Tag Archive for: Salt Spring Island

Earlier this month I was so happy to host Stacey Piwinski as the Artist-in-Residence at SAORI Salt Spring. When we were setting up the residency, Stacey requested that we go to Pacifica Paddle at the beginning rather than at the end of the residency. She wanted to meet others in this SAORI community and see how that may influence her work during the week at the studio. “We learn from each other”

pacifica-loooms

So, we set up weekend workshops and a SAORI Kai. I had a lot of feedback from people after about how much they were inspired by her presentation of her work and her process. One piece that she shared with us was something she had worked on over the period of two years. She wove a piece each month that reflected her life over that month. The following year in the same month she did more work on that same piece.

IMG_20160313_132251

We shared with her some of our weavings and clothing design, wall hangings and pieces of cloth. It was all a wonderful start to the residency.

IMG_20160313_145147

As Stacey was here, she wrote a blog post for every day – documenting the weaving, meetings with people, conversations, places we visited on the island. If you haven’t already seen them, these posts are well worth a read. Lots of photos too!

Day 1 – Pacifica Paddle – “Weaving, Water & Butterflies
Day 2 – SAORI Kai – “SAORI Sunday” – Part 1 & Part 2
Day 3 – SAORI Salt Spring – “Tall Trees and Green Moss
Day 4 – SAORI Salt Spring – “Delightful
Day 5 – SAORI Salt Spring – “Wednesday Already
Day 6 – SAORI Salt Spring – “Kan Ryoku is Sprouting Up
Day 7 – SAORI Salt Spring – “West Coast Dream Squid
Day 8 – Victoria – “Headed Home

Stacey worked on different pieces while she was here including one she called “Little Terri” – this piece incorporated a collection of items that I had given her at the beginning of the week. It was jewelry of mine, collected over years, that I didn’t wear anymore.

IMG_20160318_134702

…a mobius (note that there is no fringe!)

mobius

… and a squid vest

artist-in-residence

squid vest

She brought me one of her works – that incorporates painting and weaving and it now hangs next to my SAORI Calendar in the studio.

IMG_20160314_143429

We enjoyed the days, the visitors to the studio and the island…the days went by way too quickly!

IMG_20160315_141520

IMG_20160316_150536

IMG_20160316_175042

Until next time…

Mt. Maxwell

Happy Weaving,
Terri

My website: www.saorisaltspring.com, see some updates on my Gallery page here.

Or you can find me more often on Facebook or Instagram.

 

I am pleased to announce the next Artist-in-Residence at SAORI Salt Spring. And I want to thank all the others that applied…the decision was not an easy one!

March 2016 Artist-in-Residence – Stacey Piwinski, MFA of Massachusetts

spring2016-air_01

I have met some of her connections to SAORI – Mihoko Wakabayashi of SAORI Worcester and Bobbie Herron – and I look forward to meeting her soon.

She will be here in March and coming to the workshop days and SAORI Kai at Pacifica Paddle on March 12 & 13.

She says:

I would like to continue my abstract woven portraiture work, but this time instead of working with friends, I would be making new friends in new places. I have no idea where this new work will take me, but I am excited, a little scared, and willing to find out my getting my hands in an allowing the loom to make those soothing clicking sounds and guide the conversations and the fabric row by row.

Artist-in-Residence

Two Years

Artist-in-Residence

Two Years (detail)

Her Artist’s Statement for an upcoming show:

Although her work speaks to painterly concerns, Stacey Piwinski (CFA’99,’00) uses textiles and found materials to create intricate weavings that consider the passage of time, the tactility of material, and interpersonal relationships. In her fabric scrolls and mixed media works, Piwinski carefully re-contextualizes objects that have personal significance or simply have been left behind. In these material and personal explorations of memory, Piwinski allows the objects to weave together new meanings and to tell new stories.

