Just like that July has flown by and August is already half over! This means that there are less than two weeks left to catch our Flying Cloud group show at the Bread Gallery in Brooklyn, Nova Scotia. In case you were thinking of going and would like to know a bit more about the participating artists, well here is an introduction...
Blythe Church, a graduate of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design with a degree in textiles, has a passion for dyeing, weaving and sewing that has always driven her. In 2007 she began a series of soft sculptures inspired by everyday objects. Made using hand dyed wool industrial felt with hand-embroidered details, each piece is a labour of love taking between a week and a month to complete. Blythe's largest project to date took 8 months and consisted of an entirely felt 6 foot Christmas tree complete with ornaments and toys underneath.
Blythe loves the humour in seeing an industrially made disposable, hard object as something precious, soft and with an obvious human touch. She questions today’s throwaway society and is nostalgic for a time when things were beautifully designed, treasured by their owners, who fixed them when they failed and used them for generations. She is constantly collecting new objects to be recreated in felt and welcomes commissions. Her soft sculptures have been exhibited and are owned by collectors worldwide, her boom box sculpture can be seen in the head offices of Etsy.
Inspired by her daughter Wren, Blythe has recently started a new line of works for babies and small children called Sewn by Blythe. Using recycled and repurposed wool materials that are dyed, stitched and felted she has been making heirloom gifts to be treasured by babies and their parents alike.
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| Soft sculpture by Blythe Church, prints by Geordan Moore, Paintings by Kelly Mitchelmore and Mary Garoutte, folk art by Jim Tracey |
She never thought while studying Fine Art and Painting that she would ever venture into the world of miniatures and jewelry.
She considers her work to be mostly miniature, wearable art, rather than jewelry, so to speak. No matter what other media she ventures into, she considers herself primarily and always a painter.
Mary’s post-graduation years have been spent painting through freelance and commission work, and it was only in recent years that she decided to incorporate her painting background & skills into hand-painted jewelry. It has stretched and challenged her in ways that have improved her overall painting practice as a whole, and she enjoys the wearable art component to her hand-painted jewelry, as she believes fine art should be a part of the everyday.
John McCarthy lives on the South Shore of Nova Scotia and has been capturing views of the east coast for the last six years. Being perched on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean absolutely inspires a lot of his work. As a self-taught photographer, John dodges and plays with the traditional conventions of photography and brings a fresh interesting look at one of the most picturesque regions of Canada.John's work can be seen at Viewpoint Gallery in Halifax year-round where he is an exhibiting member. His work is also being served fresh daily on his own photographic stream of consciousness mostlythecoast.com where you can find a vast archive of images taken while on “staycation” here in the Maritimes.
Kat Frick Miller, a Brampton, Ontario native, started her BFA at York University in 2003 and graduated from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in 2009. After a yearlong residency at the NSCAD Lunenburg Community Studios, Kat made Lunenburg County her permanent home.
She is a practicing painter and screen-printer, often combining the two techniques in her artwork and her line of home decor Fox Acre Row.
Kat teaches and exhibits regularly around Nova Scotia and is an active board member of the Halifax Crafters Society.
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| Silk screened linen by Kat Frick Miller, prints and hooked rug by Tacha Reed |
reflect her approach to life and art, creating movement and texture through saturated hues and thick layers. Known for her vibrant pallet she enjoys painting flowers and nature trying to capture the moment of discovery. Determined to bridge the gap between artisans and community and support the local economy and charities all at the same time, Kelly is continuously promoting a more holistic approach to art and getting recognized for it.
Geordan Moore is the owner and operator of The Quarrelsome Yeti Press, a company he started in 2010. Geordan creates very detailed surreal and kind of silly narrative images, which he then reproduces as prints and t-shirts. Often he will use themes of the “Great White” Canadian landscape, or poke fun at supposed Canadian stereotypes as a starting point for his compositions. Saturday morning cartoons, 80’s professional wrestling, comics, and heavy metal album artwork influence his style. The detailed line work, and reductive woodcut style rendering characterizes his work.
Tacha Reed has been decorating the fine province of Nova Scotia with her images since 2003. While completing her degree at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design she developed a technique of carving photographs to reveal a graphic image. These humorous and sometimes thought provoking images later became known as “cut-ups”. In addition to her visual arts, Tacha also has a never-ending desire to be crafting and creating beautiful, colourful decorations for our bodies and homes. Her materials of choice being found objects, recycled and natural materials. Other passions include knitting, rug hooking and stitching. Several years ago Tacha began experimenting with various felting techniques, which eventually resulted in a whimsical line of recycled critters and accessories called Woodland Wool, which she sells at various shops throughout the Maritimes.
In 2011 Tacha opened a mobile shop in a renovated vintage travel trailer
that features the work of 30 Nova Scotia Artists and Artisans. Flying Cloud Boutique, located in Ellershouse Nova Scotia, is open seasonally May - December.
Tacha is also the current president of the Hants County Arts Council. www.hantscountyartscouncil.ca
Jane Rovers grew up on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia and spent a lot of time with her grandmother, also an artist who always encouraged Jane’s creativity. These days Jane calls the Annapolis Valley her home. A Graphic Designer by trade, Jane currently finds herself experimenting with photography and digital art. Jane "paints" with photographs. She takes photos of people, places and things and layers them with texture, light and colour. She is always snapping new photos and creating new images. She takes her camera everywhere she goes.
During the day Jane can be found playing with her son Jude and making art while he naps. When she’s not creating she likes to go swimming in lakes, enjoys cooking (and eating!) and she loves hanging out with her husband, son and dog.
Kristie Sheehy grew up in a large family in rural Nova Scotia, surrounded by hills, streams and woods. As kids they explored caves and played in the meadows. Today she finds herself lucky to live on a beautiful farm in Avondale. A self trained sculptor, Kristie’s interests are Native and Acadian culture. Her sculptures often depict the interaction between people and animals - man and his world.
Jim Tracey has been carving his figures since boyhood. Now near retirement, he has decided to offer his work to a larger audience and has found himself being asked to exhibit in more and more venues. From his front yard to markets, from commissions to exhibits, Jim is finding greater demand for his works. The subtle humour and political correctness of his work gives Jim an unending supply of fodder for his creations. Some works are functional - like the birdhouses and feeders, others are satirical and entertaining, while still others are a beautiful addition to a garden or home.
The Flying Cloud group show runs until August 31st, be sure to catch it before it is gone!
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