becoming a pixel

September 2022 - Update

September 01, 2022

Glitch Streak
Becoming a Pixel
Books Open for 2023 Cross-Stitch Portrait Commissions
First Saturday - Open Studio: Saturday, Sept. 3, 12-5pm

Glitch Streak

I spent most of the summer working on this project, which is my largest cross-stitch piece to date. In total it took about 3.5 months and 182 hours of labour to complete! ⁠ ⁠Soon I'll be taking this in to a shop to get stretched and custom framed. This piece will be on display at my solo exhibition at Sunshine Coast Arts Council from Oct. 14 - Nov. 13.⁠

⁠ I'd love to continue to work on larger scale cross-stitch pieces, but it requires a lot of planning and prioritizing. I usually have so many ideas on the go or in my sketchbook that go unfinished or untouched just because I simply don't have enough time in the day. ⁠

I'll be working on smaller cross-stitch projects for the rest of the year, while my main focus will be working on my large mixed textile piece. You may have seen me low key working on this during the summer, it's another work I'm making for a solo exhibition in Michigan in February 2023. ⁠ ⁠

That’s a wrap on the Becoming a Pixel series! A huge shout out to Canada Council for the Arts I can’t thank them enough for their support with this project. I’m hoping to have the series framed soon and have plans to propose these for future exhibitions.

Books Open for 2023 Cross-Stitch Portrait Commissions

Over the past couple months many people have expressed interest in customized cross-stitch portraits and I’m happy to share that I’m opening my books for 2023. I know that may seem far away, but the reality is I need to start planning that far ahead so that I can schedule around my other projects, deadlines and exhibitions for next year. Spots will be limited, so book now!

These are the two Portrait options I’m offering:

Standard Size - $1200 ($500 deposit required to confirm booking)
7”x7” cross-stitch
16"x16” framed
Fill out Google form/contract below to book commissions from May-December 2023 https://forms.gle/qMWm2NoGqaX8ggu56
*Standard Size portraits are the same size the Becoming a Pixel series and provide the most detail/likeness to the individual*
Small Size - $350 ($200 deposit required to confirm booking)
3.5”x3.5” cross-stitch
12”x12” framed
Fill out Google form/contract below to book commissions from January-December 2023
https://forms.gle/dEWSa1B2UmkLE2137
*Small Size portraits have less detail/likeness to the individual and have a more pixelated aesthetic*

First Saturday - Open Studio: Saturday, Sept. 3, 12-5pm

City Centre Artist Lodge is participating in its first open studio weekend for First Saturday, September 3, 12-5pm.

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

Visit firstsaturday.ca for full list of participating Vancouver/North Vancouver artist studios.

*City Centre map of studios open for First Saturday, September 3, 2023.*

August 2022 - Update

August 03, 2022

VMF - Open Studios @ City Centre Motel

Grant Project Update - Becoming Pixel (Portrait 4/5)
Glitch Streak (Work in Progress)
Vancouver Cityscape (Work in Progress)

VMF - Open Studios @ City Centre Motel

Come visit me at my studio (Room #211) this Saturday, August 6 & 13th during VMF at City Centre Motel (2111 Main Street)! I’ll have works in progress and finished works for sale (I’m now equipped to take “tap” payments). Stay tuned later this week for an exclusive offer!

VANCOUVER MURAL FESTIVAL

Vancouver Mural Festival returns August 4-14 with a spectacular 11-day celebration featuring daily block parties, 30+ new murals in 8 neighbourhoods, mural tours, talks and much more!

vanmuralfest.ca / @vanmuralfest

Grant Project Update - Becoming Pixel (Portrait 4/5)

I’m happy to share that I finished Portrait #4 from the Becoming a Pixel series last month! This is the least detailed portrait of the series so far and only uses two colours of thread. The portrait has become very minimal, without any clear indicators of my self-image, it's as if I'm being consumed by digital technology...⁠

Becoming a Pixel - Portrait 4/5, 2022, embroidery floss, Aida cloth⁠, 7 x 7 inches, 31 hours of labour

(Detail) Becoming a Pixel - Portrait 4/5, 2022, embroidery floss, Aida cloth⁠, 7 x 7 inches, 31 hours of labour

Glitch Streak (Work in Progress)

*Glitch Streak* (WIP detail) , 2022, embroidery, Aida cloth

I hit a bit of a road block with this project last month when I started to run out of embroidery thread. I’ve been trying to find specific colours locally for months and finally had to bite the bullet and order the thread online. This meant over the past couple weeks I had been skipping rows where I didn’t have the colour I needed, which left lots of gaps in my WIP.

Good news is that my order finally arrived and I started working back to fill in the gaps where I was missing thread. I’m making very good progress overall and hope to finish this project in just a couple of more weeks. That means if you plan to stop by for a visit during VMF, you’re very likely going to see the work in its final stages. Trust me you want to see this work in person, the photos just don’t do it justice!

