Weavers in “harness” at fall workshop

3623642Thanks to funding from the Oliver arts council, the Desert Sage Spinners and Weavers are able to invite weaver Alison Irwin from Duncan for a two-day workshop on Pick-Up weaving using 4-harness looms on October 1 – 2 at the Shatford Centre in Penticton.

Alison Irwin lives in Maple Bay and has a weaving studio set up in her home. Irwin WeavingShe teaches beginner courses and more advanced classes both locally and beyond BC’s borders. One look at her handouts and you know she’s got a graphic arts background! Several of her projects have been published in ‘Handwoven’ magazine. Alison also likes to keep a camera close by. Some of the images taken on her walks down to the beach, or out in the yard, or in the studio are then altered a little or a lot in Photoshop.

 

Anyone not yet registered will be out of luck: the workshop is booked solid already. As weaver Barbara Levant explains, “It has sold out because our Guild is quite big and we do have a waiting list. 4_Harness_Loom_mainOur members go from Summerland to the border, so the OCAC funding has been spread over the South Okanagan. The participants are all very appreciative as the cost of the workshop is reasonable for all because of the funding. So again thanks to the Board for supporting this workshop!”

 

 

Where Santa shops

The Oliver Arts and Crafts Fair is shaping up to be better than ever this year. And like last year, organizers are helping the local food bank by asking people to bring a non-perishable item to this great event.

You will be quite amazed by the new talents and will be intrigued to look closer. Too many to name all, but here is a sampling of what to expect:

Metal work by Humdinger for the home or yard as a decoration or functional addition is a must-see. There will be gift baskets to have a ready- made present for even the pickiest person on your list or fabulous kid’s clothes that are just too cute to pass by. Also there will be pottery with great colours and design or something for that computer friend.

Painters will be bringing their season’s work of oils, watercolours and other media for that wall accent you were looking for. More local talents at the show include wooden spoons, incredible handmade jewellery, golden honey and beeswax candles, baked goods for the season and very tasty preserves from the summer.

And then the fibre artists from in and around Oliver will again please the senses of look, touch and feel. There will be colourful rovings, handspun yarn made into garments, handwoven placemats and funky knitted socks and mittens. Check out the quilting wonders of different vendors who make Christmas ornaments, gift bags,tree skirts and, of course, great quilts.

After you see all there is to see, there will be time for refreshments or for the bigger hunger, a bowl of soup with a sandwich and a dessert to follow. The kitchen is, like every year, ready with all these goodies and never seem to run out of the good stuff.

So, don’t forget that food donation, bring a friend and head down to the best arts and crafts fair around!

Oliver Arts and Crafts Fair
Friday November 25
10 – 7
Saturday November 26
10 – 4
Oliver Community Centre
FREE Admission
Refreshments and lunch available for purchase
Oliver Food Bank items accepted.

Snuggle up with cuddly fibres this October

The crafts of Desert Sage Spinners and Weavers Guild will be the featured exhibit at the Osoyoos Art Gallery during the month of October. Guild members will have their work on display beginning with an opening reception on Saturday, Oct 8 from 1 to 3 p.m.  The public is welcome to attend. Some items will be for sale. 

The Slow Fibre Fest, sponsored by Desert Sage Spinners & Weavers Guild, is planned for Saturday October 29 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Seniors Centre on South Main in Penticton. The event will feature and promote the use of natural fibres.  Much like the “Slow Foods” movement that champions traditional, healthy, and eco friendly methods of growing and preparing our own foods, the “Slow Fibre” Festival promotes using fibres in traditional, “home-grown” and eco-friendly ways, from raising animals for wool to using eco-friendly dyes.  There will be a vendor market, demonstrations of weaving, spinning and felting including display of the Guild’s felted yurt. A fashion show will take place in the afternoon. A fun day for all and admission is free. Refreshments and lunch will be available.

Photo Credit: Val Friesen

It's the FASS — at LASST!

