stitching

July 2023 - Update

  • Studio Update/Process

  • Glitch Pin Workshop - Learn the Basics of Cross-Stitch

  • First Saturday - July 1

  • Vancouver Mural Fest is BACKK!!! (Aug 4-13)

  • Summer Schedule

Studio Update/Process

It’s been so nice getting back into my studio rhythm this past month, I’m back in the thick of it taking on multiple projects at once, I just can’t help myself! I work better when I’m busy, it helps me stay focused and committed to larger cross-stitch works. That way I can balance my time by taking “breaks” from my big projects by stitching smaller things here and there. I’m also happy to say that because of this I have more freedom to exercise my creative muscles and experiment with other techniques/approaches I’ve been itching to try. One of the new approaches I’ve been wanting to explore is cross-stitching with bigger stitches. This means instead of one stitch per square on Aida cloth, I’m actually stitching across two squares.

My newest project Glitch Streak 04 (an addition to my Glitch Streak collection, inspired by a scan glitch) uses this new technique and will be part of an exhibition for a Pride celebration during Vancouver Mural Fest. I’m not ready to share the completed piece yet, I’m still getting it framed! But I’ll share this detail photo instead so you can see the technique that I’m talking about.

Glitch Streak 04, detail, embroidery thread, Aida cloth, 2023

Glitch Pin Workshop - Learn the Basics of Cross-Stitch

I had a schedule conflict with my workshop, but thankfully THIS___ gallery was so accommodating! We’ve adjusted the time to 9am-1pm. Hoping that works better and that more of you decide to sign up. This is my first in person workshop and I can’t wait to teach you how to cross-stitch. Spots are limited, so register now using the button below!

In this introductory cross-stitch workshop, artist Mallory Donen will demonstrate her step-by-step process of converting glitch images into cross-stitch patterns to make a glitch pin.

You will learn the fundamental skills of cross-stitch and pattern creation using Stitchfiddle.com.

By the end of the workshop, you will go home with your very own cross-stitched glitch pin!

Tickets are $50 (+tax) including all supplies.

First Saturday - July 1

Stop by my studio this weekend for First Saturday (12-5pm, Studio #211) and visit several other artists at the City Centre Artist Lodge (list of open studios below).

I’ve been re-organizing my studio display and have even better ways to show you all what I have to offer! You can always visit me during other studio hours (listed below) or other events in Vancouver. Or contact me directly (reply to this email) to schedule a private studio visit.

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:

Five Cat Collection - Studio # 31
Maxine Woogman - Studio # 32
Tracy Anne Northey - Studio # 34
Ilena Lee Cramer - Studio # 109
Elana Sigal - Studio # 110
Stephane Savoie - Studio # 123
Mallory Donen - Studio # 211
Denise Coles - Studio # 221
Devorah Peterson - Studio # 221

Location: 2111 Main Street, Vancouver, BC V5T 3C6

Date: July 1, 2023

Time: 12pm-5pm

https://www.firstsaturday.ca/next-open-studios

Vancouver Mural Fest is BACKK!!!

That’s right, you heard me! The most exciting, popular event of the summer is returning and there will be so much to check out this year! The festival takes place August 4-13, with mural tours, live music, food trucks, and of course open studios at City Centre Artist Lodge!

The main time to check out the studios at the Artist Lodge (City Centre Motor Hotel) will be during the Mt. Pleasant Street Party (Aug 10-13). But I’m also planning to have studio hours on the first weekend (Aug 4-5) of mural fest.

So if you want to take your time and have more room to explore my studio, I suggest stopping by on the first weekend! That will be the best time to get close and personal with my work! I hope you all can make it, please check out the mural fest website for more details/information.

