Maps! And an invitation to Fuse & Form
Hello again. Happy cherry blossom season. Thanks to everyone who read to the end of my February post and suggested places I might try to show my work around Vancouver. Read to the end of this one for your invite to a fun new monthly arts event I am helping to organize.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU ABOUT MATTHEW SHLIAN
There's an exhibition on until early May at Kostuik Gallery in Yaletown featuring one of my all-time favourite paper artists, Matthew Shlian. He creates gorgeous geometric low relief paper constructions. Check him out on Instagram too. His unique handling of this medium never ceases to amaze me and it's lovely that he is represented by a local gallery.
His work is clean and pristine. The precision is mesmerizing. One of the things I love about it is that he has found a way to marry technology with creativity in a most eyeball-massagingly way. He uses AutoCAD and a flatbed plotter along with his curiosity and creativity to elegantly blur the lines of art and design. Of course, this touches something in me having come from the world of design and having landed in the world of art. Check him out and write me back to let me know what you think. I've seen efforts to copy his style but no one comes close.
Commission of Thetis Island.
MAPS, GLORIOUS MAPS
I managed to finish all the commissions that came my way from the 2024 Eastside Culture Crawl. The last one was the map of Thetis Island (left), a keepsake for my client's mother who has made the island her home for many years. I followed that piece up with a few new maps to hang in the studio. The header image (scroll up) is my latest Gulf Islands piece (30"x11"). It's 20m elevations of Salt Spring, Prevost, the Penders, Saturna, and Mayne, and a bit of Vancouver Island around Duncan and Maple Bay. I’m loving this long skinny format which lends itself so perfectly to some of the long waterways and coastlines in this part of the world. This was a fun one to assemble. Many juicy layers. It's available for adoption as are all my other 11. 30 maps, some horizontal, some vertical. All of them can be seen on the paper art page of this website.
Thetis and the Gulf Islands gave way to a few more 8" x 8" mini maps. You might remember I premiered a series of six of these at Paper Trails last year at CityScape Community Art Space. Below left is Clayoquot Plateau Provincial Park and right is Harrison Lake.
Turns out these make lovely wedding gifts. Who knew! I've customized two in the last year for clients to give as wedding presents. The latest one depicted Soames Hill in Gibsons, location of the marriage proposal.
The unfortunate downside to all the paper cutting is that I now have a shoulder impingement — a change of pace from the usual repetitive strain — so, I've picked up my paintbrushees instead of my blades and will work on less injurious watercolours while I convalesce.
DRUM ROLL PLEASE! YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED…APRIL 25TH
An artful, interactive evening event is coming soon to Vancouver's Eastside. I'm pleased to be a part of the creation and launch of a new monthly event called Fuse & Form. Our studio will be opening the doors on the last Friday of each month for a night of art and engagement. The inaugural event will consist of demonstrations, hands-on activities, refreshments, and open studio visits. We are putting together a fun and lively evening and hope that you and your friends will join us in growing this new community of creativity and connection.
Friday, April 25th, 5–10pm
Eastside Atelier, 1310 William Street (at Clark Drive)
Vancouver, BC
