Meet the Makers
Thursday, August 20 | 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. Nancy Cole, Jane Whitten
Thursday, September 17 | 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. Jim Aquilani, Ayelet Stewart
Thursday, October 15 | 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. Melissa Peter-Paul, Bette Young
Thursday, November 19 | 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. Jaime Germaine, Jody Racicot
Saturday, December 5 | 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Arlene MacAusland, Rilla Marshall
for more information of the Creative Obsessions Exhibit please visit https://confederationcentre.com/exhibitions/creative-obsessions-a-look-at-contemporary-craft-in-prince-edward-island/
Jim Aquilani
I am obsessed with the ebb and flow of the natural world and its undeniable influence on manmade architecture.
These two things can combine seamlessly or they can be at odds with one another. In creating my jewellery I choose to explore both options.
Inspirations abounds on the beautiful Island I call home. Whether I’m out kayaking, walking the beaches and trails or just sitting in a cozy chair enjoying the view on a snowy Winter’s day (sketch pad my chair) I can’t help but be inspired.
Because of a congenital heart defect I have needed three separate open heart surgeries. Through it all the design and creation of my jewellery has been my true salvation. I have even found inspiration while in the hospital. The tubes and wires surrounding me being reminiscent of tree branches and tentacles. Some of my biggest artistic breakthroughs have occurred during these difficult times.
I enjoy using various metals in my work to mimic the myriad shapes and forms of the natural world thru age old Silversmithing techniques.
When creating pieces that integrate metals, as well as organic materials, I am able to push the limits and express myself on a deeper level.
As the execution of my designs has improved it has enabled me to further explore my obsession with nature and architecture. Consequently I am able to revisit and execute sketches from years ago. Designs that I had put on paper but were out of my reach technically, are now becoming a three-dimensional reality.
My personal growth as an artist is never ending. This growth has inspired me to look further and further from home for inspiration. Further from Earth itself.
I have begun to incorporate the unbounded possibilities of the illimitable expanse of space.
www.Facebook.com/VitaminSeaStudio
VitaminSea@Eastlink.ca
Murray Harbour, PE
Phone: 902-969-2039
Nancy Cole
"My work thrives on interaction. It is a unique interdisciplinary process that bridges visual arts, textile arts, installation, performance, and new media. My work is as theoretically diverse as the people portrayed in them, a response to us as individuals in constantly changing times.
I often select unconventional materials for my work, and the exposure to a limited range of materials only enhances my thematic process."
Email: perrywinkle.cole@gmail.com
instagram: perrywinkle
Jamie Germaine
“Woodland, Sea and Smoke”
smoke fired and glazed ceramic
My work in clay began when I was a university student in the '70s. While pursuing a degree in anthropology I discovered the pottery studio at the student union and was smitten. Since that time I have explored the medium of clay through both participating in workshops around the world and experimenting in my studio at home in South Melville, PEI. My surroundings of woodland and sea are reflected in the organic nature of the surfaces that I create on clay. I am intrigued by the versatility of clay and the ability to create textured environments within my pieces. A workshop in Italy in 2003 introduced me to the primitive technique of smoke firing. Since that time I have been focused on exploring the many facets of this alternative firing method. I am attracted to the subtle and earthy effects of the process that often remind me of the ancient artifacts I discovered while studying in Mexico. A recent body of work created for the exhibition “Smoke and Texture” represented a departure from my previous wheel thrown functional work, to hand built ceramic wall art and sculptural forms. The challenge of creating new work launched me in new and exciting directions that I continue to explore.
Seaclay Pottery
1043 South Melville Rd
Bonshaw, PE, C0A1C0
902-658-2415
www.seaclaypottery.com
Arlene MacAusland
I will describe myself as a pattern designer and maker. I like to create geometric patterns inspired by circles, traditional quilt patterns and folk-art designs of animals. Texture and fibre are important elements in my creations, whether it comes from added beads and velvets or the pattern of light as the sun pours through a sharp tin punch piece. The desire to touch is equally as important as the visual.
Who’s in your bubble? As the second season of the pandemic continues, we entertain ourselves with conversations of who we want in our bubble. Wool applique and wet felting piece inspired by the barnacles stuck on a rock and life on our Island in the Atlantic Bubble.