The show:
Sherman Gallery, Boston University Art Galleries
Stacey Piwinski: It’s not you, it’s me
January 22 – March 4, 2016

September 20, 1911

September 20, 1911

About Stacey
Stacey received her BFA in painting in 1999, her MFA in studio teaching in 2000 from Boston University, and most recently her MFA in visual arts from Lesley University in January 2014. Stacey participated in the Japan Fulbright Memorial Teaching Program in 2005 and was inspired by Japanese textiles, specifically Saori Weaving. As an arts educator in the Wellesley Public Schools, she has facilitated community-weaving projects as a way of connecting individuals. Weaving as a metaphor for bringing people together is a thread that runs through all of her work.

You can see more of her work here.

I’m looking forward to her SAORI explorations here at SAORI Salt Spring. I hope that many of you can join us for a SAORI Kai on March 13!

Happy Weaving,
Terri
My website: www.saorisaltspring.com

saori_salt_spring_logo_100

Two years ago I made a long, simple vest out of some fabric that I had woven. The vest was 3 strips of fabric sewn together with spaces left for the armholes and slits left in the bottom section. It could be worn two ways and I wrote about it here.

Here it is flat:

construct

And here was the finished piece:

jump

I liked it a lot … BUT I didn’t wear it.

[su_divider top=”no” style=”dotted” divider_color=”#5e6cb9″]

One day a couple of weeks ago, I had an idea. Inspired by Lynn’s Squid family, it occurred to me that the fabric could easily be made into a squid tunic / dress. All I had to do was sew up the seams completely, where I had left them open. Fold it, with one corner at the top – sew it up and cut a couple of new armholes.

And, ta da, it became a squid 🙂 that can be worn either way – the cowl at the front and it looks like a dress…

12278932_1122743301070496_6163271613024638686_n

The cowl at the back, which becomes a collar and then it looks more like a tunic…

Details…

12301676_1122743331070493_3950646859998821054_n

12299167_1122743367737156_1255984014368462621_n

AND now I’ve been wearing it a LOT!

It’s good to listen to the cloth…

Happy Weaving,
Terri

My website: www.saorisaltspring.com

saori_salt_spring_logo_100

PS…I’m posting much more often on my Facebook page and Instagram account, so you can keep up with happenings there. Or you can join my mailing list here.

What an amazing two weeks!

It started with Karen coming early to spend some time on retreat and learning more about SAORI weaving and assisting with preparation for the workshops.

The first day is a tour of Salt Spring Island – my studio, Ewetopia Farm, the Gulf Islands Spinning Mill and then Seaside Kitchen for lunch.

Ewetopia Farm

Gulf Islands Spinning Mill

Then it’s off to the wineries, the brewery, Salt Spring Cheese, the Bread Lady, etc. for a real ‘Taste of Salt Spring’.

On Friday, the weaving began … it continued right through until Monday afternoon with a break on Saturday for a visit to the Salt Spring Saturday Market.

The people, the weaving, the enthusiasm and creativity of both groups was outstanding. Definitely one of the highlights of my year!

Both tours were sold out with 10 people in each, plus Cari & Karen, so we had full studios…

The studio at Harbour House

The studio at Mineral Springs Resort

On the final day, Lynn Jones came over to share some of her clothing designs. A fashion show gave new inspiration as we also demoed how to create the origami-style clothes.

 

We looked at patterns from the books. Kenzo-san always says the writing may be Japanese, but the pictures are in English 🙂 So we took some examples and did paper folding to help understand how the cloth is folded, cut and sewn.

 

The finales were spectacular!

August 5- 11 at Harbour House

August 12-18 at Mineral Springs Spa

Thanks to each person who came. Please keep in touch – I’d love to see where SAORI takes you. A special thanks to Cari for her vision and organization. Many of the people have been on other tours with Loom Dancer Weaving Odysseys and I can certainly see why. And thanks again to Karen and Lynn for all of their help at the workshop.

Cari Malver, Loom Dancer Weaving Odysseys

Note: Many photos of the weaving can be found on my Facebook page and Instagram account

Happy Weaving,
Terri

My website: www.saorisaltspring.com

And thanks to Rufus – the Loom Dancer mascot 🙂

At the beginning of the month, in starting my Artist in Residence, I decided it was time to renew my Earth Loom. On the night of the full moon, I went out and threaded up the loom…

 

Over the next few days, I started to add to it. Yarn, roving and found objects – all things that are biodegradable…

 

The loom is set at the entrance to our driveway turnaround – one part goes off to the cottage, another to the studio…

 

Over the next months, I will continue to add to the weaving and invite others to as well.

