Dec 1, 2017 to Jan 28, 2018 as part of ‘Holding by a Thread’, with Line Dufour, Carole Baillargeon and Kelly Jane Bruton. It will tour until 2021 (or as long as I can find venues). My goal is to show them in every province in Canada, and, with some luck, abroad. Please see my Upcoming Events page for locations and dates. The pieces in this collection will be available for purchase at the end of their exhibit run.

Thank you thank you thank you, Ontario Arts Council!

 

On the Rock: Merging Art and Ecology – a new exhibition!

Monday, February 17th, 2014
THE OUTCROPPING 2014 24X48 copy

THE OUTCROPPING 2014 24X48

Hello everyone,

Thought I would post a short note while I wait for my very cold studio to warm up. For weeks, it’s been in the minus tens here in Southwestern Ontario. The hot summer and cozy fall feel like distant memories and we are all longing for a touch of spring. The snow on either side of our drive is neck deep.

Perfect time to give you the scoop on an upcoming group show, soon to open at our local Carnegie Gallery in Dundas.

Just in the past year, I’ve had the great pleasure of learning about an international Christian organization called A Rocha. Their mandate is to engage in scientific research, environmental education and community-based conservation projects, and they are open to all faiths and cultures. A new A Rocha centre is becoming established in Ontario, with a 95-acre rural property in Flamborough, just south of Freelton (a pleasant 20 minute drive from my home). Cedar Haven Farm has both wild and cultivated acreages, as well as a historic house, a pond, a few barns, and animal enclosures.

FENCEROW 1 2014 24X24 copy

FENCEROW 1 2014 24X24

What better way to promote this organization than with art? We decided to approach ten artists, all working in different mediums, with an invitation: to visit the property and create unique visual responses to the land, with the results to be shown in an exhibition. The artists were delighted with the idea, and Carnegie Gallery accepted our proposal with great enthusiasm. The exhibition runs from March 7 to 30, with an opening reception at 7:30 on March 7.

Of course, I am fully involved with the project, and so is my photographer husband. I will tell you more about the other artists in a future post, but for now I wanted to share my resulting work. On my many visits in three seasons, I was most taken with the way wild areas and fencerows contrasted with the cultivated fields. Bedrock and swampland prevented full use of all the property for agriculture, but a system of trails made all the land accessible. The photos in this post are of the three works I made for the exhibition. I am looking forward to seeing it all come together on March 7!

WILD APPLE 2014 24X36 copy
WILD APPLE 2014 24X36

Window on the world

Monday, April 30th, 2012

You may know I make a living from my art. Have been now, for a good 20 years, with the odd few years between, working at ‘real jobs’.

It’s not always easy, as you can already imagine. NOT knowing when and where the next cheque is coming from is not for the faint of heart. My husband makes his living from fine art photography, so he’s in the same boat. The period between February to May is particularly slow for art sales.

Stop waiting for nothing - Sopiko Cherkezishvili

So I do other things. I teach, I do some public speaking, and I sit at this computer dreaming up creative ways to make sure I am not forgotten in the huge and competitive art market. It’s a balancing act. How to ‘keep it real’, and not fall into the commercial maelstrom that eventually sucks our creativity and will to live?

In this way I feel very lucky. I happen to love social media. If they could find a way to insert a chip to keep me eternally connected, I would probably go for it. This obsession for connection probably comes from my lifetime of moving around… most of my dearest friends live in other towns, some of them far away, and email and facebook are perfect for keeping in touch. But now it’s gone deeper – I have decided that it will be an extension of my creativity – so now, it’s not only a necessity… it’s actually fun. And it helps me put food on my table and gas in my car.

Outreach in all its forms is very important for a successful art career. I prefer to call it outreach, rather than promotion, because for me, it’s an extension of the communication that begins with my art. If art making was only about making money, I could think of 1,000 better ways to do it. Outreach is a way to make my art communicate to a larger audience. Reaching an audience – moving them, delighting them, helping make their lives more beautiful, more special, more meaningful – is the prime goal. It provides the most important currency for a true artist.

So a few months ago, my husband, after encountering arrogance and misrepresentation by Art Sales and Rental at Art Gallery of Hamilton (resulting in his asking to remove his exhibition from the community gallery), learned about the possibility of renting a large corner window. This enormous space just happens to be right across the driveway from the main AGH entrance. May was the perfect month to rent it, coinciding with the big Spring Art Gallery of Hamilton Sale, to which neither of us was invited this year. We felt this would be the right opportunity to make a statement about the AGH Art Sales and Rental’s current lack of support and respect for local artists.

Window at King St and Sunset in Hamilton, ON

Janusz set it all up… every inch of space was carefully and lovingly planned. Our contact information is there, including QR codes for the Smartphone set.   The photo on Facebook has so far generated nearly 40 likes and a dozen comments. We consider it our ‘outreach gallery’. Let’s see how it all plays out, around the AGH Art Sales and Rental Spring Sale. Our work will be there until the end of May.

So – for us – this is how we are ‘keeping it real’. Trying to accomplish a lot with a little, while not drifting into the dead zone of commercialism. It keeps us engaged and having some fun. And it plays in nicely with my firebrand husband’s political side… in a subtle and quiet way.

So what do YOU think? Sometimes I wonder if anyone reads these posts. Your comments will be much appreciated!

December 2011

Wednesday, November 30th, 2011
PAWPAW TREE   29X31″

Hello friends!

So much happened since my last post, I can’t begin to cover it all, so let’s go right to the topical stuff.

This post is going to be short because I just wanted to tell you one interesting thing. I am pleased to say I now have on hand not one but TWO original wall hangings from my 2002 Saving Paradise collection, recovered from an Estate Sale in the US. They are Ohio Buckeye and Pawpaw Tree, and they are in pristine condition. They are pictured here with titles and sizes, and they are both $1600, available directly from my studio. As always I can ship anywhere, and they are fully guaranteed.

I know there are a few of you out there who would want to know. So, if you are interested, do get in touch with me.

For more details about this series, go to: Saving Paradise Collection

OHIO BUCKEYE   27X32″

Long Beach, California: Here they come!

Tuesday, June 21st, 2011
SPRING   18X36″

Hello everyone,

As I mentioned in my last post, four of my wall pieces will be on display at the Janome Sewing Machine booth during the International Quilt Festival , in Long Beach, CA from July 29-31, 2011.

SUMMER 18X36″

The theme for this year’s exhibition is The Four Seasons, which is right up my alley!

AUTUMN  18X36″

So I hope some of you will have a chance to see the show, and drop by at the booth to see my babies. AND – they are for sale, each at $1500.

WINTER   18X36″

So now, you probably think I won’t know what to do with myself. NOT!!!!  In true Roy style, I decided to put all this down time to good use.

So – my husband and I will be part of the Hamilton Open Gardens event at the end of June and start of July. This means our ‘Work in Progress’ gardens will be open for viewing, and our Studio will be open as well. Our dates and hours are Thursday, June 30 to Monday, July 4, from 10-5 pm each day. Of course, you are welcome any time by appointment too, so please contact me if you are in the area. We have lots of new work to show you! At the same time you can take advantage of the trip to visit other Open Gardens in the Hamilton area, hike to our beautiful Webster’s Falls, drop by the Royal Botanical Gardens, or just mosey along King Street in our quaint village of Dundas, enjoying our many restaurants and shops.
Here’s our Google location: Hillcrest Studio.

We look forward to seeing you!

Lorraine

ENCHANTED WOODS  30X10″
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