*Glitch Streak* (WIP), 2022, embroidery, Aida cloth

Vancouver Cityscape (Work in Progress)

My focus for August will be wrapping up the Becoming a Pixel series and the Glitch Streak project. But once those two projects are finished, I’ll be focusing most of my efforts on this one for this remainder of the year. With that said, I did make some slow progress on this work in the past couple weeks. Using my sewing machine, I sewed the finished cross-stitched "building strips" onto the main piece of fabric.⁠ I still have lots to do on this project, but I’m excited to see where the process is going to take me next!

July 2022 - Update

July 01, 2022

City Centre Opening Weekend - Recap
Grant Project Update - Becoming Pixel (Portrait 3/5)
Glitch Streak (Work in Progress)
Vancouver Cityscape (Work in Progress)

City Centre Opening Weekend - Recap

Studio selfie from day 1 of the open studios at City Centre.

A little corner of the studio, showcasing framed works.

Congrats to Harvey + Miu who were the lucky winners of my weekend giveaway of an original framed artwork: *Glitch Series 02 - Crop_2.jpg*.

A huge thank you to everyone who came out to the City Centre Open Studios last weekend! It was a whirlwind to see so many people out in public, enjoying the beautiful weather, and engaging with the art community in such a positive way. There was pretty much steady traffic passing through my studio all weekend long and I’m so happy that I was able to share both finished works, as well as works in progress with so many new people!

I spent several days prior to the event prepping the studio by hanging more works and rearranging some of the furniture to help showcase as much as I could. I made some sales and by far the best sellers of the weekend were my pins. The 1.5" Glitch pin was the most popular and lots of people were surprised that I had square pins! In case anyone is wondering, I get all my pins made locally at Six Cent Press, right here in Vancouver.

This week I updated my website shop, so if there's anything from the weekend that you missed or changed your mind about you can find it there! Feel free to reach out and arrange a private studio visit if you want to see works in person again or for the first time. If you are local I have the option to pick up from the studio so that you don't need to pay for shipping!

Grant Project Update - Becoming Pixel (Portrait 3/5)

*Becoming a Pixel - Portrait 3/5*, 2022, embroidery floss, Aida cloth⁠, 7 x 7 inches, 31.25 hours of labour

Last month I finished the third portrait from the Becoming a Pixel series. It’s the least detailed portrait of the three and at this point it’s becoming much harder to identify the image as a self-portrait. The first portrait from the series started with five shades of grey and this portrait is simplified down to only three colours of embroidery thread. The next portrait will be two colours and the final portrait will only be one. I can’t wait to share more progress as this series continues to unravel!

(Detail) Becoming a Pixel - Portrait 3/5, 2022, embroidery floss, Aida cloth⁠, 7 x 7 inches, 31.25 hours of labour

Becoming a Pixel - Portrait 1-3, 2022, embroidery floss, Aida cloth⁠, 7 x 7 inches

Glitch Streak (Work in Progress)

During the open studio event last weekend I was live stitching on this beauty! I felt a little bit like a broken record letting people know that “I’m just over half-way done this piece and I’m about 100 hours in”. My favourite part was seeing people react to how much time I’d spent working on this piece and them realizing that I’m not even done yet!

Vancouver Cityscape (Work in Progress)

I’ve been low key working on some cross-stitched “building” strips that will be added to the Vancouver Cityscape, mixed textile piece that I’ve also been slowly working on in the background (amongst my other higher priority projects). Here are some photos of the process, I hope to be done these in the next week or so!

June 2022 - Update

June 01, 2022

Grant Project Update - Becoming a Pixel (Portrait 2/5)
Glitch Streak (Work in Progress)
Vancouver Cityscape (Work in Progress)

Grant Project Update - Becoming a Pixel (Portrait 2/5)

*Becoming a Pixel - Portrait 2/5*, 2022, embroidery floss, Aida cloth⁠, 7 x 7 inches, 35 hours of labour

I’m excited to share the completed second portrait from my self-portrait series Becoming a Pixel. This portrait still has some likeness to my self-image, but there is clearly some loss of definition. Without seeing the first portrait from the series it is now harder to identify this as a self-portrait. I intentionally reduced the overall resolution and total pixels in the cross-stitch pattern. By producing in an image with less detail, I’ve made identification of the person in the portrait less certain.

*(Detail) Becoming a Pixel - Portrait 2/5*, 2022, embroidery floss, Aida cloth⁠, 7 x 7 inches

Looking at a small section of the finished piece (as shown below) it is very difficult to recognize the image as a portrait on its own.

Mallory Donen acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.

Glitch Streak (Work in Progress)

Mallory Donen with her work in progress *Glitch Streak*. Photo was taken in her studio in Vancouver, BC, 2022.

