Time of Change and Time of Goodbye

It's been quite a journey recreating and redefining myself since the days as a stay at home mom back in Basel Switzerland. Moving back to Canada when my children were older gave me an opportunity to step into the working world. My journey took me back to school and I completed  a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of British Columbia as a mature student. Its funny how your labels change as you age, child, adult, mother, teacher, artist.
I've left my day job, that I have had for the past 7 years, at my local yarn store, and look forward to spending more time in my studio....doing my art.

Through the years, I've meet many wonderful women at the yarn store, and I would like to take this opportunity to say goodbye to all of you and express my joy at having gotten to know you.

I've got lots of fiber to share, so check out my etsy store.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ColourSparks

Playing with Wool

 I was in my studio the other day and realized that I could spend everyday cleaning up my supplies...I have a ton...but its been awhile since I worked on anything and it was time to get to work. So I started to felt....and like I am...I didn't really have a plan. Through my degree I realized I liked to start on projects and decide along the way what they would become and deal with the editing as I went. So here I realized I wanted to practice some of the techniques I had learned in the webcam workshop I had done...so off I went.
I have looked at this piece in many different ways and realized it is open to interpretation. My idea was to create pieces that may work in an Annette Messager type installation. My goal was to go bigger than the purple piece..which I achieved but was alot of work. So the idea of filling a room, as she does, is daunting...but doable. Her works are usually suspended, but I still love the idea of felt and metal so I placed it on one of my metal stands. They would also look awesome attached to a metal piece which is free standing on the floor.
Any its a start and we will see where it will go.

Getting Ready for the UBCO BFA Grad Show

 We spent the day cleaning up the sculpture studio, putting away all the stuff and bringing in the lockers from the hallway. The lockers will be the backbones of our walls which we are building tomorrow. We patched the holes on the walls and painted them white. Joshua and Tony dragged in all the drywall for me...couldn't lift it myself.
It is truly amazing how the place transforms....and how much garbage there is to be thrown out.

All the tables and chairs and junk is hidden behind the lockers

This ladder saved my life...Now I can hang my work.

This will become my white box gallery space.

This is Jennifer's space

Do you love hats as much as I do?

 Well, I think I am a hat addict....I can't stop knitting them. I used to say I would knit about 10 per winter season....But I knit 4 since yesterday so I think I have surpassed that number already. My problem began when I started working in a yarn store....how can I try all these wonderful yarns in a short period of time. It takes me forever to knit a sweater...so that won't work. The only solution is something small and fun. Growing up in a cold climate has made me realize that if you dress for the cold you won't mind it as much. I wear hats...yes it does ruin my curls, but it keeps my ears from stinging. I actually wear the hats I knit, well except for the last bunch, they are baby hats...I had to photograph them on my felted heads as I have no babies to try them on.

If I Told You My Story...Would You Listen? 4th Year Show

 My pieces are now in the Fina Gallery at UBCO as part of the 4th year graduating class. The piece with the steel sculpture and felt balls is called What Colour Are You? and the piece with the felted heads is called If I Told You My Story Would You Listen. 
What is not visible hear in the picture is that one of the heads has a speaker in it and it repeatedly asks the same questions...trying to call attention to the viewer. The colourful ball sculpture has a motor in the middle which stirs the balls.

What Colour Are You?

Welded Steel and Wool Fleece

My work has dealt with the exploration of combining wool and steel and trying to find a balance between the two. I have concluded that the steel often ends up being a support or container for the wool. The idea that the steel could be construed as masculine and the wool as female was my original starting point. I felt the need to defend the idea that working in wool and using it as a sculpture tool is not to be designated as craft but serious art. In the end I was lead to the conclusion of “who cares”. The steel is stronger and holds the wool and that’s okay....just as the wool is soft and colourful and allows the steel to shine.

This piece is my attempt to display a visual reference for the oneness of mankind. People, though they may look different and believe different things are all human beings made of flesh and soul and spirit.

The idea that your life does not affect mine is for me an illusion and construe of society to allow bad things to happen in the name of the greater good. I believe that even though you live in a far away country and I have no visible relationship to you...your life affects mine in the matrix of mankind. The reality that you live in will change the reality that I live in and vice versa

If I Told You My Story...Would You Listen?

Wool Fleece and Media

This installation piece is the beginning of a larger piece that will explore the stories we tell about the lives we live. The faces are the untold stories of women as they meet and interrelate with one another. I want the viewer to listen to the stories that are told but I also want the viewer to imagine and hear the story themselves by looking at the faces and listening to what they hear.

My Studio

It is really fun to finally have a studio...I can leave my mess and no one can complain because its my space. This picture is at the beginning before I got all my stuff into it. I have collected a fair amount of metal and have eased out into the middle space. Avery...my visa a vie studio partner doesn't mind as she has moved out and we meet in the middle.
My faces are coming along...I have quite a few more now and intend to have alot by April...watch for pictures from the 4th year mid term show

Fabulous Finds at Summerhill Winery

Come and visit us at Fabulous Finds this Saturday....Luka and I have a booth...VBS and ColourSparks
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=245706178805870\