Summer Schedule:

July 22 - Vancouver Farmer’s Market,
City Centre Artist Lodge, 2111 Main Street,
Studio# 211, 12-5pm

Aug 4 - Studio Hours
City Centre Artist Lodge, 2111 Main Street,
Studio# 211, 3-5pm

Aug 5 - First Saturday
City Centre Artist Lodge, 2111 Main Street,
Studio# 211, 12-5pm

Aug 6 - Studio Hours
City Centre Artist Lodge, 2111 Main Street,
Studio# 211, 12-5pm

Aug 10-11 - Vancouver Mural Fest/Mt. Pleasant Street Party
City Centre Artist Lodge, 2111 Main Street,
Studio# 211, 5-10pm

Aug 12-13 - Vancouver Mural Fest/Mt. Pleasant Street Party
City Centre Artist Lodge, 2111 Main Street,
Studio# 211, 2-10pm

June 2023 - Update

  • The Art of Slowing Down: Women’s Labour & Craft

  • 2023 Pop-ups/Markets

  • Glitch Pin Workshop - Learn the Basics of Cross-Stitch

Last month I took some time away from the studio to recover from the tiring burnout of three solo exhibitions back-to-back since Fall 2022. A couple weeks ago I met with a client for a portrait photoshoot and I’m currently working on their cross-stitch portrait commission. I have a couple commissions being framed now, I can’t wait for my collectors pick them up so that I can share photos with you! My books are still open for commissions, so please visit the commission section of my website to learn more and reserve your spot before my spots fill up for the year!

It’s the final week of my solo exhibition, The Art of Slowing Down: Women’s Labour & Craft, so if you haven’t been following along on social media I’m sharing photos of the installation! I’m so thankful for all the support that everyone at Artlink Contemporary Gallery provided for the installation and documentation of my second solo exhibition in the US.

The Art of Slowing Down: Women’s Labour & Craft

This solo show challenges notions of labour, productivity, and the value of art in relation to craft and women’s work. Throughout her practice, Donen has explored the connection between the repetitive nature of women’s work and machines. Advances in technology continue to make physical human labor obsolete. In opposition to mass production Donen embraces slow repetitive processes, such as hand-stitching and knitting to bring awareness to undervalued women’s labor and traditional craft.

2023 Pop-ups/Markets

This weekend you can find me vending at the Dragon Boat BC - Vessi 500M Championship in partnership with Got Craft. My booth will be set up along the sea wall, I’ll be sharing a booth with fellow City Centre Artist Lodge tenant, Happy Nomad Candles. It’s supposed to be another beautiful weekend, so stop by for a free market featuring 20+ local artisans/businesses between 9am-5pm and watch the live Dragon Boat racing!

June 3 - Dragon Boat BC - VESSI 500 x Got Craft Market, 9-5pm, Science World, 1455 Quebec Street

2023 Schedule:

  • June 17 - VHS Market (Vintage & Handmade Society), 11-6pm, 800 West Georgia, Downtown Vancouver

  • Aug 10 - Vancouver Mural Fest, City Centre Artist Lodge, Studio# 211, 5-10pm

  • Aug 11 - Vancouver Mural Fest, City Centre Artist Lodge, Studio# 211, 5-10pm

  • Aug 12 - Vancouver Mural Fest, City Centre Artist Lodge, Studio# 211, 2-10pm

  • Aug 13 - Vancouver Mural Fest, City Centre Artist Lodge, Studio# 211, 2-10pm

  • Nov 25-26 - Portobello West Holiday Market, 10-5pm, 181 Roundhouse Mews, Yaletown (Vancouver)

Glitch Pin Workshop - Learn the Basics of Cross-Stitch

In this introductory cross-stitch workshop, artist Mallory Donen will demonstrate her step-by-step process of converting glitch images into cross-stitch patterns to make a glitch pin.

You will learn the fundamental skills of cross-stitch and pattern creation using Stitchfiddle.com.

By the end of the workshop, you will go home with your very own cross-stitched glitch pin!

Tickets are $50 (+tax) including all supplies.

