Amherst Cove Retreat!!

The Upper Amherst Cove Craft/Art Retreat is just around the corner....it's happening Friday, Saturday and Sunday, September 5-7 (the bus returns Monday). Friday night kick starts the retreat with artist talks and presentations; Saturday and Sunday are filled with workshops....lots of craft and artistic activities. The weekend is open to all - interested and practicing crafts people, Textile Studies students, and the general public from the Bonavista area participate and you're invited to join in the creative fun. Traditionally, presenters and instructors volunteer their expertise for a particular workshop and also participate in workshops themselves. We are looking for workshop leaders. Can you help us?

We will provide you with transportation, accommodations (floor space, maybe bed, your own tent), yummy food, and a guaranteed great time. You will be totally surrounded by the like-minded individuals; see professional studios and how they are set up; do creative things and be inspired! Mike and Lorie Paterson are our hosts, and workshops will take place in and around Paterson Woodworking. It is a truly magnificent place, nestled in a little cove, sheltered from the harshest winds, has a panoramic view of the ocean, whales galore, wood trails - walk to Wolf' Head in just 1/2 an hour and in season pick blueberry's for breakfast pancakes.

To Volunteer or for more information e-mail katie.parnham@cna.nl.ca or call Katie or Gina at 739-7623

August Natural Dye Workshop at Anna Templeton Centre

[ August 19, 2008; 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm. ] A great opportunity for local and visiting participants to learn more about Newfoundland plants and flowers suitable for natural dyeing! Craftsperson Susan Furneaux will take you on a walk and talk in downtown St. John’s then you will return to the Anna Templeton Centre and dye a silk scarf using some of the plants collected on the walk. To register, please contact the Centre at 709-739-7623.

In a province noted for its vibrant textile community and traditions, Susan Furneaux stands out for her distinctive sensibility and diverse technical skills. Exquisite embroideries, daring compositions, subtle natural dyes, and – most recently – character-filled dolls, are evidence of Furneaux’s mastery of textile techniques and love of its labour-soaked processes. But uniting the varied wall mounted work, quilts, kimonos and dolls is Furneaux’s use of narrative. She is a storyteller. Susan’s stories are the stuff of cherished memories, daily rituals and lessons learned. They gently emphasize the importance of relationships and family and as such have a universal appeal. One of the devices Furneaux uses consistently is the written word itself. The words may originate from family journals, old postcards, a label from a can of evaporated milk or a bill from an evening at the local pub. But she transforms them. Handwritten, silk screened or embroidered the words inform, entertain and have an unexpected visual presence. Furneaux can take a phrase like “You are my sunshine” and through the insightful use of gold thread elevate the popular culture of our daily lives to the preciousness of an illuminated manuscript. The strength of Susan Furneaux’s textile work is that despite its emotional content it is not sentimental.

Gloria Hickey