A story of a cardigan

Living in a small community is challenging. You can't simply have a good idea. You also have to execute it. If you don't your idea dies.

Those who continue to generate good ideas are brave indeed. One of these brave souls is my friend Tina. She conceived and delivered "1st Thursdays at the library". Her goal: to showcase Mayne Island artists as well as our branch of the Trincomali Community Arts Council (http://mayne.gulfislands.com/trincoarts)

Determine to support her I set about to organize an exhibition of my work. ...but was I an artist? ...was knitting art?

Certainly knitwear designers such as: Lucy Neatby of Tradewind Knitwear Designs (www.tradewindknits.com) and Brenda Zuk of Needle Beetle (www.needlebeetle.com) are artists.

...but I'm not Lucy or Brenda.
...I like my designs.
...I am proud of my designs.
...but are they art?
...am I an artist?
I decided to attack these questions face on...
Here's a small sample of what I included in my exhibition:
Avalon
A golden ray kisses
The cheek of an angel

An angel whispers to a morning dove
"Awake my child and sing"

A morning dove's song
Awakens a fare maiden.

A fare maiden employees
Her skein and needles to knit

A day begins on Avalon.

Olafur's saga is whispered by the north wind. Over the waters, over the sky, over the eons it flies to your ear. The saga tells of a Viking long boat that set sail from Islandia headed for the new world - Vineland. Aboard this boat was "Olafur the bloodthirsty". The world feared his savage taste for blood. The fear was justified for his axe did not hesitate. It could not hesitate.

A warrior needed to stay focused. He needed to stay alert. He needed a quick means of relaxation. Olafur always carried his axe and sticks. At the end of a hard day he liked nothing more than a mug of mead, his sticks and wool. His hands flew over the stitches. He wove stitches. He wove cloth. He wove garments. He was a master of wool.

As you have noticed I decided to include both my knitting and writing. Even if my knitting wasn't art surely my writing was.

Still I wasn't happy. I needed an eye-popper. Then I hit on an idea. Here, this note that included in the exhibition, explains everything:

For years I avoided working with colour. Oh sure, I would throw in the occasional stripe...but that was it. I deemed colour work to be not my bag. Truth was I was scared. ...but then I paid a visit to Cedar's studio. I couldn't help but become inspired. I was surrounded by inspiration. But what to do? It was colour! Then I heard myself telling everyone: "I'm going to make a sweater inspired by one of Cedar's paintings." If that wasn't bad enough, I decided to enter it in my show - before I had even knitted it! "Please attend my show. It features a sweater that was inspired by a painting of Cedar's." So before I began work on this sweater did I read up on the technique? Did I seek help from those who know? NO. In my blissful ignorance I went full steam ahead. So here it is boys and girls, my first attempt at colour work! Please be kind.

Here is Cedar's painting. View more of Cedar's beautiful work by logging on to her web site: www.mayneisland.com/cedarchristie
Here are Cedar and I at the exhibition.
The back: I was impressed by my ability to capture the image.
The front: however, I was disappointed in my ability to demonstrate the technique of intarsia. I also need to polish the sweater. Make it shine. I hide it in my studio's closet saying..."someday". Well, that day is tomorrow. Why? Please read tomorrow's post.

Copyright by Leanne Dyck on Feb. 9, 2006

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