May 2023 - Update

  • The Art of Slowing Down: Women’s Labour & Craft

  • 2023 Pop-ups/Markets

  • Glitch Pin Workshop - Learn the Basics of Cross-Stitch

Last week I travelled to Fort Wayne, Indiana to install my next solo exhibition opening this week. This is my second solo show in the USA and the first time I’ve travelled outside of Canada to install my work. Overall, it was a great experience working with the gallery and I’m very happy with how the exhibition came together. I’ll be sharing more installation photos/videos on my social media in the coming weeks so be sure to follow me on Instagram (I post the most there)/Facebook.

The Art of Slowing Down: Women’s Labour & Craft, May 4 - June 4, 2023, Artlink Contemporary Gallery, Fort Wayne, IN

The Art of Slowing Down: Women’s Labour & Craft

This solo show challenges notions of labour, productivity, and the value of art in relation to craft and women’s work. Throughout her practice, Donen has explored the connection between the repetitive nature of women’s work and machines. Advances in technology continue to make physical human labor obsolete. In opposition to mass production Donen embraces slow repetitive processes, such as hand-stitching and knitting to bring awareness to undervalued women’s labor and traditional craft.

2023 Pop-ups/Markets

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

Niki Brown - Studio # 103

Elana Sigal - Studio # 110

Shelley Saltzman - Studio # 130

Lukas Lundberg - Studio # 208

Mallory Donen - Studio # 211

Denise Coles - Studio # 221

Devorah Peterson - Studio # 221

 
Location: 2111 Main Street, Vancouver, BC V5T 3C6

Date: May 6, 2023

Time: 12pm-5pm  

https://www.firstsaturday.ca/next-open-studios

June 3 - Dragon Boat BC - VESSI 500 x Got Craft Market, 9-5pm, Science World, 1455 Quebec Street

2023 Schedule:

  • June 17 - VHS Market (Vintage & Handmade Society), 11-6pm, 800 West Georgia, Downtown Vancouver

  • Aug 3 - 13 - TBD Vancouver Mural Fest, City Centre Artist Lodge, Studio# 211

  • Nov 25-26 - Portobello West Holiday Market, 10-5pm, 181 Roundhouse Mews, Yaletown (Vancouver)

Glitch Pin Workshop - Learn the Basics of Cross-Stitch

In this introductory cross-stitch workshop, artist Mallory Donen will demonstrate her step-by-step process of converting glitch images into cross-stitch patterns to make a glitch pin.

You will learn the fundamental skills of cross-stitch and pattern creation using Stitchfiddle.com.

By the end of the workshop, you will go home with your very own cross-stitched glitch pin!

Tickets are $50 (+tax) including all supplies.

April 2023 - Update

  • Proofs of Labour

  • No Smoking (Motel Collection)

  • Glitch Pin Workshop - Learn the Basics of Cross-Stitch

  • Portrait Draw - $10 entry for a chance to win a custom portrait valued at $350!

  • 2023 Pop-ups/Markets

Proofs of Labour

Proofs of Labour,⁠ 2023⁠, embroidery, Aida cloth,⁠ 24 inch hoop⁠, 74 hours of stitching, 48 hours of unstitching

I finished the final stages of unstitching all the threads from my Proofs of Labour conceptual cross-stitch project. Here’s what the Aida cloth looks like after 48 hour of unstitching. Remnants of fibres remain on the cloth and the holes are wider/stretched out from being punctured by needle and thread and finally unstitched. The labour logs and jars containing the unstitched threads will be part of the installation for an upcoming solo show in Indiana, May 4 - June 4, 2023.

Proofs of Labour,⁠ 2023⁠

Proofs of Labour,⁠ 2023⁠

No Smoking (Motel Collection)

My latest No Smoking cross-stitch series was inspired by actual signs from my studio located at the City Centre Motor Hotel and are a continuation of my Motel Collection.