I’ve also been making consistent progress on this new large-scale cross-stitch piece, Glitch Streak. I’m currently 1/3 of the way complete and it’s about 10 inches wide. When the work is finished I expect it to measure 30 inches wide. I’ve already logged in about 65 hours of labour on this project! Needless to say the further I get on this piece, the more taxing and strenuous it is getting on my body. This is precisely why I’m pacing myself slowly on this project and spending time on others that are less laborious than this one!

Glitch Streak (WIP detail), 2022, embroidery, Aida cloth

Vancouver Cityscape (Work in Progress)

Somehow I managed to carve out time to work on this mixed textiles project in May. It’s been very explorative and playful seeing where this piece takes me. I’ve never attempted something quite like it before. The best way to describe it is probably a hybrid between quilting, embroidery, and textile collage. I’m using a combination of machine and hand sewing, as well as cross-stitching and free-hand embroidery. I’ll also be using yarn to add more texture and dimension. Overall, it’s definitely still a work in progress, but I’m very excited to see where this process takes me!

Becoming a Pixel

May 01, 2022

Last month I finished the first portrait from my series Becoming a Pixel so I thought it was time to share a little more about the project:

*Becoming a Pixel - Portrait 1/5*, 2022, embroidery floss, Aida cloth⁠, 7 x 7 inches, 36 hours of labour

My multidisciplinary practice explores the intersection of digital art and embroidery, through processes rooted in traditional craft. I’m interested in the dichotomy between fast-paced digital technologies and the time-consuming practices of cross-stitching, knitting, and other needlework. Through my laborious approach to making art, I mirror society’s obsession with technology and its ability to both connect and disconnect. My project Becoming a Pixel will be a series of cross-stitched self-portraits that visually demonstrate how digital technologies are impacting the way we view ourselves and engage in the world.

*(Detail) Becoming a Pixel - Portrait 1/5*, 2022, embroidery floss, Aida cloth⁠, 7 x 7 inches

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused the world to evolve and adapt more towards digitization. The most convenient way to stay connected has been through our computers and devices. On the one hand, technology has been the glue that has held us together and it is how we have been able to express our frustrations, triumphs, and hardships through this new “normal”. Digital spaces are where we now spend most of our time. This means that our existence is almost always mediated through a screen or some form of digital technology.

On the other hand, the loss of physical connection has also caused us to feel more disconnected from each other. It can be hard to feel connected to others and have meaningful interactions through digital spaces. But it can also be challenging to stay truly connected to yourself. While using technology we are constantly being bombarded with advertisements and content that often become difficult to ignore. Algorithms curate most digital content, which means we have very little control over what we are being exposed to daily. With this loss of power, we begin to lose our sense of self, and our individuality can get lost in the void of virtual space.

The Becoming a Pixel series will emphasize the loss of self through virtual space, each of the five cross-stitched self-portraits will become progressively more pixelated from the previous one. The same black and white self-portrait will be used to create the cross-stitch pattern for each piece in the series. Now that the first pattern has been cross-stitched, it has been scanned and converted into a new cross-stitch pattern (which will be used for the second portrait). For each new pattern the number of pixels are reduced by fifty percent, but the number of cross-stitches in the patterns remain consistent. This will result in portraits that become increasingly devoid of detail, and increasingly devoid of my own identity. The final portrait will appear as a solid square (pixel), symbolizing loss of human identity through digital technology.

April 2022 - Update

April 02, 2022

Grant Project Update - Becoming a Pixel
Vancouver Cityscape (mixed media textile project)
Cross-stitch on 23 inch embroidery hoop
30th Birthday & Debt Free

Grant Project Update - Becoming a Pixel

This week marked the start of my next grant project. Huge thanks and photo credit goes to Ivana Djordjevic for taking some beautiful portraits (I'll be sharing more shots from the studio, but you'll have to wait patiently to see those)!

Yesterday morning, I uploaded this photo into StitchFiddle.com to create the pattern I am using to cross-stitch the first portrait from my "Becoming a Pixel" series.

I'm so excited to work on this project and of course I need to make a special shout out to the Canada Council for the Arts for their support in funding this one.

Stay tuned with me on social media in the next couple of days, where I'll be sharing more of the process and behind the scenes.

*Photo credit: Ivana Djordjevic - Ease Creative Inc.*

Vancouver Cityscape (mixed media textile project)

I began working on a new mixed media textile project which I’m creating specifically for a solo exhibition in February 2023, in Mt. Pleasant Michigan. The theme of the show is “crafted” architecture and I’ll be showing works that feminize masculine imagery through the use of traditional feminine craft processes. I will be constructing a Vancouver cityscape using only textiles and fibres with a combination of hand sewing, machine sewing, crochet, cross-stitch and free hand embroidery. So far the process has been very experimental and I’ve pretty much just been taking it one step at a time and seeing where it takes me.

