quilting

May 2020 - Update

I’ve been quarantined at home for 6 weeks now, due to Covid-19, but I’m still working remotely full-time. Over the past month, I’ve been working on another Glitch Series, Glitch Series 05. When I initially started Glitch Series 01 back in 2017, I had always thought that I would finish the series by stitching them together in quilt-like fashion. However, somewhere along the way, my thought process changed. Thus, I ended up presenting the work as a diptych, showing each digital and cross-stitched image in a double-window matted frame.

Glitch Series 01 - Crop_5.jpg, 16”x20”, archival inkjet print, embroidery floss, Aida cloth, 2017

In September, at the Vermont Studio Centre, I started a new body of work titled the Translation Series. Since then, I’ve been contemplating the final presentation of this work and I’m still unsure of how it will look in the end. I recently remembered the cross-stitch quilt idea I had for the Glitch Series and thought this could be the direction to take for this series.

Vermont Studio Center, September 2019

Therefore, I decided I would test this quilt idea with the latest Glitch Series 05, as a sort of maquette. I’m hoping that once I complete this “quilt”, I’ll see whether it is successful or not as a means of presentation for my cross-stitched work. This weekend I finished cross-stitching the 9th piece for Glitch Series 05. The next step will be figuring out how to stitch the grid together. I’m anticipating it will be a process of trial and error, but I’m excited to push myself to try something outside of my comfort zone.

(Work in progress) Glitch Series 05 , 2 1/8” x 2 1/8” (each), embroidery floss, Aida cloth, 2020

Lastly, here’s another progress shot of Stitching Loose Ends. This is an ongoing piece where I’m cross-stitching loose threads that are leftover from other projects. I’m always looking for ways to reduce waste in my art practice, as well as everyday life.

Stitching Loose Ends (progress shot), 2018-2020, embroidery floss, Aida cloth, 16 inches wide x 2 5/8 inches thick

Kicking off the New Year!

I haven’t been posting much lately about my art practice and that’s mainly due to a busy last couple of months at my day job. This post will be short and simple, so that I can quickly share a few photos of some work that was wrapped up at the end of 2019.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe that the year 2020 has now started!

Pattern E (front view), 2019, acrylic, canvas, embroidery floss, 9.5 x 9.5 inches

Translation #5 - Cross-Stitch, 2019, embroidery floss, Aida cloth, 6 x 6 inches

Pattern E (back view), 2019, acrylic, canvas, embroidery floss, 9.5 x 9.5 inches

Translation #6 - Cross-Stitch, 2019, embroidery floss, Aida cloth, 6 x 6 inches


October 2019 - Update

The month of October was spent adjusting back to real life with a full-time day job. I found I still had lots of motivation left over from the residency and I was able to get a solid amount of work done. I completed another cross-stitch in the Translation Series, a painting from the Paint by Numbers Series, added a couple rows to Stitching Loose Ends and submitted to several galleries for shows in the new year, as well as an artist residency in France.

Pattern D (front view), 2019, acrylic, canvas, embroidery floss, 9.5 x 9.5 inches

Pattern D (front view), 2019, acrylic, canvas, embroidery floss, 9.5 x 9.5 inches

Pattern D (back view), 2019, acrylic, canvas, embroidery floss, 9.5 x 9.5 inches

Pattern D (back view), 2019, acrylic, canvas, embroidery floss, 9.5 x 9.5 inches

Stitching Loose Ends, work in progress (2018-2019), embroidery floss, Aida cloth

Stitching Loose Ends, work in progress (2018-2019), embroidery floss, Aida cloth

I also started to work on an old photography project I started back in 2017 while I was finishing up my MFA in Winnipeg. The idea behind the project was to shoot roll of film with a list of pre-established camera-settings. Therefore, each frame had an assigned f-stop and shutter speed. This further expands my approach to creating art as a machine through a new medium, using analog photography. The photos from the project were all printed in the darkroom at U of M, but now I’m planning to assemble them into a handmade book.