Glitch Pin Workshop - Learn the Basics of Cross-Stitch

In this introductory cross-stitch workshop, artist Mallory Donen will demonstrate her step-by-step process of converting glitch images into cross-stitch patterns to make a glitch pin.

You will learn the fundamental skills of cross-stitch and pattern creation using Stitchfiddle.com.

By the end of the workshop, you will go home with your very own cross-stitched glitch pin!

Tickets are $50 (+tax) including all supplies.

Portrait Draw/Raffle

$10 Entry for your chance to
win a cross-stitched portrait valued at $350!

How it works: 
- Send $10 entry fee via etransfer (email: mmdonen@gmail.com)
- On April 10th, I will be drawing a lucky winner
- the winner will be asked to provide a photograph of a person/pet/item of their choosing
- I will create a custom small cross-stitch portrait (artwork approx. 3.5 x 3.5 inches)
- the winner will receive their original commission matted & framed (framed 12 x 12 inches) by May 31st

2023 Pop-ups/Markets

  • April 22-23 - Portobello West Spring Market, 10-5pm, 181 Roundhouse Mews, Yaletown (Vancouver)

  • June 3 - Dragon Boat BC - VESSI 500 x Got Craft Market, Science World, 1455 Quebec Street

  • June 17 - VHS Market (Vintage & Handmade Society), TBD, 800 West Georgia, Downtown Vancouver

  • Aug 3 - 13 - TBD Vancouver Mural Fest, City Centre Artist Lodge, Studio# 211

  • Nov 25-26 - Portobello West Holiday Market, 10-5pm, 181 Roundhouse Mews, Yaletown (Vancouver)

March 2023 - Update

  • Solo Show - Womanmade: Crafting Architecture & the Mundane

  • Work in Progress - Proofs of Labour

  • First Saturday, March 4, 12 - 5pm

  • 2023 Pop-ups/Markets

  • Women in Art 2023

Solo Show - Womanmade: Crafting Architecture & the Mundane

I’m excited to be sharing some installation photos of my exhibition Womanmade: Crafting Architecture and the Mundane, in Michigan! This was my first time being completely hands off for the installation process and I’m very happy with how it all came together. The show will be up for another couple weeks before the work returns home at the end of March.

Work in Progress - Proofs of Labour

WIP - Proofs of Labour,⁠ 2023⁠, embroidery, Aida cloth,⁠ 24 inch hoop⁠, 74 hours of stitching

The update on my current work in progress is that I completed all 74 hours of stitching on the 24 inch embroidery hoop and I’ve moved onto the unstitching stage. While I’m unstitching all of these threads, I’m documenting all the labour and logging my hours. Then I will use the jars and labour logs for the installation of the project for a show in Indiana, starting in May. I’ve started to collect my unstitched threads into jars and I’ve been labelling them with the hours spent unstitching.

First Saturday @ City Centre Artist Lodge, Feb 4, 12-5pm

This coming Saturday, stop by to see my latest cross-stitch project of the City Centre Motor Hotel sign, which is now available as a print & a greeting card. I also have a new selection of buttons I’m excited to share. So if you want to add to your button collection you’ll need to come check them out in person!

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
Niki Brown - Studio # 103
Elana Sigal - Studio # 110
Shelley Saltzman - Studio # 130
Happy Nomad Candles (Hayley) - Studio # 203
Lukas Lundberg - Studio # 208
Mallory Donen - Studio # 211
Paulo OConnor - Studio # 225

Location: 2111 Main Street, Vancouver, BC V5T 3C6
Date: February 4, 2023
Time: 12pm-5pm

https://www.firstsaturday.ca/next-open-studios

2023 Pop-ups/Markets

  • Mar 11 + 12 - Eastside Flea Market, 11-5pm, 550 Malkin, Vancouver

  • April 22-23 - Portobello West Spring Market, 10-5pm, 181 Roundhouse Mews, Yaletown (Vancouver)

