Seven's Change

Seven is sadly saying good-bye to Charter Member, Pia Skarrer Nielsen.  With Seven since its conception in 2006, Pia has left the group to further study in the textile fields of Tapestry, spinning and all things woolly.  She continues with her business Wonderous Woolerie.  Pia and husband Soren are spending much time sailing our South Shore and enjoying other adventures.

Pia made a spectacular contribution to Seven, participating in shows at /Argyle Fine Art, Halifax, Awakenings at Harvest Gallery, Wolfville, and leading our group to our largest adventure to date- Three gallery shows at various locations in Denmark, and culminating with our presentation at the Craig Gallery, in Dartmouth.

We will miss Pia and her input to our group. But we understand that everyone's life must evolve and priorities change over the years. 

Found treasures

I have come home from Copenhagen with an unexpected treasure. It feels like a reward for past research and gives me such joy every time I see it.



Way back in January 2009 when we decided to do this trip I was wandering through the art texts at the Acadia University Library and was drawn to a large volume called Beyond Craft : The Art Fabric - by Jack Lenor Larsen and Mildred Constantine. I renewed this book many times intrigued by weaving techniques, scale of the work, dedication to a large project, simplicities, complexities and creativity. Many of the artists' works in this book were the inspiration for the work I created for 'Exchange'. One of the featured artists I admired was Franka Rasmussen.

' In the morning I walk about looking, and I think: surely this could be better. 
Or : what muck you made yesterday...all the little talks one has with oneself. And then one goes shopping and finds four lamp shades.....I think it may be the only ability I still haven't lost in my ripe old age: I am still able to find things'
 Franka Rasmussen  (1907 - 1994)

During our first days in Copenhagen, Deborah and I decided to spend a morning in the heart of the city finding galleries she had earmarked as worth a look. We had a blast loosing and finding ourselves. My respect grew by leaps and bounds for her navigationally adept brain. We came across Folk Kunst, made a mental note to return, took a photo for an additional reminder and carried on. Then it eluded us for a few days and when you are trying to fit many things into one day, going around a block more than once just isn't time efficient.

a table runner

'It is a tremendous strain to teach while making something yourself, but I couldn't do without either: getting to understand other people's way of thinking, getting new ideas started...I called it 'composition', later it became 'form and colour'...I simply tried to improve their vision, to teach them to see what they see.' Franka

Eventually, in the last week, around one more corner where many triangular blocks met, that sweet little sign showed up again. Inside was a gentle man named Morten Grue, shop owner, puppeteer, artist, maker of found object mobiles and a past student of Franka Rasmussen. This tiny little shop had some interesting vintage folk art AND some work done by Franka. Morten had purchased her summer home with contents (they were friends) and the last pieces he had of her's were in the store. They were here... and available, two wall hangings and two table runners. It just felt right. To see and touch them seemed to fulfill a quest and complete the project. It would be a few days before I decided to purchase a piece to bring home but I am happy every day that I did.

This one stayed at the store.
Morten kindly gave me the book with my purchase.

Franka Rasmussen -  'My attitude is that I will do things because the work is exciting in itself....that is the experience I want. The result however is not interesting. I have never kept a record or collected photos, because once a piece of work is finished, I'm on my way to the next one. It amazes me that I haven't felt the need to sell, but it wasn't necessary for my self confidence or for the reverence I feel for my work...It was this: I made the things for their own sake. That was the reason for working.'

And I have gone shopping and found................the end of a chapter....................Udveksling next....Pam

Arrival and departure

It is early in the morning and I am done sleeping for now anyways.
Yesterday was a big day - which started out with an email notice that our crate is ..... Where it is supposed to be for now, in storage with the shipping company in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Phew, deep breath, now it is time to start thinking seriously about how to and what to pack.

