2018 Year in Review: The Out Front Year

On this last day of 2018, I am compiling a list of accomplishments to help me reflect. The numbers of some achievements are smaller in several cases. My artwork production level stayed the same but the nature of the pieces was very different. What is crystal clear to me after this year of being Out Front is that I am in need of a more internal based year in 2019. For me, that means continuing to maintain my volunteer commitments for Studio Art Quilts Associates and my job at the Museum 20 hours a week. In the other hours of my days, when glimmers of free time appear, I just want to make art.

2019 is going to be a year of production. A year to establish a new body of work. In January I will finally finish the last two pieces of my Transmutation series that is now going into it's third year. Quilts are not fast to produce, they take time. There are times when the pace is frustrating, but I want to honour the pieces and rushing them does not do that.

Here is the 2018 list. Links to further information about some items are listed when relevant.

Number of Completed Pieces: 5
Number of Pieces sold: 1
Number of Exhibitions applied for: 5
Number of Exhibition rejections: 4
Number of Exhibitions: 4
Number of Exhibitions visited: 11 (an increase of 4 more than last year)
Number of Artist Talks: 1
Number of Talks as a SAQA Rep: 1
Artist Residency Completed in May 2018
Press Coverage: 2 Articles in the Burnaby Now, 1 feature on Vancouver is Awesome.com
Hosted a Public Artist Lecture by Lorraine Roy
Established a YouTube Channel featuring videos about my work

In front of "Crow Corridor" one of my Pieces in the Textile Narratives Exhibit

I would like to thank everyone who reads my posts, likes and shares content and watches my videos. Being out front is not easy for most of us but being supported by all of you makes it worth it. This space will be changing in the new year as I establish a fresh website, and there will be lots more news as the days progress. For now, Happy New Year and all the best to you all in 2019.

A Summer Day

Today I was able to let summer in. One of the things that I love about this season is its slow pace. Slow is not what life has been like this year. Top that off with taking a new position at my out-of-the-house job and the days have flown by.

We leave for our summer vacation next week. One thing that a faster pace life has taught me is to appreciate each quiet moment. Here are some moments from today.

This pot is my little piece of Paris on my balcony. Last year my attempt at creating a pot like this did not work. This year the geraniums and verbena are happy, which in turn makes me smile. My balcony flowers always bring small joy.

Tea and reading on the patio. I watched wild bees gathering pollen from my flowers and dragonflies in the sky.

We walked down to one of our neighbourhood parks today. Played basketball and sat in the shade.

This piece is going to be full of memories from this year. I doubt I'll be able to look at it and not think of the challenge that 2018 has been. It will need to be finished by the end of November. I plan to bring it with me on vacation and stitch a piece about the Pacific ocean while gazing at the Atlantic.

Some quiet stitching time in the shade.  Photography by my sons. They are getting quite good with cameras.

And for the first time this summer I was able to hang laundry out on the line. This is a ritualistic summer activity for me. The balcony is too hot in the summer from 11 am to 5 or 6 pm for much else but drying laundry. A small thing that makes me smile.

Wishing you quiet summer moments too. 

JJ

Behind the Art: Life Lines

Life Lines was created as a site specific piece for Window which is an art display vitrine at the Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre in downtown Vancouver, BC.

Life Lines, mixed media quilt, 2014

The broad sense of the message behind this work was to talk about the isolation that city life encourages when everyone is closed into their individual condos and apartments. The clothesline represented both an ecological symbol of using the sun to dry our clothing as was common in previous generations (and is still used in many homes across the earth to this day) and a social connection that could unite city dwellers.

The contrast between the muted colours of the buildings and the vibrant faces looking out and holding the clothesline was my favourite part of this piece.

For more please visit www.jenniejohnston.com

JJ

Behind the Art - Inheritance

Today I want to share the journey of a small series of works, one of which is soon to be installed in an exhibit called Great and North at the Palazzo Loredan in Venice Italy from August 29 to October 29, 2017. The beginnings of this work are more humble than where it has ended up but that is the magic of putting yourself out there and taking chances.  You never know where those risks can get you.

