"Spending time close to the water's edge has filled my 'image bank' with sea anemones and other marine forms. These I have realized as textile sculptures using special Japanese silk and classic hemp"  Yvonne Wakabayashi,  Art Textiles of the World Canada 2009

If you hadn't heard the sad news yet, the Gibsons Landing Fibre Arts Festival has come to an end.  Their wesbite doesn't have a clear explaination as to why they have dissolved the society, so I can't shead any light.  I do know that at the end of June they sold off all their festival supplies (tables, banners, columns etc), so it's official.  If you are driving down the Sunshine Coast Highway just past Pratt, you'll most likely spot some lovely hand-painted canvas banners at Unwind Knit & Fibre Lounge that owner Kim scored at said sale.

Although the closure of the festival is unfortunate I'm excited to share that the Coast yarn and fibre shops have come together, rolled up their sleeves and created a workshops series for you all to enjoy in the month of August.  So if you'd like to spend some fibrey time on the beautiful Sunshine Coast check out what they've coordinated.  The page I've linked to is the result of some online research that I did, so there may be some things that I'm missing out on that were harder to find.  Regardless there is quite a lot to choose from.

Carola's Quilt Shop will also hosting some quilting demos throughout the month.  She suggests that you sign up for her newsletter for notifications on when they will be.  Also Kim at Unwind is partaking in the Synchronicity Festival where she is hosting a participatory yarn bombing installation in the woods.  Sounds cool huh?  More on that soon.

Let there be sun,
ox Janna

Toronto based multidisciplinary artist Shary Boyle is currently showing at the Vancouver Contemporary Art Gallery.  I visited the exhibition, titled Flesh and Blood, yesterday and it made my day!  Albeit I also saw the show in Montreal, so I knew it would be great.

Shary is known for her whimsical porcelain sculptures depicting seemingly familiar folk tales.  Although they tend to tell nostalgic stories of distain and horror, their pallets are lighthearted and often the characters seem unfazed by the what is unfolding, making them quite eery.  It could be that Boyle is commenting on the "elephants" in the room in our current society.  

Her sculptures are my faves (partly due to her amazing execution of lace in the form of porcelain on the garments of her characters), but the exhibition also showcases her fabulous paintings and some pretty amazing installation work.  A word of advise, don't miss this show.  It's on until August 21st.  Go!

I'm off to the VAG to visit the surrealists.

Janna