  • June 3 - Dragon Boat BC - VESSI 500 x Got Craft Market, Science World, 1455 Quebec Street

  • June 17 - VHS Market (Vintage & Handmade Society), TBD, 800 West Georgia, Downtown Vancouver

  • Aug 3 - 13 - TBD Vancouver Mural Fest, City Centre Artist Lodge, Studio# 211

  • Nov 25-26 - Portobello West Holiday Market, 10-5pm, 181 Roundhouse Mews, Yaletown (Vancouver)

Women in Art 2023

My project Glitch Streak will be part of the Women in Art 2023 group exhibition at the Kariton Art Gallery, celebrating International Women’s Month March 2023.

Glitch Streak, 2022, embroidery, Aida cloth, 21 x 35.5 inches, 182 hours of labour

February 2023 - Update

  • Solo Show - Womanmade: Crafting Architecture & the Mundane

  • Finished Work - Vancouver Cityscape

  • Work in Progress - Proofs of Labour

  • First Saturday, Feb 4, 12 - 5pm

  • New Work - City Centre Motor Hotel Sign

  • Save the date - Eastside Flea Market, Mar 11 & 12, 11-5pm

Solo Show - Womanmade: Crafting Architecture & the Mundane, February 14 - March 18, 2023, Mount Pleasant, MI

January was a very busy month focused on wrapping up works in progress, framing and shipping artwork across the border to Michigan for my first international solo show!

My exhibition Womanmade: Crafting Architecture and the Mundane, uses feminine craft processes such as cross-stitching and crochet, as well as photography, & digital collage to represent the masculine and manmade. Photographs of architecture and other mundane industrial imagery are translated into handmade representations. The exhibition includes framed cross-stitch works, photographs, digital art prints, and a hanging textile quilt.

Gender bias within fine art diminishes the value of women’s labour. Feminine craft practices such as knitting, crochet, embroidery and other needlework are disregarded for their artistic value. And although I self-identify as a textile or fibre artist, others often label me as a craft artist. It can be difficult to be taken seriously in the field of fine art when there is an association with craft that has a lesser value than other traditionally masculine art mediums, such as painting and sculpture. I challenge expectations of traditional craft by experimenting with new media. I combine cross-stitching, knitting, and digital art/photography to push the boundaries and expectations of craft as a fine art medium.

Finished Work - Vancouver Cityscape

Vancouver Cityscape,⁠ 2023⁠, 35 x 58.5 inches,⁠ mixed textiles, yarn, embroidery thread,⁠ 315 hours of labour

I’m so happy to share photos of my completed mixed textile project! I started this back in April 2022, but at the time it was a lower priority amongst my many other projects. 315 hours of labour later and it's finally done! ⁠ ⁠

The project was a big learning experience, as I've never made a textile piece combining so many different fibre processes. It's a quilt with appliquéd fabric, crochet, cross-stitch, and free-hand embroidery. This work shipped a couple weeks to Mt. Pleasant, Michigan for my solo exhibition! ⁠

Work in Progress - Proofs of Labour

For this new conceptual project, I will be logging hours of labour spent cross-stitching white thread on Aida cloth, using a 24-inch embroidery hoop. ⁠The threads used in the beginning section are the same threads that were used to cross-stitch handkerchiefs from my 2021 book project, Invisible Labour: Cross-Stitching, Feminism, & the Collective Strength of Women. ⁠ ⁠

After the cross-stitching is completed, I will proceed to unravel all of the stitching and log these hours as well. The threads, labour logs, embroidery hoop and Aida cloth used during the process will all be part of the final presentation.