This is the original photo of my maternal great grandmother on her wedding day.  I love this photo for its nostalgia but also because of Alice Rogers' story.  She came to Canada from England after training as a baby nurse. Her desire to come here was based on the chance to rise above the class system of English culture that would keep her "in her place." She was coming to join two of her sisters who had already made the trip. It was a leap into the great unknown. It was a difficult sea crossing, it was the early 1900's. Her sole contact with her family back home was letters.  No Facetime like I have the luxury of now. I believe that she, and all my ancestors that braved moving to a new land, had adventurous hearts. Something compels you to move.  To explore, to go. That is not an easy impulse to follow. It is often frightening and lonely but you go because if you stayed it would not be true to who you are or who you could become. Alice met a lovely English bloke named Stephen Adams and they married and birthed two lovely girls.  One of whom is my grandmother Margaret now in her 90's. I did not have the privilege to meet Alice but I feel that she passed something down to me through her DNA. 

I made a series of works featuring fabric that I designed based on this photo of Alice and two of my other grandparents. 

This is Alice I, that was displayed at the Richmond Art Gallery and swapped in a Mail Art exhibition.

This is Alice II, a smaller version with lace and bead embellishments.

And this is Inheritance: Adventurous Heart, that is now part of the Imago Mundi collection and featured in the art book Oh West Canada!

Using the same imagery several times was an exploration of ways to bring out her character and story and relate it to my own. I feel a connection to her despite never having met her in person. It is a great honour to carry her story and those of other family members forward in this time. I am grateful for the legacy that they have passed on to me. And I think most of us can feel the impact of our ancestors if we listen closely enough.

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JJ

Universal Declaration for Human Rights Quilts

Through the magic that is the internet artists from all over the world can connect and make art collaboratively. Instagram lead me to learn about a new craftivist project created and coordinated by Tal Fitzpatrick (@talfitzpatrick) and Stephanie Dunlap (@illuminatembroidery).  Originally the artist call was for 30 artists and it expanded due to demand to include enough artists to make 4 quilts of 30 8 and a half by 11 inch panels each.
Each panel is an interpretation of the Universal Declaration for Human Rights (UDHR). This document was drafted by representatives from different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world at the United Nations Assembly in Paris in 1948. This was the first document of it's kind setting out fundamental human rights for all.  It has been translated into over 500 languages. You can read the document here.
Part of the initiative of this project is to promote the understanding of these rights and also to raise awareness about the UDHR as well as raise funds for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). This Agency was created after WWII to help displaced Europeans find homes.  Despite only having a four year mandate they are still active today and are more needed than ever. 21.3 million refugees, over half under the age of 18, are given aid through the UNHCR. Refugees are often the first people whose human rights are compromised. Any profits from this project will be donated to the United Nations Refugee Agency, and their is much potential for the reach of this project to go farther than each individual artist could take it. It is an honour to be a part of it.
As the project moves forward I will post about it here and through my social media channels.
Next week I will give details about the UDHR article that I am interpreting and share in-progress photos.

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For more information about this project please visit the official project page at: http://talfitzpatrick.com/udhr-craftivism-project

JJ

Festival Ha'Rikud: Celebrating Friendship - 2017

I have a piece in this upcoming exhibition at the Sidney and Gertrude Zack Gallery opening May 4th, 2017.  I will not be able to attend the opening but would be happy to meet anyone there to check out the show before May 22 if you can make it.  For those who can not make it here is my piece and artist statement.

Look In, Reach Out, 20 x 20 Inches, Mixed Media Quilt

Friendship is a cornerstone. As human beings, we are constantly learning to connect, to talk to each other, to listen, to empathise and relate.  When engaging in friendship we also have a chance to have ourselves reflected in the mirror of our friend’s being.

The labyrinth is a tool for self reflection and a good friendship also fills this roll.  Through our engagement with the other we learn truths about ourselves.  If we are open, we can learn and form a deep bond that grows like a tree and blossoms into a lasting connection of spirit.  These bonds can help us weather the storms of life and support us on the journey of moving around the sun as a collective.

This piece is available for sale.  Please click here for inquiries.  If you would like to receive my newsletter please sign up here.

