More Little Vignettes from In the Middle of the World in Annapolis Royal

 

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I think this was the only photo taken of the three of us

We were all so focused on the work

But it was grand being together for a few days

Miranda Bouchard, Judy Martin and me

Reaching for the light

Thank you to so many who managed to come out on such a rainy day

We were kept busy at the opening

I never even had time for a glass of wine!

Handy Hubby great photo of Judy’s 

Prayer to the Sky

Eternity

Future

I can see every French knot

Every stitch

Made me wonder how many stitches are in this gallery!

November Song

Dancing in the Wind

Winter’s Edge

Follow the Moon

One of my favourite photos

Just a casual little corner

Taken by Handy Hubby.

Have a great day

In the Middle of the World at ArtsPlace Ready for Visitors

I want to talk about line of sight.

All three gallery locations where In the Middle of the World was hung

created interesting lines of sight showing layers of work

And interesting half hidden teasers of what might be coming into sight around the corner.

 Miranda Bouchard, Judith Martin me and our helping husbands

created this intimate and enticing layout!

And as Judy said…just like a walk in the woods.

Love it!

Eternity by Judy Martin

Beaver Moon Dreaming by Penny Berens

Medicine Earth by Judy

 luckily we could hang Judy’s pieces away from the wall 

Allowing viewers to peak behind it. For as you must know Judy’s work is always two-sided.

Then we have another of my pieces…November Song

Prayer to the Sky by Judy Martin

 Chasing the Moon by Penny Berens

Thoughts and Memories and Dreams by Judy

Eternity Judy’s

Stoney Island Memories mine

Whispering Cairn mine

Prayer to the Sky Judy’s

Textiles add warmth and intimacy to every space.

Some thought it was like entering a cathedral

When I looked down that long wall I thought of old English manors

Where tapestries were hung on the walls for warmth.

The folk at ArtsPlace noticed it had reduced the echoes in the gallery.

The wonders of textile arts!

I became fascinated by the shadows forming under my wall hangings.

Love that!

….and the shadows behind and beneath Judy’s work too.

So many thanks to Sophie and Geoff at ArtsPlace

Thank you for reading my meanderings!

Have a wonderful day!

An Invitation to the Opening of In the Middle of the World at ARCAC in Annapolis Royal

 I am very happy to announce that In the Middle of the World is coming to my local art centre in Annapolis Royal. We will have an opening reception at ARTSPLACE on September 7th 12-2pm. The reception will be followed with a talk between Judy Martin, Miranda Bouchard and myself.

I am excited to see this wonderful tactile show again. And it will be extra special to have a few days to spend with Judy and Miranda again. They will both be flying in from Northern Ontario and I will be driving down the road!

It is hard to believe our show was first hung so beautifully at The Mississippi Textile Museum in Almonte, Ontario back in 2021 during Covid when I was not able to attend…..so disappointed was I.

Since then it has travelled to The Muse, in Kenora, Ontario where all three of us could attend and meet so many wonderful people who came from all over.

And now I am thrilled it is coming to my little town and our wonderfully active and supportive ARTSPLACE.

Walk Through of In the Middle of the World

 Judy Martin and I did a walk through and talked about our pieces 

hanging at The Muse Gallery in Kenora, Ontario.

Thank you Miranda Bouchard for recording the event with your Photographs.

'My Awakened Heart', 'Her Arms Wrapped Round' and 'My Heart'

Judy's three pieces in the foreground.

'Resting Between Night and Day', 'The Edge of the Woods', 'A Stream Runs Through it' and 'Woodpeckers Live Here'

My pieces on the wall.

As you walk into the gallery this is the beginning of what I think is an emotional experience.

Not to be sentimental but being surrounded by large stitchings have that effect on me!

 They create a welcoming and comforting environment.

Like old English houses where walls were hung with tapestries 

both to impress but also to help warm the place.

Like my grandmother's home where huge, heavy velvet curtains separated the living room from the dining room to keep us warm with a coal (yikes) fire burning.

Love this photo

'Beaver Moon Dreaming' My piece on the wall.

'Eternity', 'Flowers Bloomed' and 'The Forever' Judy's three pieces.

'Resting at Low Tide' My piece on the wall.

'The Forever' Side B Judy's piece in the foreground.

We are so different yet so alike!

Miranda, me, Dagmar Plenk and Judy

We had a surprise visitor, Dagmar who came up from the States to see the show.

We had met online but it is so much better getting to know someone in the flesh.

