"The Journey"
John Phillips

Artist's Statement
Showing the process of one's known and unknown metamorphosis. Dealing the physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual aspects of one's self as it affects the work. In this case my glass. Coming to terms with the fact it's a 'journey'.

Comment

Or, as John wrote in a very brief statement: “Simply put my glass is an outward expression of my inner journey: and 'Oh Boy, what a journey!” John is a long time member of Circle Craft and in that long time has supported his family with good work which paid the bills. But in this show, and two others in Vancouver - oh boy! the journey offers a wider view.

Glass is a wonderful medium for capturing light: it’s poured, unrestricted through the bold lidded vessels of clear red and blue glass, and glowed in tall vases on whose surface dark shapes (more spirits than flowers) drift up from a ground of a wild garden. On a hanging plate light defined the etched intricacy of a 'crop circle' built up by what looked like clustered dandelion seed heads, gossamer white on green. The perfect geometry of crop circles has long been appearing suddenly in fields of growing corn, the stock bent to ensure continued growth. How do they get there? John is a mine of information on this age-old phenomenon.

There were several attendant spirits in this show. Two stared over the edge of a hanging canoe made, by John, of wood and fibreglass, so it appeared to be full of light. On another level three handsome glass mugs were formed by sculpted heads, named severally Mr., Mrs., and Master Frank Instein.

In case you are unfamiliar with British humour, it is understood that the jester, at heart, is deeply serious.

October Gallery 2004

"Wizards, Gnomes, Elves & More"
Joan Tang

Joan Tang made her first faceless dolls when very young, sewing and embroidering their clothes. Study of painting, graphic art and pottery developed skill in building wire skeletons for her lifesize "dolls", pinching the molded heads into eloquent features, forming lifelike hands and expressive eyes. Joan has peopled her show with the Christmas spirits of fantasy, myth and magic. It is a warm world of kindness and laughter.

Comment
Dartmoor in England used to be famous for its elves. The moor is still a beautiful place where wild ponies roam amongst heather and streams and curious outcrops of tall stones called tors. I met a woman there who assured me she had seen a gathering of elves once, and described them and their clothing minutely. "You will see them," she said, "if you don't look for them. And then they don't take notice of you." She was perfectly serious. Elves are fables' tricksters, with magical powers used, somewhat teasingly, to help, hinder or just for mischief. Gnomes are more sober bangs who inhabit the earth, and guard its treasures.

Joan Tang's gathering of both these little people is a cheerful one (some of the elves are cool, with their thumbs up), and all are gorgeously clad in Christmas finery. Joan is very skillful in details of form, the faces kindly, delicately molded, and the eyes look straight at you. The one wizard is thoughtful, but Santa Claus exudes goodwill in a fine sleigh, with two attendant polar bears - what else, in Canada?

Joan is a ling-time member of Circle Craft. Her hands have always been busy, giving form to the mythical beings she loved, and to life-size human characters, each a distinctive person, usually with an optimistic caste of mind and a touching kind of innocence. Dickens would have loved them, for they embody the kindness and laughter of trust and goodwill. Good thoughts as the sun of the winter solstice will soon, for a moment, seem to stand still.

August Gallery 2004

Government Wharf
Paul Burke

Paul Burke has been making animals since 1988 and writes:

The Government Dock is an important part of small community life on the BC Coast - a meeting place of land and ocean, people and animals. Gulls, crows and occasional dogs frequent government wharves (along with all kinds of people) and so, inspired by the wharf at Crofton, near Saltspring Island where I live, I have created this tribute to a typical BC coast scene.

I started in a very two-dimensional and primitive way, but of course the work evolves and now it is much more three-dimensional and also quite a bit larger, more about expression and movement.

Comment

The wharf handrails are red, on the boardwalk two crows contend for French fries, the dog barks and the gulls squawk scornfully. The carving of Paul's creatures combines the unsophisticated touch of folkcraft while being exact in shape and character.

He says of his work,
I am not a wildlife artist; I play with the living form always come back to the living creature.....

The result was a joyful, imaginative installation in our gallery.

July Gallery 2004

The Culinary Art of Arbutus...and Beyond
Ron Bazar and Bob McKay

Artists' Statements

Ron Bazar’s Culinary Arbutus Collection contains the spirit of BC's beautiful native wood.  Using fall-downs and dead branches, the pieces are crafted in Ron's workshop over-looking Desolation Sound.