JJ

Taking Stock

I have gotten of track with sharing the artsy parts of our France trip and I will try to remedy that soon. September was a whirlwind from start to finish that almost had me considering giving up blogging altogether.  In this fast social media world blogging is becoming a bit antiquated which is odd considering it is a young medium, but things move at a breakneck pace these days.
Regardless of what is hot or trendy in terms of sharing your life and work, I feel that blogging still gives something that other platforms do not offer which is simply more content.  So for now blogging is going to remain something I offer and process through.
September began with my first meeting with my local Studio Art Quilt Association group.  They meet bi-monthly and share work and ideas.  At this meeting we also had a trunk show and talk from artist Mardell Rampton.  It was a very enjoyable 4 hours and I hope to attend as many of these meet-ups as I can.
I also joined the Surface Design Association and met up with several local members for dinner before attending the Banjara exhibit at Monte Clark Gallery which was a book launch of the Banjara book created by Maiwa.  The work was stunning and the Monte Clark space is very cool.  Concrete floors and huge ceiling height, the industrial feel of the space showed off the warmth of the textiles beautifully.
Nearing the end of the month I participated in a three day workshop as part of the Maiwa Textile Symposium.  The teacher was Bettina Matzkuhn and we delved into the world of maps and making textile maps with embroidery.  It was a great experience and I came home with the beginnings of a new piece that will work well with the body of work I'm developing right now.
This weekend I travelled across the U.S boarder into Washington state to attend the Judged & Juried International Quilt & Fibre Show as part of the Quilt festival put on by the La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum.  There were some lovely quilts on display and my quilt Beryl was part of the show.
As exciting as all of these things have been I am looking forward to a slightly slower pace over the next couple of weeks to get some other things started and/or continuing.
Below is a photo of myself with Beryl.
*Please click through on the post title to comment or see archived posts.

JJ

Artist Travel: What to Pack

We are now 10 days away from our 6 week France adventure. I have been gathering supplies and despite being away for weeks we are travelling light.  Since the boys will not have lots of toys or books to keep them occupied many of their activities will involve us hanging out together.  One activity that we enjoy doing together is drawing.  We took a trip to the art supply store and each boy picked out their own sketch book.  Elliott at age 5 needs a simple spiral bound which will be easier for him to keep open while drawing.  Kyan at age 8 chose a black sketch book.  I had some older ones laying around and am bringing two for myself.  We also have a set of pencils, sharpener, glue in case of any scrapbook inspirations and a thin black Sharpie. I'm also brining a gouache paint set with three brushes, and a set of 24 colour pencils.   

Last year on our trip to England I brought a piece to work on.  Our trip was only 3 weeks and we kept very busy with sightseeing.  When we did have down time I decided to read rather than stitch.  This year there will be much more regular day-to-day living since Dave will be working regular work days.  So I plan to take advantage of sewing time to get a several pieces stitched towards a two-person show.  And I am bringing a small piece of fabric that I designed in my course with fabric paint on muslin.  It will be a keepsake for me to hang in our home.  In the future I will look at it and remember our time in the south of France.

When deciding what art supplies to bring your trip intentions are the first thing to consider.  If you will be sightseeing 99% of the time a sketchbook and camera may be all you should carry.  Any other supplies will just weigh you down.  Trips are a great time to soak in new inspirations and rest your making side.  If you are travelling for an art retreat that is another story.  Finding compact options for sketchbooks and supplies will be a big help in terms of keeping your luggage weight down.  

But if you are travelling and staying for longer periods bringing along small projects can be useful, especially during down time in airports etc.  There are often times while travelling that you have to wait unexpectedly and having something to do with your hands to fill the time really helps with patience.  

I will add a small lidded jar for carrying water when we are out and about and I may add more embroidery floss to this pile as well and my DSLR camera is also not in the photo above.  All the art pieces will be bound for finishing after the trip.  There is no room for sewing machines on this journey. The excitement is mounting...if you are travelling this summer I wish you the best.

JJ

Put a Bird on It: A 2015 Art Review

Snow is falling softly here as I write today.  It seems a good time to take stalk of a bumper year for me in terms of career opportunities.
January will always mark an important time for me as it was 3 years ago this month that my work was first exhibited in the Lower Mainland in an emerging artist group show.  It was a great success all around when I not only got into the show but also sold the piece that was submitted.  Three years in and I have shown many more times, learning a lot about what is and is not possible at this stage.
Of course things are always changing, so I continue to challenge what appears possible.
I don't think that 2016 will be any different in that respect.
As for 2015, my impression of the year overall harkens back to the title of this post.  My bird obsession was not obvious to me until the last few months of this year.  But as the last three pieces I've made have had a bird in them (the new one I'm working on now adding a fourth) I feel it is safe to say I'm in a bit of a "bird phase."  
I know for sure that after this current piece is done I will make at least one more piece with a bird as a focal point.  I haven't intellectualized this too much as of yet.  I think it stems from nature as inspiration and birds being the wildlife that I am exposed to the most on a daily basis.  We live in a forested mountain area so birds are all around us.  Plumage is also very beautiful to paint and stitch.
There is much folklore and many myths attached to certain birds. I don't think of these animal's appearance in my work to be coincidence.  There will not be a time that I will be done with birds as subject matter since I made no concious effort to study them or use them exclusively as a muse.  I assume that they will flit in and out of my work forever.  Only time can tell.  But what a pleasure to sit with these creatures and come to know them in such an intimate way.
To stitch, study colour and gesture, it forms a bond.  An understanding of the type of space that they take up in the sky or on a branch.   It is a sincere pleasure to observe and depict.