⁠This process-based project will be a representation of how women often work tirelessly, only to have their labour undervalued. Overall, the exhibition will invite viewers to question the value of women’s labour, productivity, and craft.⁠ ⁠

The Art of Slowing Down: Women’s Labor & Craft⁠ May 4 - June 4, 2023⁠
Artlink Contemporary Gallery⁠ Fort Wayne, IN⁠

Proofs of Labour,⁠ 2023⁠, embroidery, Aida cloth,⁠ 24 inch hoop⁠

First Saturday @ City Centre Artist Lodge, Feb 4, 12-5pm

This coming Saturday, stop by to see my latest cross-stitch project of the City Centre Motor Hotel sign (see below) and a bunch of old paintings from my archives that my parents recently dropped off at the studio!

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
Niki Brown - Studio # 103
Ilena Lee Cramer - Studio # 109
Elana Sigal - Studio # 110
Shelley Saltzman - Studio # 130
Happy Nomad Candles (Hayley) - Studio # 203
Lukas Lundberg - Studio # 208
Mallory Donen - Studio # 211
Paulo OConnor - Studio # 225

Location: 2111 Main Street, Vancouver, BC V5T 3C6
Date: February 4, 2023
Time: 12pm-5pm

https://www.firstsaturday.ca/next-open-studios

New Work - City Centre Motor Hotel Sign

The above photos was taken as inspiration for my latest cross-stitch project of the City Centre Motor Hotel sign. ⁠The motel has been temporarily converted into artist studios until the building is demolished by developers. It's been home to my art studio and where I've been spending the majority of my time for the past year. ⁠I can't wait to build more memories and projects in this wonderful space and growing artist community!

City Centre Motor Hotel Sign,⁠ 2023,⁠ 7.5 x 5 inches⁠, embroidery, Aida cloth⁠, 28 hours of labour

Save the date - Eastside Flea Market, Mar 11 & 12, 11-5pm

Last but not least, the Eastside Flea Spring Market is back every weekend in March and I’ll be a first time vendor on the second weekend! Come see visit my booth on March 11 or 12 between 11-5pm. I’ll be selling prints, stickers, pins, and small cross-stitch works, something for every budget!

The Eastside Flea

The Eastside Flea is a seasonal community event taking place at Eastside Studios, 550 Malkin Ave. Each market hosts over 50 local vendors selling a diverse selection of goods from independently handmade pieces to vintage clothing, collectibles, plants, artisan eats & more!
You’ll also find 2-3 rotating food trucks parked outside, an amazing playlist, lots of seating and yummy beverages to enjoy!.

We hope to see you at the Flea soon!

March 2022 - Update

  • 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”.

Work in progress, Stitching Loose Ends, 2018-2022

Work in progress, Stitching, Unstitching, 2022

December 2021 - Update

  • ArtRich 2021 Exhibition at Richmond Art Gallery

  • Uncanny Cross-Stitch

  • Stitching, Unstitching (working title)

  • Embroidery floss organization

  • Stitching Loose Ends (ongoing work in progress)

ArtRich 2021 - December 3 – December 31

Richmond Art Gallery
7700 Minoru Gate

Opening Reception: Dec. 3, 6pm-9pm
Timed entry for the Opening Reception for ArtRich 2021. Visitors welcome to view the exhibit in 45-minute time slots. Register on EventBrite.

Richmond Art Gallery is delighted once again to partner with the Richmond Arts Coalition (RAC) for the fourth bi-annual, juried exhibition. The exhibition celebrates local talent by providing an opportunity for emerging and established artists from Richmond and nearby communities.

Gallery viewers will be able to participate in the People’s Choice Awards. Results will be announced in Richmond News early January 2022.

In a partnership with the City of Richmond, three ArtRich-selected artists will be featured in a public art exhibition for the No.3 Road Art Columns from February 1 to July 31 in 2022.

Uncanny Cross-Stitch (1), 7 x 5.5 inches, embroidery floss, Aida cloth, 2021

Uncanny Cross-Stitch (1) is the first of a new series that was inspired by some of the digital art work I made while I was studying my MFA back in 2016. The reference images I used to create the cross-stitch patterns were multilayered digital imagery that I created using Photoshop. The source images used for these digital works were photographs of architecture and mundane industrial objects/structures such as fire hydrants, lamps posts, windows, and more! I’ve always been fascinated with these sorts of things and I love how they exist everywhere in the world, but each has their own unique character and design.