The Oliver Community Arts Council is excited to present the
Fall Art Show and Sale (FASS)
Theme: “Outside the Box”
Oliver Community Centre, 79th Street
 
Saturday October 1
FREE admission
3 – 9 p.m. Show, Sale, and Silent Auction
3 – 8 p.m.: Public Voting
7 – 9 p.m. Reception with Jazz Out West, Door Prizes
8:45 – 9 p.m.: Artist Winners announced
 
Sunday October 2
Admission through Festival of the Grape
12 – 5 p.m.: Show, Sale, Silent Auction, and Artist Demos

View many interpretations of the “Outside the Box” theme in eight artistic categories: photography, fibre arts, 3 -D, oils, acrylics, watercolours, other media, and a category for young “emerging artists”.

View the artwork, vote for your favourites, purchase artwork, bid in the silent auction, and tour fascinating non-competitive displays such as the RipOff Artists American Gothic and demonstrations. Visit the arts council information booth. In the evening, nibble at the reception, listen to live entertainment, and be present for the announcement of category winners and “Best Interpretation of the Theme”.

The Sunday entrance is free with your paid entrance to the Festival of the Grape. The exhibits and sale continue, as does the silent auction. Meet the artists. View the category winners and the overall “Best in Show”.

Watch for cute little wine glass tags commemorating poster art from the last four art shows. They make great souvenirs as well as being handy to wear on your Festival of the Grape glass on Sunday.

Bring your chequebook because, in addition to the great art, arts council memberships, souvenirs and gift items on sale, you will definitely want to enter the silent auction!

The silent auction has 50 amazing items for bid! The auction continues the “Outside the Box” theme. Bid on dozens of tempting hand-painted boxes laden with various themed goods. Each box is filled with items such as “a night at the theatre”, “home preserves”, “vacation”, “outdoor living”, “games night”, “school days”, “kitchenware”, “gardening”, “coffee bar” , “tea for two” or “bath and beauty”, just to name a few. Each filled box makes an attractive gift or keep it for yourself and display it at home. Expect the bidding to be exciting right to the last minute!

It’s the FASS — at LASST!

The Oliver Community Arts Council is excited to present the
Fall Art Show and Sale (FASS)
Theme: “Outside the Box”
Oliver Community Centre, 79th Street
 
Saturday October 1
FREE admission
3 – 9 p.m. Show, Sale, and Silent Auction
3 – 8 p.m.: Public Voting
7 – 9 p.m. Reception with Jazz Out West, Door Prizes
8:45 – 9 p.m.: Artist Winners announced
 
Sunday October 2
Admission through Festival of the Grape
12 – 5 p.m.: Show, Sale, Silent Auction, and Artist Demos

View many interpretations of the “Outside the Box” theme in eight artistic categories: photography, fibre arts, 3 -D, oils, acrylics, watercolours, other media, and a category for young “emerging artists”.

View the artwork, vote for your favourites, purchase artwork, bid in the silent auction, and tour fascinating non-competitive displays such as the RipOff Artists American Gothic and demonstrations. Visit the arts council information booth. In the evening, nibble at the reception, listen to live entertainment, and be present for the announcement of category winners and “Best Interpretation of the Theme”.

The Sunday entrance is free with your paid entrance to the Festival of the Grape. The exhibits and sale continue, as does the silent auction. Meet the artists. View the category winners and the overall “Best in Show”.

Watch for cute little wine glass tags commemorating poster art from the last four art shows. They make great souvenirs as well as being handy to wear on your Festival of the Grape glass on Sunday.

Bring your chequebook because, in addition to the great art, arts council memberships, souvenirs and gift items on sale, you will definitely want to enter the silent auction!

The silent auction has 50 amazing items for bid! The auction continues the “Outside the Box” theme. Bid on dozens of tempting hand-painted boxes laden with various themed goods. Each box is filled with items such as “a night at the theatre”, “home preserves”, “vacation”, “outdoor living”, “games night”, “school days”, “kitchenware”, “gardening”, “coffee bar” , “tea for two” or “bath and beauty”, just to name a few. Each filled box makes an attractive gift or keep it for yourself and display it at home. Expect the bidding to be exciting right to the last minute!

