A year in review (part two); Making art from nature
Failures, successes and outtakes in 2024. Now with less words, more images!
*part 1 (January to July) here
August was wet
So wet I could walk outside and make cordage with the crocosmia leaves that died back in July.
It made it easy to stay inside, finessing work for my upcoming Featured Artist spot at Free Spirit Gallery.
But at some point you just have to put everything down, walk away, trust that everything is finished, and take a break. There was some sun in August.
I reconnected with an old friend who is trying to get a dye plant garden bed started at HCP. I helped out with her booth at their “Art in the Garden” event. She has lots of paper making experience, so we had lots talk about. The entire day was a delight.
We live in a rural area, and mid summer is the time to get your firewood ordered.
The Fibreshed group checked on that flax that we planted back around Easter. Unfortunately because of the wet summer, some of it was still not dry and ready to pull. But there was this cute farm cat that more than made up for it.
I spent some time experimented with flowering dye plants and rust, inadvertently capturing a thunderstorm on paper. Did I mention it was a very wet August?
Reveal below; sound up to hear my astonished first impressions, (and the baby eagle next door).
I used really thick, cotton content paper which I knew would hold up to getting quite wet.
As summer wore on, I worked on perfecting my old crone with walking stick look, as I worked on pagan grass weavings, and left offerings on the deer alter.
September brought the opening of Rootlet
Which I have written about here. I did an artist talk, as well. Rootlet ran until October 5th. People left some lovely comments.
Oh and I finally finished that life-size stag head.
Late September brought more paper making experiments
I was particularly taken with the inner bark of Daphne laurel.
October is for Apple Fest
The Gabriola Fibreshed Working Group had a table set up at this local event. We were there to talk about natural dyes, local wool, spinning, and we showed people how we process flax into linen.
Paper experiments were in full force in the studio. I used to look at plant material and ask “can I weave with that?” Now I’m asking “will it paper?”
Above; poppy stems and heads mixed with flag iris leaf pulp.
The Gabriola Fibreshed Working Group put on a mushroom dye workshop, lead by Alyssa Semczyszyn. Unfortunately I had to miss the event, but I did ask them to save the leftover buckets of mushrooms because, you guessed it, I had to find out; will it paper?!
I did several experiments with the mushroom paper, many of which could be considered “failures”. However I don’t really call them failures, as I always learn something about the material that gets applied to the next experiment.
November was another first for me
I got invited to be a guest speaker at the Vancouver Island Woodworkers Guild meeting in Victoria. I put together a talk on the intersection of woodworking and fine art basketry, showing examples from the Loewe Craft Prize. I also spoke about the ancient craft of coppice forestry by quoting authors Roger Deacon, and Paul Lamb.
It was the largest crowd I’ve spoken to yet, and it was really well received.
December, finally time to relax
But wait, not without one more thing!
I was asked by the Gabriola Agricultural Co-op to host a wreath making table at their annual Christmas market, another first for me.
It was a delightful afternoon, despite an absolute downpour and we raised money that went towards the Co-op.
The rest of December was spent listening to my favourite calm music and making calm artwork.
All I want to do for the rest of winter is play with puddles of ink.
But before I sit down, I better shake it out! I will always end on a goofy note, if I can.
Happy New Year to you, if you’ve read this far you are a superstar and I hope it was worth your time.
I have a couple more “first” lined up for 2025 already.
Let the adventure continue.
— Christi York
As a witchy flax growing, ink making, interested in paper, beginner cordage maker on the upper Sunshine Coast who tells herself the same thing on "wood days" gosh am I ever happy to have found your substack! ❤️
I am fascinated by your work with Winter Daphne/Spurge Laurel , that is a plant that has been the bane of my existence as a gardener and love that you have found a way to use it . So beautiful too .