Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Beyond Weaving

What happens when you go beyond the conventional weave structures?  Ask Diane Thorp, who has created her own unique form of textile art by weaving a deconstructed canvas painting onto a painted warp.  Diane has a strong weaving background and yes, she paints as well.

Recently Diane Thorp and Sandy Bligh held a show at the Community Arts Council of the Saanich Peninsulas's (CACSP) gallery at Tulista Park in Sidney.  It was inspiring to see these two artists at work in a studio like atmosphere with the bright array of their work adorning the walls of the gallery.

The Deep Cove Weavers and Spinners Guild is pleased to have Diane Thorp come to our February 18th meeting to share stories of her journey from basic weaving to her AVL Dobby production loom and the inspiration for her new canvas weavings.

A sample of Diane's work.





A reminder to DCWS Guild members that March 25th will be the unveiling of the Flower Power Challenge.  Bring your finished work along with what inspired you and a story to tell about your creation.

Look forward to a posting of the submissions and the prize winners!

Thursday, February 6, 2014

February - Colour Me Red

The Colour RED


Red is the colour of extremes.  Its the colour of passionate love, seduction, violence, danger, anger and adventure.  Our prehistoric ancestors saw red as the colour of fire and blood - energy and primal life forces - and most of red's symbolism today arises from its powerful association with the past.

A "stimulate", red is the hottest of the warm colours.  Studies show that red enhances the human metabolism, increases respiration rate and raises blood pressure.  A very powerful colour!




In some cultures, red denotes purity, joy and celebration.



Red is universally the colour of "Love" - Valentines Day










Red is reportedly the first colour perceived by man.  It is the first colour, along with black and white, used in the textile industry.  Red ochre, derived from clay tinted with hematite (or iron ore) has been traced back to textile dyeing in the Neolithic period.  In China, dyeing with plants, barks and insects has been in evidence for more than 5,000 years.  Red was almost as rare and expensive as purple in ancient times.  

The textile industry has evolved and today many synthetic dyes are available.  The first natural pigment to be duplicated synthetically was the red dye from the madder plant.  Today's intense red dyes come from crushed insects - Cochineal.

Tuesday, February 11th, the DCWS Guild will be celebrating the colour red with a presentation about Cochineal.   Dress up in something red and join us for a colourful learning experience.