Showcase: Seasons in Colour 23 Aug to 15 Sept 2019

Salt Spring Island Weavers and Spinners Guild was awarded the final 2019 Artcraft showcase: Seasons in Colour. This was a collective exhibition of new works by 15 members of the guild rising to the challenge of representing the colours of the seasons in their own unique way.

The guild was provided with guidelines on dimensions and a theme (Seasons in Colour) which created a certain uniformity in the pieces, but from there on the similarities end, as different materials, techniques, abstractions and representations mark each work with the stamp of the artist.

The Weavers and Spinners created a collection that invited the visitor to sit, look and wonder at the visual feast that the seasons bring.

Seasons in Colour ran from August 23^rd to September 15^th in Mahon Hall with an opening celebration on Friday August 23^rd from 6-8pm.

From left to right, Nancy, Susan, Sandra and Mavis are having a social moment during the opening reception.

Demonstration:

For the duration of the show, Weavers and Spinners Guild provided demonstration of their crafts: weaving, spinning  and other fibre arts that members are passionate about.

Victoria is weaving at the demonstration loom, a very popular stop during the showcase.  Both the warp and the weft are from local fibres, all in their natural colours, except the red.

On the wall, behind the loom and Victoria, are the following showcase entries, from left to right:

• Sunset by Susan Brown, woven in linen and buttons
• Colours of Spring by Valerie Short, woven in organic cotton and tussah silk
• Transformation by June Simmons, silk fusion with wool, silk, eucaluptus (viscose) and cotton
• Starry night by Nancy Côté, triaxial weave (or mad weave) with cotton fabric
• High Tide: Dusk and Dawn by Donna Vanderwekken, woven with hand-dyed silk

Below, June demonstrates fibre preparation, normally done before fibres can be spun or felted.

Members were also encouraged to  demonstrate any of their crafts.  Here, Genevieve demonstrates her beading techniques and displays some of her creations.

Arts

The following pictures are the other art pieces made by the guild members specifically for this show.

• Moonlight by Judith Dios, nuno felting using Merino wool, mulberry silk fibre, silk fabric, fabric dye and thread

From left to right:

• Leaves by Mavis MacMillen, woven using linen and handspun wool/silk/mohair blend
• Island Waterfall by Mavis MacMillen, woven using cotton and cotton/linen blend
• Peruvian Delight by Mary Passon, woven using Peruvian organic cotton
• Pebbles on a Winter Beach by Donna Vanderwekken, woven using handspun wool and handspun llama

From left to right:

• Primavera Azzurro by June Simmons, felt incorporating wool, silk, eucalyptus (viscose), cotton
• Brick Lane by Ida Marie Threadkell, silk fusion with silk chiffon, merino wool and silk fibre
• Twilight in the Garden by Sara Ratner, nuno felting with habotai silk and local Cotswold lamb fleece
• Dusk by Sara Ratner, nuno felting using silk gauze, merino and glass bead
• Primavera Verde by June Simmons, felt incorporating wool, silk, eucalyptus (viscose), cotton
• Primavera Rose by June Simmons, felt incorporating wool, silk, eucalyptus (viscose), cotton

• Autumn Leaves by Sandra Hodgins, woven with cotton quilting remnants pieced & cut into strips for weft.

• Xylem and Phloem by Karen Selk, , applique silk fusion, hand and machine-stitching and beading.

• Les Quatre Saisons by Carol Dodd, felting with silk and wool

From left to right:

• Sweet Potato Pie by Tanis Smythe, woven with silk and paper
• Onyx by Tanis Smythe, women with linen, rayon bouclé and merino wool
• Equinox by Victoria Olchowecki, woven using linen with cotton