Except there was one more important point before commencing to pack to take care of yesterday. A couple of months ago we had contacted the local CBC Radio Station to let them know that we were up to something exciting, interesting, something worth while informing their listeners about. Yesterday on the programme Close to Home, CBC Radio I had a few minutes in a telephone interview to talk about our adventure and our plans.
I prepared lists, I called around to the SEVEN ladies and asked questions about which words specifically they wanted me to use when/if describing their works,I made lists, plural, mostly because I was doing it on the confounded confuser and so ... In the heat of the moment I deleted the first very exciting and full list. Once I discovered that and I had my breathing under control again I made a new very satisfying list with our general goals and other important stuff.
Then it was time for the interview and ... Time flies when you are having fun they say, even nervous fun I now know is covered by this, for ... In two blinks of an eye Yvonne Colbert was wrapping it up again and I was hanging up the phone.
On the table in front of me was the initial hand drafted list and on the screen was the confuser list and in looking them over I realised that I hadn't really covered one tenth of what I really wanted to express, and talk about. So many points of importance (to us I might ad)so little time, and in real life I suppose that what would suit my needs as an incessant talker would be more like a three hour show featuring a monologue or perhaps a panel discussion with SEVEN.
In hind sight it probably is very good that I only got a few minutes, they took enough planning as it was and overall I think we are ready to start the trip and not interested in anymore time consuming planning sessions in order to make another another large impact statement.
As we are just arriving in Denmark the second of two articles written about us in a Danish arts/craft magazine, Husfliden will be sent out to their membership - we had to make sure we were covered in the Danish Press as well. We have been in contact with the local newspaper covering the area where we are exhibiting at the gallery in København, Østerbroavisen and I know that they are working on making room for our press release as well as the ad we have ordered. It is beyond exciting to be doing this, beyond description to feel the wave of support we have met where ever we have turned, and this is only the beginning, we aren't even there yet. Wow is all I can say!

Group Goals which help us keep focused:
1. Create opportunities/shows together
2. Artistic companionship
3. Professinal Development: artistic and the business of being an artist
4. Yipppeee Factor ... Getting Juiced Up!

We are on our way,

Yeeeehaaaaaww, this is me galloping across the kitchen floor swinging a skein of yarn with glee!
Pia

Our Danish Press Release

We have a press release for our Canadian press contacts, but the Danish one has a fun title and lists the exact dates and addresses of our exhibition tour.  Enjoy!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – SEVEN CANADIAN ARTIST TO EXHIBIT IN DENMARK – OPENING RECEPTION (ARTISTS IN ATTENDANCE) THURSDAY, AUGUST 5th, 6pm to 8 pm

Dreams, threads and colours from Canada (Fiber, fantasier og farver fra Canada)

Seven Canadian artists will be showing in Sjælland and Fyn in August and September.

Seven Canadian female artists, whose choice of materials range from wool and words to copper and colours, and who have joined forces in a group called SEVEN, will be exhibiting in Denmark in August. Their first stop is Basal Elin Galleri in Copenhagen on 5-8 August followed by a one day show at the Basal Elin Studio in Hørsholm on 14 August. The group will then move on to show at Værkstedsgalleriet in Kerteminde 12 September to 12 October.

The group is based in Nova Scotia on the east coast of Canada. The rugged maritime, forest and rural settings of this province exert a strong influence on their work, as do thoughts and ideas about sustainability, womanliness, human relations and life in general. Their art is sensual, funny and reflective; touchable, colourful and caring.

The members of the group are Pam Frail, Marilyn Rand, Marie Jardine, Pia Skaarer-Nielsen, Kelly Marie Redcliffe, Deborah Nicholson and Angela Melanson and their ages range from 36 to 56. While all independent and experienced artists in their own right, with numerous shows and commissions under their belts, they have come together as a group for mutual support and inspiration. Respect for the quality and scope of each others work and the potential for exploring new avenues bind them together.

August 5-8, 2010
Basal Elin Galleri
Opening/Fernisering: Thursday, August 5^th 18:00 to 20:00

(Artists in Attendance)
Trepkasgade 5,
2100 Copenhagen Ø
Denmark

August 14, 2010
Basal Elin Studio
Hours: 11:00 to 16:00

(Artists in Attendance)
Hørsholm, Denmark
September 12 - October 12, 2010
VærkstedsGalleriet (Dansk Husflid)
Opening/Fernisering: September 12^th, 13:00 to 14:00

(Artist in Attendance)
Gedskovvej 3,
5300 Kerteminde, Denmark

This is SEVEN's first European tour.

Read more about the group, their work and their tour in Denmark at http://www.sevenartisans.blogspot.com/.

Great beginnings and thoughts of world travels!

This is the year of exploration, the year of great expectations, the year of keeping ourselves on our toes from early morn 'till the moon comes up.

In August 2010 six of Seven, (Pam, Marilyn, Marie, Deborah, Angela and Pia) will travel over the ocean to Denmark to explore, exchange and experience ourselves and our work in a completely new setting - a different culture, a different language, different food habits and bicycle paths. 

Kelly will stay back in Nova Scotia holding the fort and preparing herself for sensory overload when we return and the next part of exchange and the talking starts.

We endeavour to keep ourselves and other interested parties up to date with our progess and plans on this blog.
Any and all of the participants: Pam, Kelly, Deborah, Angela, Marilyn, Marie and Pia will be updating this blog when we feel the whim to express and share our excitement of this upcoming adventure.  

We work as a group and separately - and here is an example of what  happened when we all got together with brushes, paint and a nice large canvas for an afternoon in a sun-filled greenhouse  working on our 2009 exhibit Awakenings.