Thursday, December 22, 2016

Happy Holidays 2016

Miscanthus sinensis "little kitten"
We were blessed with a rare snowfall to set the holiday season.  Snow is ephemeral here on the west coast.  It creates havoc with our daily routine but is also an excuse for long walks, dinners by candle light and communal grumbling about the weather.
The snow turns ordinary landscapes into works of art.  A clump of grass becomes a pattern of lines and curves.
 Moments captured by the camera now can be the inspiration for a project later.  So forget shovelling the stuff and photograph it instead.


toque in hand spun wool


By now those Christmas presents and commissions should be finished and ready for wrapping.  And for those that did not make the deadline there is always that birthday or anniversary date that can be substituted for the Christmas deadline.  We artisans learn to be flexible.  You just can't rush creativity.
The Christmas craft fairs and studio tours have wound down.  Soon it will be time to take stock and think about products for the next season.  Meanwhile baking, eating and celebrating with friends and family is at the top of the to do list.
Linda's shawl
lace knitting
  Maybe you found a treasure at one of the local art events.  A lot of treasure's went off to new homes from our show, Elegant Threads.      

Simple top
woven bracelet
When you open your Christmas presents this year you might be lucky enough to find a hand crafted item.  There is a story in every hand crafted piece.   Consider the item carefully. Remember that the artisan made choices about the design, colour and materials with the purpose of expressing an idea.
rag rugs



We are taking a short break but regular meetings will start again January 23rd.

Have a great holiday season!