Fall Art Show and Sale is FASS-t approaching

This popular annual event is on Saturday October 1 – Sunday October 2 at the Oliver Community Centre, in conjunction with the Festival of the Grape. See poster for details.

View many interpretations of the “Outside the Box” theme in eight artistic categories: photography,  fibre arts, 3 -D, oils, acrylics, watercolours, other media, and a category for young “emerging artists”.

Saturday is a great day to see the show for free,  from 3 – 9 p.m. View the artwork, vote for your favourites, purchase artwork, bid in the silent auction,  and tour fascinating non-competitive displays such as the RipOff Artists American Gothic and demonstrations. Visit the arts council information booth. In the evening, nibble at the reception, listen to live entertainment, and be present for the announcement of category winners and “Best Interpretation of the Theme” (our version of Best in Show).

The Sunday entrance is free only with your paid entrance to the Festival of the Grape. The exhibits and sale continue, as does the silent auction. Meet the artists. View the category winners and the  overall “Best in Show”. Did your favourites win?

Watch for cute little wine glass tags commemorating poster art from the last four art shows. They make great souvenirs as well as being handy to wear on your Festival of the Grape glass on Sunday. 

Bring your chequebook because, in addition to the great art, arts council memberships, souvenirs and gift items on sale, you will definitely want to enter the silent auction!

The silent auction is looking absolutely fantastic this year! The auction continues the “Outside the Box” theme. Bid on dozens of tempting hand-painted boxes laden with various themed goods.  Each box is filled with items such as “a night at the theatre”, “home preserves”, “vacation”, “outdoor living”, “games night”, “school days”, “kitchenware”, “gardening”, “coffee bar” , “tea for two” or “bath and beauty”, just to name a few.   Each filled box makes an attractive gift or keep it for yourself and display it at home.

Between now and the festival, watch for our travelling “Outside the Box” display! The 6-foot tall stack of boxes looks like the poster graphic.  Can you find it around town? Thank you to Beyond Bliss, Medici’s Gelateria, Interior Savings  Credit Union, Valley First Credit Union, and the Oliver Regional Library for hosting the box stack so far! Please patronize these community-minded  businesses and institutions!

Artists: Feeling stuck in a box?

RipOff Artists "Stick It" to American Gothic

“All the really good ideas I’d ever had came to me while I was milking a cow,” declared Grant Wood whose American Gothic painting of the dour-faced pitchfork wielding farmer and his sister is famous worldwide.  Wood’s masterpiece became a national symbol; a vision of hope during the Depression that still resonates today. “Because American Gothic is so iconic, it was the perfect mark for this year’s RipOff challenge,” raves fiber artist, Terry Irvine.

This July the RipOff Artists stick it to American Gothic at the Quail’s Nest Arts Centre in Oliver, BC. This multi-media collective includes artists working in fibre (quilting, felting, weaving), photography, mixed media collage, oils and acrylics, 3-D installations, and encaustic (hot beeswax).  For the fifth year in a row, this nefarious group has dared to take on the grand masters of art. To mark such an auspicious occasion, they added a twist to the proceedings. Each artist has chosen another artist through which to interpret American Gothic. It’s double the ripoff and double the fun!

The public is welcome to watch the RipOff Artists assume the styles of  Picasso, Klimt, and Degas, along with seven other famous artists, and reinterpret Wood.  

American Gothic Challenge
Monday July 4 – Saturday July 9
Opening Reception:
Monday July 4, 
6 – 8 pm
Daily Hours:
Tuesday July 5 – Saturday July 9
9 am to 3 pm 

You are encouraged to come frequently during the week to get a true sense of how their artwork progresses from rough idea to finished creation.  Be sure to see the completed project on the Saturday! It will be left to you to decide: Is Wood’s masterpiece a celebration of America’s stoic determination during the Depression? Or is the finished product a critique of those same American values? Come view the action and decide for yourself.