Happy Weaving,
Terri

My website: www.saorisaltspring.com

PS – Credit for the idea of my Earth Loom goes to Susan Barrett Merrill. My earth loom was built in 2009 by my cousin and I thank Tony for that! Other posts about it can be found here.

So, after returning from a New Zealand springtime and the richness of the blues and greens and so inspired by so many beautiful places, I went to my studio to weave. There on the loom was an autumn coloured warp that I had made before I left.

 

Surprisingly, it called to me and I ended up weaving in totally different colours for me…

 

 

I thought I’d make a mobius scarf – and so wove the ends in to make the loop…

 

And finished weaving (still need to finish the ends and wash it)…

 

Also, yesterday – 3 huge boxes arrived from Japan with my long-awaited yarn sets. I’m working on uploading them into my Etsy shop. Beautiful colours – here is the blue-green one 🙂

 

And today, Christmas Eve, we went for a walk in the woods – it was a warm, sunny day.

 

Happy Weaving & Happy Holidays to all,
Terri

My website: www.saorisaltspring.com

More photos on Instagram

 

Fall has arrived, cooler weather and a bit of rain – but still beautiful days. The studio is busy with many weavers and a lot of inspiration.

Here is Jane who came to weave a scarf. She brought along some yarns she had chosen and started weaving – she was surprised when she stopped that it was much longer than she anticipated. Now she’s thinking it may become a vest – though it makes a pretty fantastic loooong scarf too!

 

Judy also came to the studio and did some weaving with some felt pieces from her nuno felting (judithdios.com – worth checking out!) along with some wonderful dyed silk hankies that are so soft and combined this all with some yarn from the studio and other bits and pieces – great colours and texture.

 

Roiane tried out SAORI for the first time and used some great bright colours, tried a bit of clasped weft and may come back to weave some more tomorrow!

 

Heidi is weaving a wonderful tapestry that started out with some waves…

 

…trees have now sprung up in the tapestry and it continues. It has been great to watch this develop!

More weavers coming tomorrow and then on Friday and Saturday too. Watch for more photos.

Happy Weaving,
Terri

My website: www.saorisaltspring.com

 

With much anticipation and excitement, the Loom Dancer Weaving Odyssey on Salt Spring is now in full swing. Today is Salt Spring Market day and so all are off for a day of visiting artists and farmers at the market.

We’ve done so much already, starting with a tour of the SAORI Salt Spring studio in the woods…

 

A tour of Ewetopia Farm and Elf Leatherworks

 

and then off to the Gulf Islands Spinning mill, lunch at Seaside Kitchen and a tour of the wineries, brewery, cheese farms and more. A full day!

I was busy in the afternoon, with Alan, setting up the studio at Harbour House Hotel…

 

Yesterday, the weaving began…

 

And continued through the day. We even had visitors try it out…

 

And the weaving continues Sunday and Monday as well – but here is a small selection of the many beautiful colours and textures so far…

 

 

 

Lots more weaving and photos to come. Stay tuned to my Facebook page and Instagram also…

Happy Weaving,
Terri

My website: www.saorisaltspring.com

 

This month is wonderfully busy with SAORI weaving – classes, workshops, retreats and Zen Weaving Days. I just thought I’d share a few photos of warps and weavings being created lately – with many more to come!

I think the photos will say it all…

 

This week is also the 2014 SAORI International Conference in Peachtree City, Georgia which many people will be enjoying over the next 6 days.

Happy Weaving,
Terri

PS – In case you missed it, you can find my latest newsletter here – and you can subscribe to the newsletters here.

My website: www.saorisaltspring.com

 

 

Yesterday we had a lovely and quiet day. Lots of phone calls to and from family and dear friends near & far.

We decided to take a thermos of tea and some Christmas goodies and go for a walk to enjoy our beautiful island. We chose the Burgoyne Bay walk. Here are the boats in the bay…

The walk is an easy and beautiful path…

along the water…

Life on the island!

Happy Holidays and Happy Weaving,
Terri

My website: www.saorisaltspring.com