*Back to the Future: Digital Art Through Embroidery*, 2022, Sunshine Coast Arts Council, Sechelt, BC

November 2022 - Update

October 31, 2022

Back to the Future: Digital Art Through Embroidery
Sunshine Coast Art Crawl
Vancouver Cityscape (Work in Progress)
First Saturday at City Centre (Nov. 5, 12-5pm)

Back to the Future: Digital Art Through Embroidery

Two weeks ago I travelled to Sechelt to install my solo exhibition at the Sunshine Coast Arts Council and I’m very pleased with how the show came together. It’s my largest showing of cross-stitch work to date! Embroidery is a slow process which means it takes a long time to produce enough work to warrant an entire show all to myself. I’m so proud of this accomplishment and it has definitely inspired and motivated me to continue down this path for my practice.

Here’s an excerpt from the exhibition wall text for further insight:

October 14 – November 12, 2022
Back to the Future: Digital Art Through Embroidery
The work included in this exhibition has inspired a shift in Mallory Donen’s practice, towards processes rooted in traditional craft passed down from generation of women in her family. Her art explores the intersection of digital art and embroidery. By using the distinct grid format of cross-stitching she creates connections between threads and pixels.
Donen embraces an approach to making art this is purposefully slow, emphasizing the value of time and dedication to her craft, in contrast to the fast-paced nature of digital technology. Her intention is to think purposefully about each handmade object she brings into the physical world and its potential impact.

*System Failure 03*, 2020, embroidery, Aida cloth, 8 x 10 inches

I’m happy to share that two pieces from my System Failure series (01 & 03) have sold! But if you’re interested in starting your own art collection, there are plenty of works still available for purchase. Or browse through the installation photos below to see what tickles your fancy!

Click through to view all available works from the exhibition.

Sunshine Coast Art Crawl

The week after installing my show I went back to Sechelt for three full days for the Sunshine Coast Art Crawl 2022. I set up a table and sold small artworks, cards, prints, and pins! I also had a table displaying my cross-stitch portrait commissions (which I’m still booking for 2023).

The most enjoyable and rewarding aspect of the entire experience was interacting with the other artists and the people that walked through the gallery during the crawl! I love talking to people about cross-stitch, it holds a special place in mine and many people’s hearts. It always seems to bring up all sorts of nostalgia and conversations about fibre arts.

On the Saturday, I gave my artist talk for the exhibition and as I was giving the talk I was reminded of my passion and love for art. All in all, the weekend was exactly what I needed to keep me inspired and driven to keep on making more! I can’t thank the Sunshine Coast Art Council enough for their support and for allowing me to participate in the crawl.

I was also featured in a newspaper article for the Coast Reporter, see below for photo and link.

Vancouver Cityscape (Work in Progress)

*(WIP) Vancouver Cityscape,* 2022, mixed textiles

During my fragmented spare time in between preparing for the show in Sechelt, I’ve still been working on my Vancouver Cityscape project, believe it or not! I finished adding the embroidery details around the yellow and green fabric squares. Then I trimmed the edges and created a border with some linen fabric. The border was done with a combination of machine and hand sewing. I also added a long colourful crochet chain inner border, which was machine sewed onto the piece.

I was a set back a few hours of labour when I tried adding some smaller crochet chains of yarn to the building sections. I had sewed about half of them on when I decided that it wasn’t working and used a seam ripper to remove them before it was too late. Considering this project is such a new process for me I’m surprised and happy that this is the only time this sort of set back has happened so far.

I had some raw edges poking through after I added the border so I added some embroidery details on the side to help cover those areas up and make it look intentional.

More photos below and more to come as I continue to working to complete this project by the end of the year!

First Saturday at City Centre (Nov. 5, 12-5pm)

First Saturday is a public monthly artist-run open-studio event.

Come visit artists where they work at City Centre Artist Lodge.

The following artist studios will be open:

Maxine Woogman - Studio # 32
Tracy Anne Northey - Studio # 34
Ilena Lee Cramer - Studio # 109
Elana Sigal - Studio # 110
Shelley Saltzman - Studio # 130
Lukas Lundberg - Studio # 208
Mallory Donen - Studio # 211
Denise Coles - Studio # 221
Devorah Peterson - Studio # 221
LeLe Chan - Studio # 231

Glitch Series 05 - Crop_1-9.jpg, 9.5x9.5 inches, embroidery floss, Aida cloth, 2020 — *Glitch Series 05 - Crop_1-9.jpg*, 9.5x9.5 inches, embroidery floss, Aida cloth, 2020

June 2020 - Update

June 02, 2020

Over the past month, I’ve been working on a variety of projects at once. I started off by stitching together the 9 pieces from Glitch Series 05 into a “quilt”. Overall, I’m very happy with how it turned out and was surprised that everything actually ended being pretty straight/even. The most satisfying thing about quilts is when you iron all the seams, they lay flat, and line up “seamlessly”, as though they were always meant to be stitched together.

(Back View) Glitch Series 05 - Crop_1-9.jpg — (Back View) *Glitch Series 05 - Crop_1-9.jpg*

Next, I stitched more loose ends I had lying around and added them to my ongoing project “Stitching Loose Ends”.

