Goward House

The Artist’s Work

jbarnard@telus.net

Joanne finds fibre to be an ideal medium for incorporating colour, pattern and texture into art. Her favourite pieces result when she feels she has created something aesthetically pleasing that is also engaging to the mind.  

She often finds inspiration in ordinary things from daily life – people, landscapes, flowers, old vehicles and buildings. Manipulating photographic images, printing on fabric, piecing and layering images with other materials all enable the addition of depth that can add a sense of mystery. As a keen genealogist, she loves to incorporate her ancestors into her work. A layering approach is ideal for showing the effects of the passage of time on a space, something that has always intrigued her. She is most satisfied when she can look at a completed piece and wonder if there’s yet another layer of meaning hiding within.

A degree in Home Economics included courses in art and design that often centered around fabric. A later degree in Law served as a counterpoint that often led her back to the sewing machine for creativity.

Fibre art is Joanne’s way of expressing to the world that which cannot be adequately expressed through words alone.

The Artist’s Work

readynora60@gmail.com

Nora Ready, she/her, is a fibre artist and facilitator living in Saanich, traditional territory of the Lekwungen and W SÁNEC people. Her creative practice focuses on slow process, botanical printing, and using natural and repurposed materials. Her practice is connected to season and place. Some of of the artists who have inspired her include British fibre artist Alice Fox, Australian eco dyer and print maker India Flint, America fibre artist Clarissa Callensen, and B.C based fibre artist and activist Sharon Kallis.

Ready is a member of the Fibre Art Network (FAN), a cooperative network of Western Canadian fibre artists and the Surface Design Association. She values working, collaborating and learning with other local fibre artists. She has been a member of Fiberarti since 2023. 

Her work has been exhibited in the Vancouver Island Surface Design Association annual exhibit Current Threads and Small Wonders, and at Metchosin Art Pod’s exhibit Palimpsest.

The Artist’s Work

dalemac@telus.net

Dale, an artist living in Sidney, BC, has been involved in the Textile Arts for the past 40 years exhibiting art quilts in Canada and USA. Inspiration comes from walks through the forest & along the shore observing and recording the patterns, colours and textures that surround us. These walks can be very mediative and bring a sense of calm, often photographing the small details and just enjoying those moments. Many new ideas are generated in workshops and study group sessions while experimenting with surface design techniques including collage, dyeing, painting, stamping, stitching and photo transfer. Recent experiments include using apps on the iPad to manipulate digital images to create a new story.

The Artist’s Work

judimacleod@telus.net

My tremendous curiosity about the world around me has led me to explore and develop ways of expressing my ideas in fibre. I am energized by vibrant colours and textures which are evident in my many hangings, wearable art clothes and accessories. Each piece is unique and original, mostly influenced by nature and my travels.  These fibre art works may be made from constructed fabric, hand dyed and painted fabric, handmade paper, silkpaper, leather and metal.

 The design principles from previous studies in fine art and graphic design have influenced my compositions. The artistic process propels me into action leaving little time for analysis or reflection in the moment. The blank “canvas” doesn’t intimidate me as it allows me permission to experiment. There is always an opportunity to take the design into another direction if it doesn’t turn out as planned thus allowing the creative process to flourish. Maintaining a philosophy of “my cup is always half full” has allowed me to experience wonderful opportunities

The Artist’s Work

Lindacarswellbland@gmail.com

My artistic license began from youthful beginnings of playing with my grandmother’s scraps and having an aunt who was very precise in both the quarter seam and ironing. From there I developed into oil painting, macrame, and nailed string art.!  It didn’t take me long, however, to discover my love of working with fabric.  I find the challenge of coordinating colours and adding texture both exhilarating and rewarding.

  Creatively, I have taken several excellent courses with leading fibre artists such as Joan Schultze at the Pacific Art School, Katie Pasquini Masopust, Pat Pauley, Martha Cole, as well as several, wonderful, local teachers.  Each instructor offers new techniques that I am able to adapt to my own individuality.

I have won a few awards but am most pleased with being selected for a Juror’s Choice Award at the 2016 Sidney Fine Arts Show and receiving Juror’s Choice Award and Juror’s Favourite Award at the Saanich Peninsula Arts and Crafts Show in 2022. 

I still continue to take interesting classes from people all around the world via zoom – something decent that resulted from Covid! I have not found one technique that suits me best, but an enjoyment of several new ideas that fill my mind with new beginnings for the next project!