Bob McKay: "My constantly evolving ideas respond to the potential for beauty as I discover it within. I hope my work invites handling and contemplation, reminding us of our connection to natural processes in a world full of plastics and throw-away fads."

Comment

Arbutus is an old tree, and even after it falls, the wood is sappy, needing skillful drying to avoid twists and cracks. The grain varies wonderfully, and the colour ranges from very dark to almost white. Like all the pieces in this show, arbutus has a beautiful silky finish. If you are curious about how arbutus is prepared for turning, visit Bob's website at www.bobmckay.woodturner.com.

Ron Bazar keeps his focus simple, making serving tools in three large sizes, small for spreading, medium for salads and large for banquets and barbecues with lots of people and food. The finish is silky, wood colours and grain are matched, and Ron has honoured this show by drawing on his precious stock of unique wood from trees more than 100 years old. His tools are to be prized.

Bob McKay forms arbutus for the everyday and that "beyond" which is also for every day in another fashion. What he called his "squashed" bowl is, like all his "beyond" pieces, turned until feather light. It stands on tiny feet turned, not added, to the base. It is the colour of Devonshire cream, the russet grain is splashed hither and yon, and a crack (filled and darkened) is bold as brushwork. Bob's favourite piece is a shallow bowl with two handles. If you slip your fingers under the handles they slide into a friendly curve, carved just below the fine, unbroken line of the rim.

This show was beautifully mounted by Bob McKay's wife, Barbara. Outstanding framed photographs of arbutus tree trunks and branches were hung above the pieces, connecting the colour and movement of the trees with the work of hands on display.

June Gallery 2004

In Stitches
stichery, collage and quilting

Artists' Statements

Kirsten Chursinoff (image right) graduated in Textile Arts from Capilano College and soon immersed herself in "the wonderful world of textile art". Recently her expertise in embroidery and fabric collage was shown in Tokyo. Currently she is devising fabric illustrations for a children's book as well as teaching embroidery to beginners, with plans for an advanced curriculum. Her own work is as lively and rich as a medieval manuscript.

Barbara Head writes, "A formal training and professional background in interior design originally fuelled my interest in textiles. As a designer/creator I endorse and promote fabric and fibre as material worthy to be seen, enjoyed and accepted as an art form in quilts, wallhangings and tapestries."

Patt Wilson writes, "The texture and colour of fabric and the way it feels has long enthralled me. Combine those sumptuous qualities with a passion for stitching, and the possibilities are endless. I draw on an eclectric range of design subjects for my wearables and quilted hangings, and love the challenge of seeking to create an original piece while keeping the design and detail simple."

Comment

Kirsten Chursinoff makes use of closely stitched French knots to create depth. This works well on two small panels of massed flowers - these bright blue flowers are a reminder of bluebells carpeting an English wood. French knots gave strength to the brown bark of a graceful tree hung with a few hopeful spring leaves (this panel was done in a wintry time). An interesting group of flower abstractions confirm Kirsten's sure sense of form, design and colour.

Barb Head (image right) sprang a surprise for this show by re-creating three early 20^th century Canadian posters using collage, stitching, and 'free motion' machine stitchery which turns the needle into a paintbrush. The body movements and folds of cloth are deftly defined, often topped with translucent fabric to soften the lines. The posters have a period charm. Two for hotels feature charming young ladies, one swinging a golf club, another (with a neat waist) shouldering skies. More dating is the Ontario Society of Artist's poster. Their lady reclines by a lake. Her long raven curls blow about entincingly, her clothing is draped in all the right places - and oh my! they belong to a time of coal-fired trains whistling bodly into the long night, teasing the stars with a shower of sparks. No wonder Barb has her eye on more posters with steam trains and lots of landscape.

Patt Wilson (image left) combines stitchery, collage, quilting, dyeing and hand painting for her distinctive, desirable jackets and vests.

This jacket of black silk has a freehand design of lilies, a 3-D effect created by five layers of fabric. A linen jacket began with white cloth, over-dyed several times bleached to take out some colours, then dyed again to produce the soft red of a sunset. A few sprays of leaves were painted on thesurface. "It was" Pat said, "a complex process." Pat relishes trying new things, like cutting pre-dyed cloth on the bias, folding, redying and cutting to produce an interesting diamond pattern. She says, "Do it! is my motto." That motto Kirsten and Barb would undoubtedly confirm.