Incidentally, the treasures from the four previous “RipOff raids” are currently on display at Leir House Cultural Centre in Penticton until June 23. You can view their “stolen” interpretations of Gustav Klimt’s Emilie Floge, Goergia O’Keeffe’s Pink Tulip, Van Gogh’s Wheatfield with Cypresses, and Lawren Harris’ Mount Lefroy in a variety of artistic media.

For more information about the RipOff Artists, click on their link under “Member Groups” in the column at right.  Or use the search bar on our website (type in “RipOffs”) for photos and articles from their past shows.

RipOff Artists “Stick It” to American Gothic

“All the really good ideas I’d ever had came to me while I was milking a cow,” declared Grant Wood whose American Gothic painting of the dour-faced pitchfork wielding farmer and his sister is famous worldwide.  Wood’s masterpiece became a national symbol; a vision of hope during the Depression that still resonates today. “Because American Gothic is so iconic, it was the perfect mark for this year’s RipOff challenge,” raves fiber artist, Terry Irvine.

This July the RipOff Artists stick it to American Gothic at the Quail’s Nest Arts Centre in Oliver, BC. This multi-media collective includes artists working in fibre (quilting, felting, weaving), photography, mixed media collage, oils and acrylics, 3-D installations, and encaustic (hot beeswax).  For the fifth year in a row, this nefarious group has dared to take on the grand masters of art. To mark such an auspicious occasion, they added a twist to the proceedings. Each artist has chosen another artist through which to interpret American Gothic. It’s double the ripoff and double the fun!

The public is welcome to watch the RipOff Artists assume the styles of  Picasso, Klimt, and Degas, along with seven other famous artists, and reinterpret Wood.  

American Gothic Challenge
Monday July 4 – Saturday July 9
Opening Reception:
Monday July 4, 
6 – 8 pm
Daily Hours:
Tuesday July 5 – Saturday July 9
9 am to 3 pm 

You are encouraged to come frequently during the week to get a true sense of how their artwork progresses from rough idea to finished creation.  Be sure to see the completed project on the Saturday! It will be left to you to decide: Is Wood’s masterpiece a celebration of America’s stoic determination during the Depression? Or is the finished product a critique of those same American values? Come view the action and decide for yourself.

Incidentally, the treasures from the four previous “RipOff raids” are currently on display at Leir House Cultural Centre in Penticton until June 23. You can view their “stolen” interpretations of Gustav Klimt’s Emilie Floge, Goergia O’Keeffe’s Pink Tulip, Van Gogh’s Wheatfield with Cypresses, and Lawren Harris’ Mount Lefroy in a variety of artistic media.

For more information about the RipOff Artists, click on their link under “Member Groups” in the column at right.  Or use the search bar on our website (type in “RipOffs”) for photos and articles from their past shows.

Spinners & Weavers appreciate funded workshop

In April, the Desert Sage Spinners and Weavers ran a successful workshop facilitated by guest fibre artist Robyn Spady (pictured at left) of Spady Studios, Seattle. Robyn is inspired by the many ways to weave double-faced fabrics as a way to create versatile fabrics. In addition to double-faced fabrics, she also explores uncommon weave structures and narrow warp weaves. More about Robyn and her weaving techniques can be found here: http://www.spadystudios.com/  Here’s what Robyn says about the importance of fibre arts in her life:

“Weaving has always been a part of my life. It started with my baby blanket handwoven by my great-grandmother. While growing up, it helped instill in me a sense of creativity and confidence at a time when my self esteem was developing. During my years while working, in what I like to call “Corporate America”, weaving helped give me sanity and feel a sense of productivity, which was very important while working on long-term projects when day-to-day progress was not evident.

“In 2001, changes in my life provided me the opportunity to dedicate myself to weaving fulltime. One of the earliest undertakings, that has had a huge impact on my life and my weaving, was tackling the Handweavers Guild of America’s Certificate of Excellence in Handweaving.  I [later] successfully completed the Level 1: Technical Skills in Handweaving…. [and] … Level II: Master in Handweaving with the specialized study Loom-controlled Stitched Double Cloth.

