Atelier

This word has stuck with me the last two weeks.  I love it.  This french word for studio or workroom, atelier, it is superior- if a word can be that.  It is a romantic word.  A word of action and substance.

As we walked the ancient narrow streets of Montpellier France this summer we came across this lovely scene. Others may have noticed the dresses first, or the freshly watered plant, or the lovely hand painted sign saying "Le Fil et son Aiguille" (the thread and its needle).

But I looked inside and saw a solitary artist making her work.

"A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction..." -Virginia Woolf

Not only to write fiction, but to paint, to sew, to make, to think, to be.

An atelier of one's own.  A space that is quiet, and yours.

Just a simple thought for today in a time that is not simple.

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JJ

On Being a Maker

One of the wonderful things about being an artist working in quilts as a medium is that I get to make art and functional objects. The Quilt Industry is vast and includes hobbyists, professionals, artists, crafters; in short, lots of people who make things for many reasons. Where one falls on this varied spectrum is a matter of self definition in most cases.  Since I went to art school calling myself an artist has become my natural default for categorisation.  For some, having to pick a strict definition is daunting and they refuse to do it.  I understand that sentiment but I have not problem ticking several boxes off and moving from one to the next.

So while my serious career ambition is to make art, and that is art that hangs on walls, is seen in galleries and fits with most traditional capital A art categories, I am also very much a Maker.

The things I make are usually functional and usually fabric. I make them for myself and my family and also friends. These are objects made with love for specific people. The energy that goes into them is different from my art making. In some ways I still consider them to be art or artistic but they are a product of spreading joy to my loved ones rather than an expression of a conceptual idea.

Making these objects balances me out creatively. In the same way that painting one day and writing a poem the next day would. You are working different creative muscles and channelling your inspiration with another intent. Luckily for me making a bed quilt still works my technical skills in a way that can enhance my art quilts.

Creativity is a fluid thing. It needs to move like water and should not be controlled rigidly. Marking special occasions with making carries on a rich tradition of giving that has always been a part of quilt making.  This can be applied to many types of making too. Cooking & baking, scrapbooks, cards, candles, there is no end to a human's capacity to make with artistry and care.  And that is a beautiful thing.

*The quilt pictured above was a joint effort between myself and my friend for a gift to a very special little boy with much love.  And we used this pattern.

JJ

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Long Shadows : 2016 In Review

                          

This morning I walked over hard packed snow to clear my head and get the blood pumping in my veins.  2016 was a year of great highs and many lessons.  Some of them easier to accept than others.

The sun rarely shines here at this time of year, today I tried to absorb that sun, notice it as much as I could and let it's ancient wisdom burn away some confusion that is clinging to me.

Its warmth is not as all encompassing as it was in the South of France this July.  That heat was so intense that it blocked out reflective thoughts.  The sweet relief of floating in the sea after 20 minutes of trekking to our favourite beach in Bandol was a highlight of the year.  That place is deep in my bones now.  Even if I never return, the memory of stitching while listening to the sound of the cicadas and the shift of the trees outside our apartment as the mistral blew will stay with me forever.

Today what struck me about the sun was its long shadows.  The sun sits so low in the sky that the shadows stretch meekly over the land.  That meekness resonates with me.  I felt that often when trying my hand at things this year.  Somehow when I stepped out of the shadows and into the light, letting boldness take over things crashed around me.  The universe knocked me down a notch or two and I'd step back into a meek shadow once again.

The lessons I have learned from this year do not feel concrete.  But I will write them here in case someone else may resonate with them in some way.

1) Laying the foundation of your career means putting yourself out there and waiting.  Results are not instant.  The publication of Imago Mundi Oh West Canada! took over a year to manifest.  And there are several submissions made in 2016 that I am still waiting to hear about.

2) Expect more no's than yes's.  I learned this in Jackie Battenfield's fantastic book The Artist's Guide: How to Make a Living Doing what you Love.  Her point was that you should be getting tons of rejections because that means you are trying.  And the only way to succeed is to keep making the effort.

3) My top lesson of 2016, one that I am still working on and will be for years to come is: Put yourself out there, meet people and make connections.  This is my biggest weakness in terms of my career.  And I need to challenge it, push and mould this part of myself.  I will always be an introvert but the career I desire as an artist will not manifest if I let that part of me call the shots.  So as uncomfortable as I feel in those moments where I am asking for what I want I force myself through that discomfort.  Maybe some day the discomfort will lessen.

