Springtime WISHES

My Wish - protect the trees

Latest News 

Just to tell you about a wonderful exhibition at the Joshua Creek Heritage Centre www.joshuacreekarts.com in north Oakville, Ontario called 'WISHES'. It is work by 'Connections', a Canadian fibre-arts textile group (myself included) who have an exhibition on from March 20 - 17 April.  If you can - try and visit.

A trip to the Netherlands and Germany

Canals, bicycles and the floating Flower market.

Last week was filled with three different experiences, - first, teaching a workshop in Zeist, near Utrecht, for a great group of ladies.  Subjects as diverse as ' wrinkles, bicycles, the female torso, sailing, and crop-circles were developed with many also looking at stripes and geometric shapes as a starting point.  This workshop was new for me and with some art and painting exercises to inspire more random and abstract approaches, it was mainly about finding a creative 'edge' to one's work.  The mixed media collages were great ( as always ) and we worked through transferred images, with compositions ready for stitch.  I look forward to seeing some final stitched pieces.

We then spent two days in Amsterdam, just walking around that beautiful city and visiting the Van Gogh museum - wonderful!.  I had been many years ago, but there has been recently a new modern wing added which had a Picasso exhibition (his work in Paris 1900-1907).  What a bonus!!!   Amsterdam is so lovely, the tall thin houses by the canal (one of which was our B&B), plenty of restaurants and bicycles.

Quilt Art news 
I finished the week travelling to Cologne for an inspiring Quilt Art weekend meeting.  So great to see friends from the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe, catch up on news and make plans for the future.  Many members have been selected for Quilt National in Ohio which opens in June, and other members have exhibitions at the Festival of Quilts and continental Europe.  Our own exhibition 'A slice of Quilt Art' has just travelled to Sitges, Spain for the Spanish Patchwork Association festival -   www.patchworkespana.es/ which is on now. It then travels to Prague, Ireland, Budapest and the Netherlands.
We also have a touring exhibition 'Quilt Art - International Expressions' in the USA at the moment, currently in Roanoak, Virginia, travelling to Portland, Oregon, then in September to Doylestown, PA.
Our 25th anniversary QAat25 exhibition has been a wonderful success and has an accompanying book (thanks to Charlotte Yde's creative skills) and is coming back to the UK to Rhyll Library Art Centre in Wales, then to Heidleberg, Germany

Please see our website for details of exhibition tours, times, venues and our books.  
www.quiltart.eu

I'm getting ready for the BIG trip to Australia 

Sorry I haven't been posting recently, as I am preparing for a long trip to Australia where I will be first teaching in Canberra, then on to the Fibre arts festival in Ballarat, VIC, My husband will join me for a break in Melbourne and on the south coast - the 12 Apostles and a little rest and relaxation.  Then we fly to Hobart, Tasmania for teaching and more beautiful landscape - West coast, Bruni island, Port Arthur and rainforest walks.  Then flying to Brisbane for more teaching and seeing the sights.  Brisbane surely has suffered with other places in Queensland over the last few months, but hopefully life is getting back to normal.  I have never been to that part of Australia so look forward to those spectacular beaches.  We finish our trip with a week in Sydney that includes another workshop and a visit to friends.

It will be be fantastic to visit again. Can't wait.

Just to add how much my thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Japan at the moment.  The earthquake in Christchurch was bad enough.... this horrific situation is terrible and it will take years for life to get back to normal.
  
Again, thanks for reading.... I will keep you posted....perhaps from Australia.