“I am fascinated by the infinite possibilities of crossing threads and love coming up with new ideas to create fabric and transform it into something that has never existed before. My intrigue with stitched double cloth encouraged me to explore the many ways to weave double-faced fabrics as a way to create versatile fabrics that are reversible, self-lined, etc. In addition to double-faced fabrics, I love to discover uncommon and unusual weave structures, especially if they can be woven on only four-shafts. Recently, I’ve also been studying how elaborate trims can be woven on narrow warp weaves.

“For many of us, weaving is a type of circle of life. The loom my great-grandmother used to weave my baby blanket on over 45 years ago is in use on a daily basis helping me transfer my inspirations into new fabrics and inspiring new generations of weavers.”

As you can tell from the photos of the very focussed participants, weaving can be all-consuming and takes a lot of concentration!

The event was sponsored in part through the Oliver Community Arts Council.

Need funding for a public workshop, production, exhibit, class, or event? The OCAC is accepting applications for Contracted Service Agreements NOW. Up to $500 in funding per project. Open to all OCAC members. Complete yours by June 1, 2011 for an event in the Sept 2011 – Aug 2012 season.  Click on “Forms” above or email olivercac @ gmail.com for information and application.

Thanks to Desert Sage Spinners and Weavers president Gail Erickson for the photos.

Spinners & Weavers appreciate funded workshop

In April, the Desert Sage Spinners and Weavers ran a successful workshop facilitated by guest fibre artist Robyn Spady (pictured at left) of Spady Studios, Seattle. Robyn is inspired by the many ways to weave double-faced fabrics as a way to create versatile fabrics. In addition to double-faced fabrics, she also explores uncommon weave structures and narrow warp weaves. More about Robyn and her weaving techniques can be found here: http://www.spadystudios.com/  Here’s what Robyn says about the importance of fibre arts in her life:

“Weaving has always been a part of my life. It started with my baby blanket handwoven by my great-grandmother. While growing up, it helped instill in me a sense of creativity and confidence at a time when my self esteem was developing. During my years while working, in what I like to call “Corporate America”, weaving helped give me sanity and feel a sense of productivity, which was very important while working on long-term projects when day-to-day progress was not evident.

“In 2001, changes in my life provided me the opportunity to dedicate myself to weaving fulltime. One of the earliest undertakings, that has had a huge impact on my life and my weaving, was tackling the Handweavers Guild of America’s Certificate of Excellence in Handweaving.  I [later] successfully completed the Level 1: Technical Skills in Handweaving…. [and] … Level II: Master in Handweaving with the specialized study Loom-controlled Stitched Double Cloth.

“I am fascinated by the infinite possibilities of crossing threads and love coming up with new ideas to create fabric and transform it into something that has never existed before. My intrigue with stitched double cloth encouraged me to explore the many ways to weave double-faced fabrics as a way to create versatile fabrics that are reversible, self-lined, etc. In addition to double-faced fabrics, I love to discover uncommon and unusual weave structures, especially if they can be woven on only four-shafts. Recently, I’ve also been studying how elaborate trims can be woven on narrow warp weaves.

“For many of us, weaving is a type of circle of life. The loom my great-grandmother used to weave my baby blanket on over 45 years ago is in use on a daily basis helping me transfer my inspirations into new fabrics and inspiring new generations of weavers.”

As you can tell from the photos of the very focussed participants, weaving can be all-consuming and takes a lot of concentration!

The event was sponsored in part through the Oliver Community Arts Council.

Need funding for a public workshop, production, exhibit, class, or event? The OCAC is accepting applications for Contracted Service Agreements NOW. Up to $500 in funding per project. Open to all OCAC members. Complete yours by June 1, 2011 for an event in the Sept 2011 – Aug 2012 season.  Click on “Forms” above or email olivercac @ gmail.com for information and application.

