June 2021 - Update

May 31, 2021

Inside the Studio
Video Sound Archive
Work in Progress - Funded Art Book Project
Open Call for Anonymous Stories - Deadline June 30

Inside the Studio

Last week I took some long overdue portraits in my studio. I wanted to photograph myself amongst my art and some of the tools I use while embroidering/knitting. On the walls you can see works from my thesis exhibition, Glitch Series, and System Failure series. On the floor is Ouroboros (which I like to refer to as my big ball of yarn) and to the left is the wooden French Knitting loom that I use to re-knit finger knitted strands of yarn.

I have two embroidery stands in my studio. The first one has a rectangular frame and currently holds my ongoing work in progress Stitching Loose Ends. The second one functions more like a clamp stand, which means it can hold various types of frames. In the photographs, you can see it is clamping an embroidery hoop for cross-stitching the handkerchief patterns for my art book project. In another photograph, I am sitting in a wingback chair with a granny square afghan and arm rest covers that I crocheted myself (with a little help from my mom for the covers).

Video Sound Archive

Starting on June 4 @pm ET my video project Part 2: What Happens to a Stressed System? will be part of the first season of featured artists for a virtual video exhibition Video Sound Archive.

Work in Progress - Funded Art Book Project

Last month I continued to tirelessly cross-stitch patterns of handkerchief scans for my art book project. I have completed cross-stitching six of the nine patterns. Only three more to go and I should finish them by the end of June! Then I will begin working on the layout of the art book using InDesign.

Open Call for Anonymous Stories - Deadline June 30

Reminder that I will be accepting submissions for stories till the end of June. Everyone is welcome to submit their experience of having to hide their emotional/physical pain in order to avoid pity or shame for being too sensitive. Please also feel free to share!

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