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Lately my weekend routine consists of running errands on Saturdays, doing household chores on Sundays, cross-stitching, Netflixing, and taking in the beautiful sun rays in my apartment.

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Translation #4 - Cross-Stitch (detail), 2019, embroidery floss, Aida cloth, 6 x 6 inches

Translation #4 - Cross-Stitch (detail), 2019, embroidery floss, Aida cloth, 6 x 6 inches

Translation #4- Paint By Numbers, 2019, acrylic, canvas, embroidery floss, 4 x 4 inches and Translation #4 - Cross-Stitch, 2019, embroidery floss, Aida cloth, 6 x 6 inches

Translation #4- Paint By Numbers, 2019, acrylic, canvas, embroidery floss, 4 x 4 inches and Translation #4 - Cross-Stitch, 2019, embroidery floss, Aida cloth, 6 x 6 inches

July 2018 - Update

  • Upcoming Show: Neither Here Nor There

  • White Rock Youth Mural Complete!

  • Paint by Number Series - Progress and more videos

  • Diane Arbus - Almost done

Neither Here Nor There

So excited for this upcoming exhibition which features an all female roster of artists! The artists showing include the following: Madison Tyrell, Sara Khan, Marzieh Mosavarzadeh, and myself.  I'll be showing work from Glitch Series 01, as well as potentially a few other works. The opening is next Saturday, July 7th at 3pm. But don't worry if you aren't able to make it that day, the show runs until July 20th. Plenty of time to go check it out! The South Main Gallery is located in Vancouver at Main Street and 6th East Ave. 

White Rock Youth Mural

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Great news! I'm happy to share with you the finished photos of the White Rock Youth Mural. It was a long process to get this thing completed, but it's finally done. This residential area between Finlay and Victoria street just got a little brighter. Take a gander when you're visiting White Rock Beach this summer and be sure to see it in person.

Paint by Numbers Series

Still trucking away on my Paint by Numbers Series of quilted paintings. I even made one while I was camping last weekend! It's a bit of a tedious process, but I'm starting to slowly see this body of work come together. The next step will be to start framing them! I'll continue posting videos where I will reveal the squares for each painting, if you haven't watched any check out the videos below for a peak behind the scenes of the selection process.

Watch me choose the next set of squares for Pattern #3, 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".
Watch me choose the next set of squares for Pattern #4, 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".
Watch me choose the next set of squares for Pattern #5, 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".

Diane Arbus

Stayed tuned for final photos of my cross-stitched Diane Arbus portrait, it should be completed by the next month's blog update!

In the meantime, here's a close up photo to show some of the detail in her face. 

May 2018 - Update

RAW: Vancouver

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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. 

From the Studio to the Computer: Making Patterns

This semester I've had two courses that have kept me very busy with lots of reading. To be honest I haven't spent a lot of time in the studio. This is also due to the fact that I've been creating a lot of work from home on my computer using Photoshop. But the day before open studios I found some time to be in my studio and play with all sorts of different materials and processes. I decided to use this spare time to let go, relax, have fun, and experiment with whatever I had lying around.

I had some pre-mixed paint that I had been storing in some old tupperware containers for a couple months and I was going to clean it up. I then proceeded to use paper towels to scoop out the old paint. But instead of throwing out the paint, I used the paper towel similar to the way I would use a sponge to apply texture to several sheets of bristol. I also mixed some paint with crackle paste medium and used a palette knife to create shapes and textures on cardboard and card-stock. Lastly I ripped a small piece of canvas and collaged it onto a sheet of stonehenge with some of the paint and crackle paste.

Although I was creating with little intention, in the back of my mind I knew that I would be able to use these small pieces as sources to create digital patterns. The next day when everything had dried I scanned all the images using a flatbed scanner at the school. Below are the patterns that I created using the above experiments. Each source image precedes the patterns that were produced using that image. 

Patterns really can be created out of anything and everything. The world is my oyster! I'm feeling so inspired these days and I don't see it ending any time soon! 

- Mal