Thanks to Desert Sage Spinners and Weavers president Gail Erickson for the photos.

RipOff Artists make it official

It’s official: the RipOff Artists are the newest group to join the Oliver Community Arts Council. In their own words, the RipOff Artists are “a group of talented artists in many media who join forces every summer to interpret a masterpiece by a famous artist in their own way, to learn new skills and have a lot of fun. ” Pictured at left, they are: Terry Irvine (fibre), Kurt Hutterli (3D, found objects), Barb Levant (weaving), Thea Haubrich (encaustic), Enid Baker (fine art, quilting), JoAnn Turner (fine art on objects), Marion Trimble (fine art, collage, mixed media),  Russell Work (photography) and — not pictured — Dianne Birnie (quilting).

Nearly all its members have also been  individual members of the council, with a few serving as executive officers of the OCAC over the years. All this had given the group a long and affectionate association with the council. Group status, however, confers added benefits to the collective.  The group is now able to apply to the OCAC for financial aid (a “contracted service agreement”) for any public event such as a workshop, performance, class, or exhibit, which reflects the mandates of the arts council.  The group also benefits from publicity (like this!).

Need to catch up on all four of the RipOff challenges over the years? Missed any of the following exhibits: Wheatfield with Cypresses by Vincent van Gogh (2007), Emilie Floge by Gustav Klimt (2008), Pink Tulip by Georgia O’Keeffe (2009), or Mount Lefroy by Lawren Harris (2010)?  You can see them all at once at the

RipOff Retrospective
May 12 – June 23, 2011
Leir House, Penticton, BC
Opening reception: May 12, 7 – 9 p.m.

The RipOffs have chosen their fifth annual challenge: American Gothic by Grant Wood.  You know it: the dour looking farmer with a pitchfork and his spinster daughter in an apron (not a couple, as many assume). The title of the painting refers to the architecture of the farmhouse behind them:  a gothic style window is visible in the second storey.  The image is iconic, and much parodied, so it will indeed be a challenge for these nine creative people to really “stick it to Wood” as the RipOffs say on their website.  watch them in action during the

Fifth RipOff Challenge!
“American Gothic” by Grant Wood
July 4 – July 9, 2011
Quail’s Nest Art Centre, Oliver, BC
Opening reception: July 4, 6 – 8 PM

Take a look at the wonderful retrospective of their art at their very own website:  http://www.ripoffartists.ca/index.html

Fab Four Weaving Workshop

It’s not the Beatles, it’s a weaving workshop. And it definitely won’t be a “hard day’s night” to become proficient at these techniques :

The Desert Sage Spinners and Weavers present
The Fab Four
with instructor Robyn Spady
April 2 & 3
(that’s not “Eight Days a Week” – only two!)
Oliver Community Centre
Fee: $125 (incl instruction booklet and lunches both days)
 
Round-robin workshop exploring weave structures including
diversified plain weave, integrated weaves, swivel,
single block bead leno, corduroy, Bedford cord,
deflected supplementary warp and cannele and more.
Info: hhayes@vip.net
 
This workshop is presented with funding made available through
the Oliver Community Arts Council.
The Desert Sage Spinners & Weavers Guild gratefully acknowledge this support.

 Check out the DSS&W website at: http://southokanaganslowfibrefestival.weebly.com

Something Under the Tree for You!

The 34th Annual
Oliver Arts & Crafts Sale
Friday, November 19
10 am – 8 pm 
Saturday November 20 
10 am – 4 pm 
Oliver Community Centre
Concession: delicious soups, sandwiches,  desserts
Admission is FREE!
Donations for the Oliver Food Bank are welcome.

 

You sure don’t want to miss this popular kick-off to Christmas gift-giving. Expect quality hand-crafted items including clothing, linens, preserves, jewelry, leather goods, children’s toys, personal care items, home decor, artwork, and much more!  You’ll have Christmas all wrapped up at this one-stop shopping event.