Tuesday 24 February 2015

written in stone

Hi Karen here!!
Yes I am getting tired of the snow, too.
I came home from the SAQA meeting with lots of inspiration. Al, your trunk show was fabulous. Thanks.
We talked about a few books at the meeting, too. I was very interested in Jane Dunnewold's programs. I checked out her website and some u tube things that she has done. On the website she gives a four page tutorial on critiquing your work. I will print it out and bring it to our next meeting. 
I am working on the clothing challenge. I will have it finished for tomorrow I hope-making not bound but its almost finished quilted.

Hi guys: am really getting tired of the winter!  Too much snow. But, my wife Debbie and I are leaving for Florida Thursday until the end of March.  Am taking our sewing machines and plan to sew (at night or rainy days)  some new Art pieces and  want to experiment with some new ideas.
Well the Fabrigos have a lot of new things planned.  A "second hand " clothing challenge were we each have to buy a used piece of clothing from a second hand store and create a fiber art piece but still have recognizable elements of clothing.  We are also working on some collaborate pieces to enter into upcoming shows.
I myself just this week finished my entrance piece for a fiber show in Italy called Colors Divine in Verona.  Wish me luck!
I am booked for many trunk shows and workshops in April all across Southern and Northern Ontario and would like to add some new technique quilts to my "show" and talk.  Probably need more rainy days in Florida than I want to finish all these things.  Life is Good!


Friday 13 February 2015

Book review

Hi everyone, Karen here!



One of the things that I would like to do in this blog is review books that I am reading. The latest book on my shelf is Twyla Tharp's The Creative Habit Learn it and use it for life.
published by Simon and Schuster publishing house.

Twyla Tharp is one of America's greatest choreographers. In her 40 year career she has created more than 130 dances for her company as well as world famous Ballet companies. She has won two Emmy awards and a Tony award for her work.

One of her main philosophies is that one should develop rituals and routines in everyday life. One can learn to develop creativity by repeating and planning. "Planning lets you impose order on the chaotic process of making something new."

I am so bad with ritual and routine. I never am able to do the same thing every day and I can see where it has caused stress and panic in my life and my artwork. I am almost always rushing at the last minute in order to finish work for a deadline. BUT I am really trying to change this.

One of my new routines is to post on this blog. Friday is going to be Book review day-for me at least, and hopefully my fellow fabrigos will join me.

In Al's initial post he writes about how happily we four have come together and how much better we all are for it. I concur. Our creative energy has really grown for all of us. We all urge our fellow readers to seek out your own little group of artists.

Read a few books like Twyla Tharp's to help get the creative juices running and head out on a journey.

Love, Karen

P>S> Happy Friday 13.


Thursday 12 February 2015

Hi from Al

Hi everyone:  My name is Al Cote and I am a proud " Fabrigo"!  We have been together now for one fun and adventurous year.  We are very lucky that we have the same sense of humor.  Our work is all different in some ways and very much alike in other ways.
I have never blogged before so this is going to be another new adventure.
Karen, Robynne, Jo and I are constantly coming up with new challenges for each other.
I highly encourage everyone to find those two or three people who will fit in with yourself and start your own group.  Keep it small! We think it was karma that only three of us answered Jo's call for members.  Now we have decided to "close" the membership.
I am looking forward to the future adventures that we will have as well as watching everyone's progress on their own. None of us are very sedate!  Busy, busy, busy!
So this was my first introduction to our blog. I know it will not be the last.

Thursday 5 February 2015

Welcome to the Fabrigos!



Welcome to the Fabrigos.

A Short History. (Well not so short after all...)

One year ago 4 individuals came together for their first meeting. I had a desire to meet with a few people who were like minded and wanted to be a process orientated to group to explore fibre art and mixed media. While I have wonderful friends (and they know who they are...) few are interested in quilting and fewer in Fiber Art or Art Quilting.

I met Robynne through the Art Gallery of Burlington Fibre Art group. We became commuter buddies to the meetings and friends thereafter.... Robynne is an inspirational art quilter and has been instrumental in organizing Fibre Content and active with SAQA by assisting Dwayne Warner one of our Canada Central co representatives. She has also been juried into many shows.

I met Karen when sitting next to her at a SAQA Central Canada parlor meeting a year later. We had a good time talking about her work that she had brought. Karen is a wonderful art quilter. Both she and Al have pieces hanging in the Niagara Regional Headquarters in St. Catharines, Ontario Karen also has pieces in varied juried shows.  Karen's blog

I had long heard of Al through his former Quilt Shop in Niagara Falls, Ontario and met him briefly through his visit to my one quilt guild for a trunk show. Al not even knowing me sent an email that he would like to join. Al is a well know longarm quilter, fibre artist and teacher in our area and in Canada.  Al's Website Al Cote's Website

After putting out an invite to those who may live in the Niagara Region at a SAQA meeting I had only 3 Niagara responses. Those were the people listed above and that's how our group was formed. 4 individuals all with various experiences, levels of knowledge and talents.

We settled on a name during one of our fun loving discussions. Four Amigos, Fabric - Fabrigos. It seems to fit our sense of humours.

We have been a group for a year now. These 3 people have become some of my most beloved friends. Brought together through serendipity and meshing through shared interests. We laugh, we create, we critique, we talk (sometimes all at once) and we laugh some more.

What do we do as a group?

We go on road trips to expositions like to the Connections exhibit at the Wellington County Museum last year.

We collaborated on a piece that was juried into Fibre Content 2014 held last September at the Art Gallery of Burlington.
Robynne auditioning pieces onto our Metaphysical Collaboration while in process.

We make challenges to each other like Al's current -make something out of a piece of clothing you buy at a thrift store.  What comes will be interesting!

And we learn new techniques like working with lutradur last year.
Al Cote - experiment of girl printed on lutradur and incorporated into a pillow
Jo's paint and printing on Lutradur and adding coloured texture paste through a stencil. 


Robynne's painted, stitched and heat distressed lutradur piece. 
Karen's piece a old photo printed onto lutradur then stitched and heat distressed. 
and trying our hand at MX dyeing.

I hope you will enjoy our journey of our groups endeavors as we continue to explore, create and fellowship together.

Jo

until next time.... blogging with no pressure.. 

Maker of Things

Hi everyone, Thanks so much to Jo for setting this up.
First I'll tell you a little bit about myself.  My name is Karen. I am an avid Maker of Things! I make lots of things just because I can. My sewing machine and I hang out together just about everyday.