We had a lovely visit didn't we, Dagmar!

We all loved listening to Judy explaining each piece.

'The Forever' and 'Time Future' Judy's pieces in the foreground.

'Summer's Dance' my piece on the wall.

'Time Past' Judy's piece in the foreground.

'Woodland Berries' My piece on the wall.

'Woodland Berries' is a piece not only about the wild berries the float 

like waves through the woods in Autumn

 but it's also about the woodpeckers that lie in these woods

and the stoney ground that huge trees somehow manage to find nutrients in.

'Dancing in the Wind' and 'Follow the Moon' My pieces on the wall.

'Medicine Earth' Side B Judy's piece beyond the door.

My experience of someone's work is always enriched with their artist talk.

So I am always happy to share my thoughts and process with others.

Even if my throat goes dry and scratchy sometimes!

Some of my works had to be given a wall of their own.

Just too many of them!

Thank you to The Muse for giving them space.

We are delighted that

'In the Middle of the World'

A show of Judith E. Martin and Penny Berens's work

Curated by Miranda Bouchard

has been extended to hang in The Muse gallery,

Kenora, Ontario

Until July 4th, 2023.

Have a great day

We are enjoying a few days of rain here in Nova Scotia

 Hope it is enough to dampen all the wild fires.

  

A special Road trip through Northern Ontario

'In the Middle of the World' is hanging in the Muse Gallery in Kenora. Judy Martin, Miranda Bouchard and I had an appointment to spend time at the gallery on Mothers' Day weekend.

Judy and Miranda are Northern Ontario girls and they wanted to show me their part of the world.  Plus we wanted to spend as much time as we could together. So I flew into Sault Saint Marie and from there we drove two days to get to Kenora.

We had a lot of catching up to do. Covid wrecked any plans of getting together but we managed to continu meeting virtually.  It was always good to see them on screen but there is nothing like actually being together. The eleven hour drive to Thunder Bay and then another six hour day to Kenora were perfect for all the catching up and discussing our work and art and creativity. 

Throughout the years of this project Miranda has asked thought provoking questions and this trip was no exception.  They often reveal our differences but mostly our deep connections. 

So much fun.

Such a special trip.

I have always been drawn to the edges of things....particularly treelines.

The trees here are birch, sumac and black spruce. I was fascinated by the black spruce that seemed to have topknots with a smattering of branches beneath and perhaps thicker branches towards their base.

 I didn't get very good images of those topknots so as we drove a did a tiny little sketch to remind me.

Islands beyond the treeline ......a different kind of edge.

We stopped at Wawa. I needed a photo with their goose to send one of my boys. Many years ago he had a summer job somewhere even further north but Wawa was where he got off the train before the long drive north. Just to give you an idea of how big Ontario is the train took 36 hours from southern Ontario Wawa. Oh, yes, and I learnt that Wawa means snow goose in Ojibwe.

Of course we had to stop for stones….so the girls found Deadman’s cove and we had a wander!

It was special….all the stones so different to my Nova Scotian ones. That day it was stones covered in dots that caught my eye. Oh joy! And of course a few came home with me.

As we neared Thunder Bay we stopped at the Terry Fox memorial which I found deeply moving. I remember him running up Davis drive near our home in Newmarket, Ontario.

An inspiring, courageous and memorable young man.

A special time with Judy

And of course with Miranda too. 

And me too!

I don’t often include images of people but this time I really want to record and remember these two beloved women who are so important to me.

Hugs to you both.

In The Middle Of The World Opens in Kenora

Judy's The Forever (side b)          Penny's Whispering Cairn
 

Today the stitched works of my friend Judy Martin and me are once again hanging together.

Our show In The Middle Of The World

can now be seen at 

The Muse Gallery

224 Main Street South

Kenora, Ontario, Canada

Eternity (side b). Judy              Beaver Moon Dreaming.Penny 

This time around all three of us who have worked so hard on this project

will be in Kenora May 11th - 15th.

We will be in the gallery in the afternoon of May 12th

and

That evening we will be doing a talk and walk through.

Overhead the Sun (side b). Judy                  Winter's Edge.Penny

It has been so long since we three have actually been together

so I am really looking forward

to joining both Judy and our curator Miranda Bouchard

up in Sault Ste Marie.

From there we will drive to Kenora

along the north shore of Lake Superior.

Reconnecting with the girls will feed my soul

as will the beautiful rugged scenery of that part of the world.

It will be amazing!

I hope you also have big plans to look forward to!