Stitching Loose Ends (progress shot), 2018-2020, embroidery floss, Aida cloth, 16 inches wide x 3 1/4 inches thick — *Stitching Loose Ends* (progress shot), 2018-2020, embroidery floss, Aida cloth, 16 inches wide x 3 1/4 inches thick

Stitching Loose Ends (back view), 2018-2020, embroidery floss, Aida cloth, 16 inches wide x 3 1/4 inches thick — *Stitching Loose Ends* (back view), 2018-2020, embroidery floss, Aida cloth, 16 inches wide x 3 1/4 inches thick

I’ve also been saving smaller odds and ends that are little less useable (for cross-stitching). But I recently had an idea to try and stitch these ends into a recycled handmade paper. I made the paper a fews years ago, while I was still at U of M and almost finished with my MFA. I’ve been experimenting with some free form stitching through the paper and the hardest part for me is the lack of control. Honestly, this doesn’t surprise me though, since I’m slightly obsessed with structure and control. The only way I can find some comfort in the process is to come up with my own rules or goals along the way. For example, I might have a goal to stitch 5x5 squares with cross-stitches. Even though I know it won’t come out like the precise grid that I’m use to stitching on with my other projects, at least I have something to work towards.

After torturing myself with free-form stitching, I couldn’t help but retreat back to my comfort zone. I started Glitch Series 06, but with a slightly different approach than the previous Glitch Series 01-05. This time I’m cross-stitching the full glitch image as a whole piece, instead of segmenting it into 9 different crops, as I usually do. The size/square count is based on the pixel dimensions of a computer screen, which is 1280x800, therefore, Glitch Series 06 will be 128x80 squares.

(Work in progress) Glitch Series 06 — (Work in progress) *Glitch Series 06*

At the end of the month, I pulled out a few skeins of yarn and decided to knit and add onto The Machine: Knitting Ouroboros.

I also started and completed two more hand-stitched paintings for the Paint by Numbers Series, Pattern G and Pattern H.

Pattern G (front view), 2020, acrylic, canvas, embroidery floss, 9.5 x 9.5 inches — *Pattern G* (front view), 2020, acrylic, canvas, embroidery floss, 9.5 x 9.5 inches

Pattern H (front view), 2020, acrylic, canvas, embroidery floss, 9.5 x 9.5 inches — *Pattern H* (front view), 2020, acrylic, canvas, embroidery floss, 9.5 x 9.5 inches

Pattern G (back view), 2020, acrylic, canvas, embroidery floss, 9.5 x 9.5 inches — *Pattern G* (back view), 2020, acrylic, canvas, embroidery floss, 9.5 x 9.5 inches

Pattern H (back view), 2020, acrylic, canvas, embroidery floss, 9.5 x 9.5 inches — *Pattern H* (back view), 2020, acrylic, canvas, embroidery floss, 9.5 x 9.5 inches

Last but not least, I’m currently showing two works from Glitch Series 01 as part of an online exhibition, Threaded II, Envision Art Show, running from June 1-30th. I’m also excited to share that I received an Honorable Mention, which means I’m the fourth artist featured at the beginning of the virtual exhibition. It’s a very strange time for all of us and it’s changing the way we make and view art. I’m glad that something positive has come out of this and I’m so thankful to be a part of an exhibition that showcases fibre artists from all around the world. Please take time to view the work at the link above (title of the show), there is some really amazing work to see and you don’t even need to leave your bed see it!

The Machine: Knitting Ouroboros, 2019, yarn, wood, approx. 10ft Wide in Diameter — *The Machine: Knitting Ouroboros*, 2019, yarn, wood, approx. 10ft Wide in Diameter

Solo Exhibition: I Come From a Long Line of Machines

September 02, 2019

Last month was my solo exhibition, I Come From a Long Line of Machines, at the Ranger Station Art Gallery in Harrison, BC. Below are some behind the scenes photos from the installation day. It’s always a physical task to unravel and layout The Machine: Knitting Ouroboros. I never really know how the work will fit a space, even with the right preparation. But I couldn’t be happier with how it all came together in the end. I’ve also included a few photos from the Opening Reception.

This exhibition was the largest showing of my work to date. I will continue to expand upon this body of work and I hope to continue showing in solo and group exhibitions across the country. Below are photos of all the works in the show, including title, year, medium, and dimensions.

