Well 2024 is done and dusted....Here's to 2025....Every year my NY's resolution is "to keep moving". Don't stand still, keep moving forward, keep growing, developing, keep sorting the wheat from the chaff....slow or fast, it doesn't matter. I know there is also a time for hibernation and sometimes life gets in the way of plans...but we're talking NY resolutions here and it's always good to reach high!
The beginning of the year is also a great time to reflect on the previous year, especially in this instance, my creative journey. 2024 began with being accepted into the Creative Bay of Plenty Mentor Program as a mentee, working with Emerge Creative on updating my website and working towards the Bay Of Plenty Open Studios in late Febuary. I also bought into 2024 a frozen shoulder which was causing pain,discomfort and challenges in doing big art quilts(let alone life!), however two cortizone treatments and multiple physio visits later and I am pain free with about 90% shoulder movement restored. Yay!
I am really grateful to Creative Bay of Plenty for the opportunity to be on the Mentor program and to my mentor, Liz Cooper, who helped me to find my 'why' again. As a result I am back exhibiting and moving forward. Thank you Liz!
It was amazing to get my website redone and working with Cherie from Emerge Creative was a great experience. I really felt like she understood how important it was to showcase my work and she worked tirelessly towards making my website live before the BoP Open Studios. Thank you Cherie!
The BoP Open Studios was a crazy busy but wonderful time of connecting with the community and showcasing our creative work. Thank you to those who brought their dream of an Open Studio event in our region to fruition.
Once the Open Studio's were done and dusted, the deadline for the Aotearoa Quilters colour challenge, "Colours of Spring"loomed. In my typical fashion I created two side by side and then thought maybe neither fitted Spring colours. I chose "Spring Forth" and was completely stunned when it won First Place.
As artists, we're often working into the future. Nothing happens quickly or overnight and so there's often a lot of planning happening in the background. Exhibitions, workshops, challenges are planned in advance...sometimes they happen easily and other times they don't. Often there is excitement as events go to plan and other times disappointment that plans aren't realised. For example, my workshops for Symposium didn't get up and that caused me to re-examine what it means for me to teach.
So imagine my surprise and delight when I was encouraged to go to the Quilt Symposium opening and find the three art quilts that had been selected had all won prizes! This was definitely a highlight for 2024!
During this time I was also busy creating for my first little solo exhibition in NZ, "Nature Observed", at the Carlton Gallery, the Arts Junction, Katikati. This exhibition brought together previous works and new work. Most of my work focus's on observing nature - both in the landscape and in close-up, so it feels like all of my exhibitions could be titled Nature Observed!
I loved working towards an exhibition, there is something about exhibiting a body of work that is both exciting and makes one feel vulnerable. Thank you to all those who visited the exhibition(especially those who left a message!), who came to my Artists talk, and those who purchased an art work, it is much appreciated.
Another project that kept me busy and stretched me outside my comfort zone was the Kimono Friendship Quilt, another Creative Bay of Plenty iniative. Tauranga has a sister city relationship with Hitachi as they share many things in common. One of the annual events has been their Quilt exhibition in the Hitachi Town Hall and they have invited and included, through Creative BoP, Tauranga Textile Artists. I have been part of this annual exhibition for a number of years and this year I was gifted two kimonos(well used) to continue their story in another form. In true collaborative form I sent the kimono maker a selection of my NZ inspired and Spoonflower printed fabrics for her to make a quilt. I am really looking forward to seeing what she does with them.
Unfortunately, but understandably, I can't show you the finished piece until the exhibition opens. I will also explain my thought and creative processes once it is revealed. Needless to say, it is very different from my normal way of working. It is also the first time I have fully hand quilted an art quilt, quite a task!
I was also invited to be part of a second collaborative project- Vastness - with Anne Kempton, director of Timeless Textiles Gallery, Newcastle, Australia. I really enjoy collaboratives and this is the second one I've participated in with Anne, where we chose a watercolour painting of Annes and created a response to her painting. I chose "Western Plains" because I loved the moody sky and the contrasting expanse of landscape. I've titled my response "Drama in the Skies".
The exhibition "Vastness" opens on the 8th January at Timeless Textiles Gallery, and what a great way to begin the new year! I'm only disappointed that I won't be able to get to see it first hand. More information can be obtained from https://timelesstextiles.com.au/events/vastness-group-exhibition/
However, last but not least, this post is not complete without thanking you all for your wonderful support, your words of encouragement, those of you who have purchased an art quilt or artwork this year. The creative journey as an exhibiting artist is not for the fainthearted and can only be managed with support from wonderful people such as yourselves. SO... thank you from the bottom of my heart and I look forward to connecting with you, teaching classes and exhibiting again this new year.
Speaking of which....my solo exhibition for 2025 is "Contours and Contrasts" at Timeless Textiles Gallery, Newcastle, Australia. It opens on 3rd April and continues till the 10th May 25. For further inforation see https://timelesstextiles.com.au/events/contours-and-contrasts-lois-parish-evans/