I’m interested in the idea of bringing things to the forefront that may go unnoticed or unseen. As I write this blog, I’m realizing there’s a parallel between these everyday mundanities that go unnoticed and the often invisible labour of women, which is a theme I’ve been exploring throughout this past year. I’m looking forward to producing more works that use handmade feminine craft processes to translate imagery of manmade masculine objects/structures. If you don’t remember or haven’t seen my cross-stitch series Remnants of the Manmade, this was my first endeavour into this new body of work that I will continue developing.

Stitching, Unstitching is the working title of a new work that I’m getting ready to start. The other day I ironed and cut a large piece of Aida cloth in preparation. For this project, I will log hours of labour spent cross-stitching white thread on white Aida cloth, approx. 16 x 16 inches (224 squares x 224 squares), in a 24-inch embroidery hoop. After the cross-stitching is complete, I will proceed to unravel all of the stitching and log these hours as well. The threads, labour logs, Aida cloth, and embroidery hoop used during the process will all be part of the final presentation.

This work is both conceptual and process-based. The absence of a finished cross-stitch piece directs the viewer towards the suggested labour that was performed but is no longer visible. The labour executed in this piece is two-fold: first there is the labour required to stitch, second there is the labour required to unravel the piece. In the end, the only evidence of this labour is the documentation of the hours logged. This represents how women often work tirelessly, only to have their labour undervalued.

By using a traditional craft technique, the project explores women’s unrecognized labour. The process of hand stitching emphasizes the value of physical labour over mechanical production. Although the labour is invisible, the viewer can imagine the movements, the time, the traces of what used to be there, as well as the woman and artist that the labour was executed by. Overall, the piece invites the viewer to question the value of women’s labour, productivity, and craft.

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been doing one of the most satisfying things, organizing my embroidery floss collection! I’ve accumulated quite a lot of thread over the past four years and I thought it was time to make things easier to find and replenish stock when I run out of a particular colour that I need to finish a project.

At the end of 2017, right before I moved to Vancouver (and really when I started to focus more on cross-stitching within in my art practice), my mom and I went to a flea market in White Rock where I scored a huge stash of embroidery thread for a steal of a deal! Then in September 2019, while I was at the Vermont Studio Centre for an artist residency, I realized I hadn’t brought enough supplies to last for my trip and I would need to buy some more thread.

Well I didn’t have a car and there weren’t any local stores in small town Johnson, VT that sold embroidery thread. It was recommended that I join a neighbourhood buy & sell group, where I posted an advertisement asking if anymore in town had supplies I could purchase. Well lucky for me, someone nearby offered to give me (yes give me) any of the thread from their (even bigger than mine) collection. Another steal! Needless to say I’ve received lots of deals and freebies over the years, but a lot of the threads were odds and ends and they needed to be grouped together with their family of colours. So I’ve finally organized them all and they look spectacular (if I do say so myself)!

Lastly, I recently added to my ongoing side project Stitching Loose Ends. It may not seem like it, but it is growing, slowly and steadily!

Stitching Loose Ends (ongoing work in progress), embroidery floss, Aida cloth⁠, 16 inches wide x 4.5 inches thick⁠, 2018-2021

January 2021 - Update

Well it’s been one hell of a year and I’m happy to finally say goodbye to 2020. COVID aside, this past year actually allowed me more time in the studio and there are things that I’m happy to say I’m proud of. This year I submitted my first Canada Council for the Arts grant application (pending results by end of February), I participated in my first virtual exhibition, and I read several books, not only for research, but also for my own personal enjoyment.