The first part of the process was taking photographs of the city line and digitally collaging various images of the industrial urban environment. Once I finished this digital collage, I projected the image onto a large piece of craft canvas and sketched the outline of the city using pencil.

Next I had to re-familiarize myself with how to use a sewing machine since it’s been over ten years since I’ve used one (not since high school)! I purchased a second hand sewing machine through Facebook Marketplace. I quickly read the manual and started doing some tests on scraps of fabric. From there it took a little guts and courage to take the leap into sewing with the machine on my large canvas, overall I’m satisfied with how the city outline turned out.

I also started to experiment with free-hand embroidery, which is very new to me! As most of you probably know, cross-stitching has been my main medium of choice for the past several years. So getting out of the structure of the grid and being a little more free with my stitches has been very relaxing and fun to say the least (don’t get me wrong, I still love and prefer to cross-stitch). In the end, the analytical part of my brain is too strong to give into free-hand embroidery over cross-stitching. Trust me it’s just not going to happen.

As I moved onto the next stage of the project I knew I wanted to incorporate fabric, but wasn’t exactly sure how I would do it. I sorted through a box of scraps that my mom delivered to my studio a few days before getting started on the project. I separated similar colours together and landed on three different patterned fabrics in a blue colour scheme. I cut them into two inch strips and started to pin them onto my canvas. Voila! Just like that, I started to visualize the progression of the project!

After pinning the strips, I went straight to the machine and sewed my fabric buildings onto the canvas. With the spaces in between I wanted to use a variety of fibre mediums and so I planned out the layout of the fibre buildings in my sketchbook. I headed to Michaels and purchased a few skeins of yarn which could be used for the project. Then I got started on crocheting building strips in two different shades of blue.

A lot came together for this project in the span of just a few days, but I’m really happy with where it’s going so far! Sad to say that for now the progress on this project is going to slow down as I focus on my grant project and another new large cross-stitch project which I’m making for my show in Sechelt this October 2022.

Cross-stitch on 23 inch embroidery hoop

This large 23 inch embroidery hoop project will also be taking a back burner position for most of this year. Expect to see very slow progression on this one, as it’s for my solo show in Fort Wayne, Indiana in May 2023.

30th Birthday & Debt Free

A few weeks ago I celebrated two big milestones. The first was my 30th birthday, which was a day filled with pampering. The day included a massage, a pedicure and a fabulous dinner with my best friend Mara, at The Botanist at the Fairmont Pacific Rim, served by my wonderful cousin Avital!

That same day I made the final payment on my student loans, which is a huge accomplishment and weight off my shoulders. I went to post-secondary directly out of high school and was a full-time university student for seven years straight (four years of which I was also a student athlete). I didn’t have enough time to work a steady job with a steady income.

After graduating with my MFA I found myself a job in Vancouver (with SAXX) which paid salary and I was determined to pay off my loans. Four and a half years later, I did it and I’m thrilled to finally be debt free! Cheers!

March 2022 - Update

March 01, 2022

Canada Council for the Arts project grant 2022 - Becoming a Pixel
Inside the new studio/prep for upcoming exhibitions
Work in progress

Canada Council for the Arts - Project Grant 2022 - Becoming a Pixel

I’m very excited to share that this year I will be receiving my second Canada Council for the Arts project grant for a new cross-stitch series titled “Becoming a Pixel”. Through my laborious approach to making art, I mirror society’s obsession with technology and its ability to both connect and disconnect. The “Becoming a Pixel” series of cross-stitched self-portraits will visually demonstrate how digital technologies are impacting the way we view ourselves and engage in the world.

I will be starting this project in April, but for now I’m currently working on grant applications for the next deadline. I can’t wait to share more about the project and process along the way!

Inside the new studio/prep for upcoming exhibitions

I’ve been spending the past couple months getting things set up in the new studio and I finally feel like it’s coming together! I created two mockups for a couple of solo exhibitions I’m planning for in October 2022 and February 2023. This is a very important stage of the process to make sure that I stay on schedule to complete works that haven’t been made yet.

The first show “Back to the Future: Digital Art Through Embroidery” at the Doris Crowston Gallery at the Sunshine Coast Arts Council in Sechelt will be on display from October 14 - November 13, 2022. The second exhibition, “Womanmade: Crafting Architecture and the Mundane” at the Morey Family Gallery at Art Reach of Mid-Michigan, Mount Pleasant, MI, is scheduled for February 3-27, 2023.

Work in progress

I’m currently restraining myself from getting too involved in new projects while I focus on grant writing. So to keep my creative juices flowing I recently stitched all my loose threads onto the ongoing “Stitching Loose Ends” project. I’ve also been slowly working on my 23 inch embroidery hoop for a conceptual project tentatively titled “Stitching, Unstitching”.