In case you are not familiar with the post title (used in a very tongue and cheek way)  please click through to this Youtube clip of the funny show Portlandia for an explanation.

Wishing you all a very happy new year!       JJ

     flight, 2014

*please click the title of the post to comment or read past posts*

Fabrications - 2015 Juried Fibre Exhibition

My final exhibition of 2015 (and first of 2016) opens tonight at Quest Art School & Gallery in Midland Ontario.  There are many wonderful artists included in this Fibre show so please check it out if you are in cottage country over the holidays (show closes January 6).

Five Pillars is hanging alongside the stunning piece above and many more.  2015 has been a great year for gallery shows for me and Fabrications is my first exhibit in Ontario.  It is very exciting to be showing across Canada.

*please click the title of the post to comment and for archives of past blog posts

JJ

Black Crow - Behind the Art

                         

I thought I'd share some of the inspiration behind Black Crow which is currently on display at the Gibson's Public Art Gallery.  I have been listening to Joni Mitchell's music avidly for almost 20 years now.  Her music is full of imagery that holds enough ideas to create for decades.

Her song Black Crow from the Hejira album has resonated with me since I first listened to it in art school.  I attempted a series of paintings based on the song for an assignment.  Some of them worked but for the most part I was not satisfied with the outcome.

Years later while listening to the song this quilt came to me.  As I interpret the song, the parts that resonate with me are the weariness of travel and the projection of her spirit onto a crow.  I would encourage anyone who is not familiar with the song to listen to the whole album but below I've written out some of the lyrics that brought these images to the quilt.

"There's a crow flying

Black and ragged 

Tree to tree

He's black as the highway that's leading me

Now he's diving down 

to pick up on something shiny

I feel like that black crow 

Flying 

in a blue sky

I took a ferry to the highway

Then I drove to a pontoon plane

I took a plane to a taxi

And a taxi to a train

I've been travelling so long

How'm I ever going to know my home

When I see it again

I'm like a black crow flying

in a blue blue sky

...I looked out the window

And I saw that ragged soul take flight

I saw a black crow flying

In a blue sky

Oh, I'm like a black crow flying

In a blue sky"

Both Sides Now

A Tribute to Joni Mitchell in Art, Music & Poetry

Nov 12 - Dec 6 2015

Gibsons Public Art Gallery, Gibsons BC

Opening Reception Saturday Nov 14 4pm - 7pm

Music & Poetry

Friday Nov 20 7pm - 9pm

Friday Nov 27 7pm - 9pm

Joni- Narrating Our Lives

Facilitated by Sandy Wrightman

Saturday Nov 21 2pm

If you have a personal story about Joni Mitchell please bring it.

Closing Performances

Saturday Dec 5 7pm-9pm

Please check out the show if you can.  Click here for a: Facebook post with images from the show.

Please click through on the title of this post to comment.

JJ

In Conversation

For those of you who were not able to see In Conversation at the Coast Collective Gallery in person below you will find the pairing of my piece Autumn in the World Tree with Poet Laureate of Nanaimo Naomi Beth Wakan's poem From Our Small Orchard.  Naomi's poem is available for purchase in her book: Sex After 70 and Other Poems. 

From Our Small Orchard

by Naomi Beth Wakan

The fruits of summer –

the cherry, strawberry

and first raspberry,

sweeten the palate

after a barren winter.

Later, plums overburden

the kitchen table,

and early pears fill

woven baskets.

Still, there’s nothing

quite like an apple

picked after the first frost

and crisp as…

well as only an apple

plucked from a branch

after the first frost

can be – juicy, full of

the flavour of harvest

and, when bitten into,

sounding like footsteps

crunching in the snow.

*Poem printed with permission from the author.

I think the pairing was very serendipitous.  I am honoured to have been included in this show.

                                                                                                                                                                 JJ