I took a much needed hiatus from September - December 2020, since it’s always busiest time of year for my job. I now feel rejuvenated and ready to get back into the studio. I spent my most of my holidays cross-stitching, painting, and jotting down ideas in my sketchbook. Sometimes the hardest thing for me to do is to settle on the idea(s) I should execute and which ones I should leave behind.

I finished the third and final piece from the System Failure series. Overall I’m really happy with how the series came together. All three pieces may stand alone, each with a unique colour palette and various levels of “completion”. The cross-stitch patterns are based off of digital glitch images that have been disrupted or “glitched”. The series is a representation of a “glitch within a glitch”. However, the glitched or unfinished cross-stitch is a forced visual that alludes to a machine error or malfunction.

System Failure 03, 8x10 inches, embroidery floss, Aida cloth, 2020

System Failure 03, 8x10 inches, embroidery floss, Aida cloth, 2020

I finally finished a series of paintings (currently untitled), that I originally started while I was an artist in residence at the Vermont Studio Center (in September 2019). They were only meant to be tests while I was trying out the painting technique I ended up using for the Translation Series that I also began in Vermont. The paintings were painted square by square, section by section, using tape to mask out various areas at a time.

Lastly I spent time on Stitching Loose Ends, an ongoing project that I started back in 2018. I used up all the loose ends lying around my apartment, which I guess means I need to get going on another cross-stitch project! I also finished another row on the second painting from the Translation Series. I’ve been making slow progress on this series since the process is quite tedious with all the tape masking. One day I’ll have a studio where I can have the painting out at all times and work on it in little spurts while taking breaks from other projects. Currently I don’t have that luxury and it takes a lot more motivation to get a painting station all set up in my apartment.

Looking forward to seeing what’s in store for 2021.

Happy New Year!

September 2020 - Update

Over the past month, I’ve been writing, painting, cross-stitching, and finishing two new video works. I’ve been working on my proposal, budget and supplemental responses for the Canada Council Research & Creation Grant. Now that I’ve received edits and feedback from a few peers, the next step will be for me to work on revisions.

I’ve also been working on the second painting in the Translation series, painting one 1/4 inch square at a time. I’ve been trying to figure out what the final presentation or form this series will take. I think I’ve landed on the decision to combine all 9 pieces into a stitched (quilt-like) grid. I’m interested in the juxtaposition of using the medium of painting and combining it with female craft-based processes. I’ll do this by using a needle and thread to hand sew the painted pieces on canvas together.

I completed another cross-stitch piece System Failure 02, which is part of a series of three I’m currently working on. The cross-stitched images are partially “unfinished” in order to give the appearance that it is “glitched”. I like to think of them as glitches within glitches. The second glitch or system failure refers to the glitch that occurs when the human machine (me, the artist) executes the project.

System Failure 02, 8x10 inches, embroidery floss, Aida cloth, 2020

System Failure 02, 8x10 inches, embroidery floss, Aida cloth, 2020

Lastly, I’ve finished two new video works below. Part 1: Introduction - What Am I? interrogates the definition of artist, machine, and woman. The video documents a month long process where even rows of white thread are cross-stitched for a few minutes each day. At the onset of my menstrual cycle, I proceed to unstitch and undo all of the work that was done prior. There are pressures and expectations that come with being a woman and an artist. As a woman, it’s embedded in my biology to reproduce, but that doesn’t mean that I will. The audio track that plays throughout the video poses questions surrounding productivity and ponders what it means to go against what is typically expected of a programmed machine. As an artist if I’m not producing work, I often feel guilty, as though I am ignoring the very thing that I am programmed to do. Can I be an artist and a woman and not produce? Or does this go against the very nature of my existence?

Part 2: What Happens to a Stressed System? shows how societal pressures that come from being an artist, machine, and woman, can lead to an overwhelmed system that is doomed to fail. The video begins with a functioning system of productivity, consistency, and archival documentation. As the video progresses, glitches begin to integrate and disrupt the flow of the system in both the video and audio components of the piece.