The Machine: Knitting Ouroboros, 2019, yarn, wood, approx. 10ft Wide in Diameter

(2) When I Cross-Stitch I Feel Like a Machine: 50 Hours of Self-Love and Self-Reflection (left) & (1) When I Cross-Stitch I Feel Like a Machine: 88 Hours of Self-Love and Self-Reflection (right), 2017, embroidery floss, Aida cloth, 20x20 inches

InstructionTable1.2_v8.jpg (left), InstructionTable2.2_v8.jpg (middle), InstructionTable3.2_v8.jpg (right), 2018, float mounted archival inkjet print, 12x12 inches

Glitch Series 01 - Crop_3.jpg (left), Glitch Series 01 - Crop_7.jpg (middle), Glitch Series 01 - Crop_6.jpg (right), archival inkjet prints, embroidery floss, Aida cloth, 16x20 inches (each)

Glitch Series 01 - Crop_2.jpg (top left), Glitch Series 01 - Crop_8.jpg (top middle), Glitch Series 01 - Crop_4.jpg (top right), Glitch Series 01 - Crop_3.jpg (bottom left), Glitch Series 01 - Crop_1.jpg (bottom middle), Glitch Series 01 - Crop_5.jpg (bottom right), archival inkjet prints, embroidery floss, Aida cloth, 16x20 inches (each)

Glitch Series 04 - Crop_1.jpg (top) & Glitch Series 04- Crop_2.jpg (bottom), inkjet prints, embroidery floss, Aida cloth, 11x14 inches (each)

Glitch Series 03 - Crop_6.jpg, archival inkjet print, embroidery floss, Aida cloth, 18x24 inches

December 2018 - Update

December 02, 2018

Art on Demand 4.4 - Opening Reception

Glitch Series 03
Search & Rescue Fundraiser
Mainstreet Mixed Bag

Art on Demand 4.4 - Opening Reception

“When I Cross-Stitch I Feel Like a Machine” is now open at The Reach Gallery & Museum, for the Art Demand 4.4 exhibition and will run until January 6, 2019. Below are some installation photos from the night of the opening, stay tuned for high res images of the exhibition.

Glitch Series 03

I’ve been working on Glitch Series 03 and finally finished Crop 2 out of 9. Below are photos showing the progression of how it all came together. In total this cross-stitch took 25 hours to complete!

Search & Rescue Fundraiser

Over this past year, I’ve been part of an art collective called “We Are Pie”, that meets once a month to discuss various art topics and support our art practices. In November, a few of us participated in a fundraiser for Search & Rescue at the Reach Gallery & Museum in Abbotsford. The theme was “Nature”, but a couple of us decided to put a little art collective flair into are paintings and put “Pie in Nature”. Below are process photos showing the step by step progression of the painting I did for the fundraiser. The painting was not sold at the fundraiser and is still looking for a home. I personally think that a baker needs this painting in their kitchen, what do you think?

Mainstreet Mixed Bag

I set up a booth for Mainstreet Mixed Bag in November, which was my second market! I also participated in the first Holiday Mainstreet Mixed Bag market today.

May 2018 - Update

April 29, 2018

RAW: Vancouver

Thanks to everyone who showed up to support me at the RAW: Vancouver showcase back in April. For those of you who couldn't make it, don't worry there's always next time! The event was a success and I definitely learned some valuable business skills while preparing for the show, setting up, tearing down, and of course throughout the night while interacting with lovers of art and newbies alike! I love hearing everyone's opinions and reactions to my work. It is especially interesting getting feedback and unique perspectives outside of an academic setting (this is still fairly new for me). Please check out a selection of photos from the event below, taken by the official photographers, Mike Chen Photography and Evan Chen Photography.

Paint by Numbers Series

Watch me choose the next set of squares for Pattern #2, which is part of the "Paint by Numbers Series". The series of quilted paintings, further explore ideas from my thesis "I Come From a Long Line of Machines".

Settling In to My Vancouver Apartment/Studio

A week or so ago, I finally hunkered down and spent a day hanging my art onto my walls. My apartment now feels like a mini gallery of my work and it feels a lot more like home. It's also starting to feel more like a studio and a space where I can be inspired to continue to create on a constant basis. Instead of looking at blank walls, I look up and I can see a timeline of my art over the past several years. This inspires me to keep going and to assess where do I go from here? What do I want to make now?

There are days when I'm not sure what project to work on and sometimes I question why I'm spending every spare moment of my time on art. But when I look around my space and remember how far I've come and how hard I've worked on my art, it pushes me to keep on moving forward. I've been reading "In the Company of Women" by Grace Bonney and it's reminding that being a creative individual is hard work, and it takes time, patience, and perseverance. These are things I struggle to often remember, but I'm doing my best to be present in the moment and enjoy the journey. I have to keep reminding myself that every artist starts somewhere and I'm just at the cusp of being an emerging artist. Patience doesn't always come easily to me, but it's something I'm working on. Like a muscle, I know it'll get stronger with more exercise.

Everything hanging on the walls is art done by me. The piece on the mantle, above the fireplace, is by my cousin Marvyne Jenoff (http://www.marvynejenoff.org/).

The plant on the left is named Vladimir and the plant on the right is named Priscilla, or as I like to call them Vlad and Pris.

Yayoi made it home and I’m currently reading “In the Company Women” by Grace Bonney. It’s an inspirational book with interviews of various creative women in a range of disciplines.

Horror Vacui - Exhibition Documentation

January 02, 2018

Earlier this year I was in a group exhibition at Deer Lake Gallery, in Burnaby, called "Horror Vacui". The show included myself, as well as two fellow UFV BFA grads, Kendra Schellenberg, and Julie Epp.

For those of you who were unable to make it out to see the exhibition in person, here are some documentation photos of the exhibition.