Raven Mask from Wintercroft

In preparation for Halloween night I decided to make myself a paper mask using a template purchased from Wintercroft. They are a couple based in the UK that design geometric paper masks of animals, devils, dragons, etc. and sell the templates online for people to make themselves. I bought the Woodland Animal set because I wanted to make something for Boris as well.

Of course I made the bird for myself. I used black card and decorated the pieces with metallic gel pen before putting it all together. It looks really cool.

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I’ll share a photo of myself in the mask once I get some elastic to strap it to my head.

Work In Progress: Flowerbursts in More Colours

Here’s an idea I’ve been thinking about for awhile, what if I made more flowerburst pieces in different colours and made it an even larger installation. Sounds like a good project to work on while I’m thinking about something new.

March

There are around one hundred blue pieces in the original installation, and I’ve shown it twice this way. I like the idea of it becoming larger with multiple colours. Last week I painted some paper with yellow and red acrylic ink and started cutting more pieces. I have close to twenty of them already.

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I don’t have a deadline or anything for this. I wanted to get working on something again and this was the project that drew me the most. It’s my version of crocheting granny squares.

Geometric Inspired Paper Cut Design

I finished this last week, and have been sitting with it as I decide what to do with it next. I’m thinking about creating a layer of line drawing to go underneath the open spaces of the triangle areas of the design. It could be too busy or it may be just right.

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I’m happy with how well this worked out and intend to make more based on geometric design structure.

Making Paper Moths

I’ve led many artist demonstrations at Opus over the last few years, but yesterday I attended my first as a participant. Tara Galuska is an illustrator working with paper, and I was curious to attend her demo and see up close how she creates some of her work.

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She led about fifteen of us in a two hour workshop on making a papercraft moth. Tara provided us all with a template to follow and we were left to our own devices to customize our moths through paper and design choices. Below are some of the finished moths by class participants.

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I enjoyed this class because it allowed me to work with paper in a different way than my usual approach. I love the little moth I created, and the process gave me lots of new things to think about.

Gravity & Other Myths

I saw a wonderful show at the York Theatre yesterday evening, A Simple Space by Gravity & Other Myths. They are a circus troupe from Australia, and they performed amazing feats of human strength and agility on the tiny stage in East Van. It was the highlight of my week.

A Simple Space Promo 2015 from Gravity & Other Myths on Vimeo.

Their promo video is a terrific look at the crazy things they did last night. Tickets are still available to see Gravity & Other Myths, and they’re in residence at the York Theatre until October 24th.

Work in Progress: Geometric Inspired Paper Cut Design

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A couple of weeks ago I took a one day work shop on Islamic Design with Eric Broug through Maiwa School of Textiles. I thought it would be a good opportunity to build on the pattern work I’d been doing earlier in the summer, and figure out how to draw these complex geometric designs from scratch.

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This is a piece I started a few days after the workshop, which has a six pointed star as its basic structure. I wanted to create a piece that has my standard freeform patterns within a more structured design. I’m satisfied with it so far and have yet to decide on what else to do with it.

Work in progress paper cut

The two stars are within an octagon, and everything is inside a circle. I want this piece to be a circle when I am finished with the stars more smoothly incorporated into the work. I’ve been working on this much more slowly than usual because it may not be anything other than an experiment.

I’m allowing myself the space for things to go horribly wrong, but also wonderfully right.

Making Apple Rose Pastries

A video featuring the step-by-step instructions on how to make rose shaped apple tarts was going around the internet last week, just in time for Thanksgiving. So of course I decided to make them for our dinner with friends. They look beautiful, are extremely easy to make, and taste delicious.

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Watch the video here.

The original recipe uses lemon juice, and apricot preserves. I substituted the lemon with fresh squeezed orange (because I realized too late we were out of lemons), and used strawberry rhubarb jam instead of apricot.

Ten Artists One Paper

In September I shared the finished piece I created for an exhibition to celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Paper Place in Toronto. They invited ten artists to participate and provided everyone with the same Chiyogami patterned paper to incorporate however they chose into their work.

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They started debuting the ten pieces on The Paper Place instagram account this week. The first one they shared by Judith Pudden is dramatically different from mine. I am very interested to see more of these pieces, because it will be a broad range of beautiful work.

Getting Inside at Doors Open Vancouver

Doors Open Vancouver is an annual event put on by the City of Vancouver allowing people to visit city owned buildings and get a behind-the-scenes look. There are about eighteen locations involved for the day, ranging from theatres, to the public works yard, to the Stanley Park miniature train.

I visited two locations with my friend, Kai. We went for quality visits at two locations rather than trying to make it everywhere. We chose the Queen Elizabeth and Orpheum Theatres for our visits. Both theatres were set up for evening performances, which meant we got to see the set for Rigoletto at QE. Our timing was perfect to take part in a backstage tour as well and see the set up close.

Doors Open Vancouver
Lighting by Propellor Design

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The view from the stage

Doors Open Vancouver
The set for Rigoletto

Doors Open Vancouver

The Queen Elizabeth Theatre is modern while the Orpheum is more classic and full of ornate details from floor to ceiling. We chatting with an usher who has been working at the Orpheum for seventeen years, and knew much of the history of the place. She told us it was originally built as a vaudeville theatre in the 1920s.

Doors Open Vancouver
The spectacular view from the top tier seating

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Doors Open Vancouver
Plaster details along the walls near the stage

Doors Open Vancouver

Doors Open Vancouver
Doors Open Vancouver
Ornate patterned ceilings in the lobbies

I’ve visited both theatres for performances but it was nice to visit each location to see the building for its own sake. Next year I intend to go again and see other locations. I can’t wait.

Window Dressing at AMP Studio in Strathcona

For the month of October I have work on display in the window of AMP Studio at Keefer and Hawks in Strathcona. My friend Val Arntzen hosts a different artist in her studio window each month, and has been doing this since the beginning of the year. Val calls the series of exhibitions, Window Dressing.

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I brought a mix of framed pieces for the walls and a few small sculptures I haven’t shown in awhile.

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I framed the concentric circle piece combining paper cut with drawing specifically to show in the window. I made it months ago and forgot about it, so I thought it was time it had other eyes on it.

paper cut and drawing on paper

My work will be up until the end of October but I’d suggest dropping by this weekend because Val is participating in First Saturday and will have her studio open to the public.