2017 is looking good from here.  I have a milestone birthday and I am planning some new and exciting projects.  All will be revealed as the months progress.

Happy New Year...JJ

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Visiting Giverny

Today is a chilly and grey day here on the Pacific coast so I thought I'd remind myself of warmer days.
Have you heard of Claude Monet's Giverny home?  His glorious garden, pink house, yellow dining room?  The brilliant blue kitchen tiles, sunny studio and lily pond?
All of this and more is found a short drive outside of Paris.  Due to some car rental delays we barely made it in time to get in by the cut off of 5:30 pm but I am so grateful that we visited.
It is a feast for the eyes and there is no wonder that Monet painted there until his death as inspiration is around every corner.

I hope this warms your day. As it brings back lovely memories for mine.

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.
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JJ

Van Gogh in France

What can one say about looking at art in France... it is crazy how much there is to see.  You could look at art around the clock and be there for months.  So inevitably I had to cull and pick certain places, museums and galleries over others in the hopes that someday we will return and I can see ones that I missed this trip.

Arles was a place that I was drawn to see because of Van Gogh's short time living there.  While there we visited The Fondation Vincent Van Gogh and walked around the town.  The famous yellow house no longer exists, but the Cafe Vincent Van Gogh remains and the town has erected displays at some of the locations that Van Gogh immortalised in paint while he lived there.

The Fondation is a modern gallery that had two exhibits on:  "Van Gogh in Provence" and artist Glenn Brown's "Suffer Well" which had several pieces that referenced to Van Gogh's life and work.
The space is intimate and very well curated showing examples of Van Gogh's evolution from classical to expressionistic painting.  It is possible to see the whole gallery in about 2 hours which is perfect when viewing art with children.

Glenn Brown's work.  Above Suffer Well and below one of his sculptures made of oil paint referencing Van Gogh's thick brush strokes and palette.

A few scenes of Arles. 

 There were also many highlights of seeing Van Gogh's paintings in the Musee D'Orsay.  Seeing the third version of Bedroom in Arles in person was incredible.  That painting seemed to exude light.
More about the art on our trip to come.

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JJ

Montpellier: The Art Scene

Our two weeks in Montpellier afforded a diverse exposure to art shows.  I was very impressed by the free exhibits in two city sponsored spaces: the Carre Sainte-Anne is a converted church which houses contemporary exhibits (a marvelous space in which to look at art) and the deceptively large Pavillon Populaire.

Elina Brotherus was featured in the Pavillon in a sweeping show entitled: La Lumiere venue du Nord, Photographies, videos 1997-2015 (June 29-September 25, 2016).  Her work is stunning and very current feeling.  Searingly emotional but also calculated she makes comments on very personal subjects using herself as subject matter.  Her most confrontational works in this show were about her struggle with unsuccessful infertility treatments.  The work was brilliant and hard to look at but the pain was visualized in a most compelling way.  Her landscape work is beautiful, use of light complex, and her commentary on the history of painting and the female gaze pushes dialogue further.
Her self-portraiture was also very interesting in terms of today's social media obsession with the "selfie."  She was taking selfie's with a personal documentation feel long before smart phones hit the scene.  Can you tell?  I loved this show.

www.elinabrotherus.com

Barthelemy Toguo was featured at the Carre Sainte-Anne.  Deluge (June 22-November 6 2016) is an installation of 54 wooden coffins in the center of the space surrounded by large ink on paper transferred to canvas works.  Toguo was making commentary on war (especially referencing Africa in some pieces) and the resilience of the human spirit to regenerate through nature.  The show was very succinct and his point was quite clear.  I liked the ink effect and the way his imagery was painterly but stark.  It enhanced the subject matter.

www.barthelemytoguo.com

On the day before the Frederick Bazille show opened at the city's main art museum the Musee Fabre
we visited the permanent collection.  (An oversight on my part.)  This space was recently renovated and has some lovely works.  France has reasonable museum entry fee prices and we spent about 2 hours with the collection which is good for 2 kids under 10 I'd say. 
Overall the city is a joy to look at art in.  Viewers of all ages were at the galleries while we were there. France certainly appreciates art.
Back with more from our France adventure soon.
JJ
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