Author: Janet

For people who know me and my work, the following will come as no surprize. I love mixed media. Part of my mind is always “On It”.I have, for example, a current and growing collection of broken scissors, eyeglasses etc., which seem to be working towards a future art piece. I do fight a continuous and loosing battle with discarding ephemera. (Note for example a spontaneous and unintentional collage as I emptied my pockets after my recent trip to Toronto. The photo of the girl was found blowing along a sidewalk by a broken garbage bag. Heartbreaking! How could anyone throw that out!) This particular bent and accompanying skill set is why I was hired for my dream job to work at the second World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 instead of several other more conventional weavers, who no doubt still wonder why I was the weaver chosen! (see the Archived blog post World Summit for details.)

That recent trip to Toronto was a mind expanding and eye opening experience, textiles, artistic visions, textile related exhibits, big city sophistication and the sprawling generosity of urban influences for this particular country mouse, I am still recovering from the stimulation. Mostly, I am grateful for the validation I felt regarding my own creative path.

First stop was the Textile Museum. There are currently 2 exhibits, Tied Dyed and Woven, Ikat Textiles From Latin America and Diligence and Elegance; The Nature of Japanese Textiles. The visuals of both filled my eyes and heart. There even was one crossover, unlikely as that seems, the beauty of the colour of indigo dyes.

Some things stood out especially inspiring, the attention to detail as in the gorgeous hand knotted fringes on some garments from Latin America.

I also loved the cloth woven with weft of spun paper, Shifu, from Japan, once a frugal and warm cloth for basic kimono. It is a lot like linen. The piece on display was black, not a good photo option.

As much as the skills and techniques, the colour combinations and design elements linger in my memory.

Next stop was the ROM, a Saturday morning haunt of my Toronto childhood. There was a fun dress from Christian Dior. Roses! How stunning.

Then The VIKINGS; The Exhibit which I had not seen in Ottawa. I wanted more textile information, but it was, nonetheless, a very interesting and well displayed exhibit. This is the whorl found at L’Anse Aux Meadows and also a bone comb used for beating the weaving and some bone and wooden needles.

There was some information on the Bask fibers used in ropes.

It was a chance sighting that really Blew Me Away. Serendipitous. The ROM had commissioned El Anatsuito create a large tapestry. I seldom spend screen time when I am in a museum, but the accompanying film was very interesting. He prowls “recycling areas” (we would have put all this stuff in a garbage dump, but in many parts of Africa it is sorted and sold). Being aged himself, he likes to give new life to objects that are old, slightly broken, and discarded by much of society. He finds beauty there.

The tapestry is called Straying Continents and is constructed from bottle caps from liquor bottles, cut, flattened or twisted and tied with copper wire. The piece is rippling with crowded intense areas, and airy open areas, patterns, shapes and movement. The weight is causing the piece to slowly shift shape itself. The symbolism is how Africa has historically been impacted by colonialism and the accompanying imported goods. And how Africa stays true to itself somehow. My photos do not do justice to the impact of this work.

One last stop was the Distillery District. Very beautiful setting, I was told Dickens films have been shot here. I enjoyed seeing the weaving at a little shop. Wallhangings! Interesting little buttoned scarves. #Lilithsgarden I was interested in the addition of cloth and the sort of reckless abandon in the finishing details.

Also I loved the multimdia art in the Landry Gallery, a quiet, sprawling gallery with many well displayed pieces. The lighting was spectacular!

Also the painted woven plastic.

And I will end with this atmospheric painting, no multimedia at all but a gorgeous treatment of the cloth. Oh Toronto! A whirlwind trip.

I have been participating in craft shows for so many years and feel like I have seen the Rise and Fall of the Craft Show Concept (also the Studio Tour Gambit, but that is another story). Here are some ideas around the Craft Show experience and some archival photos I discovered when I was packing for my move to my new house and studio.

My first craft show was in London Ontario in 1972, when I was pregnant with my first child. London proved to be a very good market for me, I attended the Home County Folk Festival over many hot summer days, punctuated by terrifying thunderstorms. My display evolved from a few racks out in the open with a pup tent nearby to put the stock in during the rainy times. The next step was to rent a very strong tent from a professional tent provider. One year they were out of the regular size due to demand, and put up the most enormous tent for me.  I always seem to have so much stock, and that time I was able to display it with the luxury of space. It was like a department store! My friends and clients were quite impressed.

BTW, outdoor Craft Shows are not for the faint of heart. Wind, (tents blowing away dragging stock in their wake, is not uncommon), rain,  strong sun, heat, humidity, cold, you name it, every  extreme weather condition known to Canada has occurred during  one show or another.  When the weather is on our side,  nothing could be more perfect than to be outdoors, preferably during a music festival. I love the way my work looks in natural light and love that singer/song writer vibe. That seems to be a good market place for me among that clientele, and it can be so enjoyable. John and I take turns to listen to the music and man the booth. There is a fair bit of negotiation with the musical choices. I have been thrilled to sell my work on site to musicians, me being the original fan girl. Loreena McKennit, Susan Aglukark, Little Miss Higgins, Ken Whitely, Katlyn Hanford, Laura Smith, Suzi Vinnick, etc.,

We have acquired a strong tent of our own over the years and lots of other necessary equipment.

We even bought a trailer to transport the stuff, but I was disappointed to find that a trailer can be so much trouble. The rear lights have to be working and do not always want to cooperate. Towing a trailer can be nerve wracking with regards to visibility,  turning around, backing up, etc. At the Mariposa Festival one year, some teenage boys were helping with the unpacking, etc., and we were amazed at how they could get that trailer where it had to go, farm kids with lots of experience. John has become so good at it, me, not very. 

Helpers! So wonderful to get help.

Arriving at the show, unpacking, setting up the tent, setting up the display, putting up the lights (very important, ignoring  lighting creates a big disadvantage for your display), displaying the stock is a very trying process. It has become more routine, but nothing ever seems easy. John and I used to always have a big fight during set up. We are more sanguine these days. It takes time and method and organization. So much to bring including “artistic” clothing and jewelry for me. Then there is conducting business in a space the size of a bathroom, and trying to maintain a positive  atmosphere for the duration. There are so many unknowns starting with the unpredictable selection process to get into the show in the first place.  How profitable the show will be is not always clear, even as we pack to go home. Sometimes clients contact us after, or purchase during the next show. For sure, just staying home is not a good way to show off my weaving. Although e-business is seeming pretty attractive as a concept. ((After powering through my new website (with a lot of help), how can Etsy be too difficult to navigate.) It does seem to me that there are too many craft shows now, not enough jurying, too many people treating their craft hobby as a business,  not charging realistic prices to include a fair wage.  This latter issue adversely impacts the artists and artisans who are attempting to earn a living from their work

 

 

 

I have attended One of a Kind, Signatures, as well as small shows that you have never heard of and everything in between. These days I prefer the Fiber Festivals and Music Festivals.  I have cut back to 4 shows due to family circumstance this particular year. Next year I hope to expand the number again. I feel like I have accumulated a lot of expertise and a great deal of equipment. Now, what I would like is a strong , young helper to work with me, I am  hoping for a partnership that would be to both of our advantage. Please contact me if you would be interested in some kind of partnership. It is hard to imagine giving up on this gypsy  lifestyle, and it would be wonderful to have some new blood on the team.