902 439 0885
www.twistedknickers.ca
arlene@twistedknickers.ca
Instagram/FB: @twistedknickersinc
Rilla Marshall
The main focus of my handweaving / art practice has been to translate technical data about the landscape that surrounds us into tangible textiles. I have used statistics, graphs, and maps to chart the changes to the lives of Atlantic Canadians as well as the changes in our shorelines caused by erosion, climate change and development. These new works explore the theme of “Creative Obsession” through my compassionate investigation of a time in my life where I was obsessed with the patterns of my new baby. That obsession that was an attempt to gain a sense of control during the challenging transition to motherhood, and perhaps a substitute for an art practice that was temporarily on hiatus. Trying to create routine and stability in the ever-shifting terrain of new motherhood brought me new experiences within the landscape that surrounds my home through hundreds of nap walks with a baby carrier and hundreds of “snooze cruise” drives. I still find myself noting the landmarks of those excursions and reflecting upon the ever-evolving routines of parenthood within close proximity to home.
Walking Nap
2019; 50” x 32” handwoven, cotton, handspun wool.
Website: www.rillamarshall.com
Email: rilla13@yahoo.com
Phone: 902-213-7309
Melissa Peter Paul
Melissa is a Mi’kmaw woman from Abegweit First Nation, located on Epekwitk (PEI.) Growing up, Melissa was immersed in cultural teachings and was surrounded by a family of basket makers. She began her artistic expression at a young age,making regalia and beadwork, and is skilled in both traditional and contemporary styles. Melissa’s exposure to other Mi’kmaq artforms led her to quillwork, a traditional skill in which the ancestors of her maternal grandfather excelled.
Melissa was accepted into an apprenticeship with Mi’kmaq Quill Art in 2015. Her training was grounded in the traditional insertion technique and utilized the study of both cultural teachings and formal material culture resources available through historic publications and museums. Quillwork is created by inserting porcupine quills, either dyed or kept natural, into birchbark. The pieces are then edged with quills, sweetgrass or spruce root.
Over the course of her apprenticeship, Melissa learned techniques and protocols related to harvesting raw materials, as well as the complex geometry of traditional design work. Upon completion of her apprenticeship, Melissa has been integral in establishing a community of skilled quill workers. This community of quillers seeks to expand awareness of the art form and recently began working on collaborative projects.
Melissa launched her professional career as a Mi’kmaq quill artist with her first solo exhibit at Receiver Coffee presented by This Town is Small in Charlottetown in 2019. She is heavily influenced by 20th century Mi’kmaw quillwork and she is supported in her harvesting efforts by her family. Melissa is proud to be passing the art on to her two sons and the broader community.
Instagram: @mpeterpaul
Jody Racicot
My creative obsession with plastic laminate began ten years ago. Before that time I built furniture primarily in rare and exotic woods. Then in 2010, experimenting with recycled materials, I created a writing desk from salvaged wood, aluminum, steel and plastic laminate (Writing Desk, 2010). It was a major departure from my training. Writing Desk was entered in the juried Studio North exhibition at Toronto's Interior Design Show, IDS11, where it was a hit with the press and the public. The surprising appearance of vintage plastic laminate resonated with people who found it relatable. I heard a lot of kitchen table stories. I realized that the material triggered narrative and have used it in every major piece since. I collect and remove laminate from old tables using it as the featured material (Vanity, 2013) or in combination with wood and aluminum (Trifold Screen plus One, 2015), in functional (Mirror, 2018) and sculptural objects (Six Foot Ladder, 2014).
Record Player on Concrete Stand (2019) is featured in the Creative Obsessions exhibition. It is made of concrete, steel, electronics, plywood, maple, ebony, arbutus and Formica solid surface - the same material used in counter tops. Record Player is both functional and sculptural; a synergy of materials reflecting my maturity as a furniture craftsman and designer.
My one of a kind furniture is designed and built in my Canoe Cove home workshop. To my knowledge, no other fine furniture maker uses salvaged plastic laminates in the same way.
jodyracicot.com
Ayelet Stewart
This collection of work expresses my fascination and awe with the ocean. I spend hours walking along the beach, marveling at the beauty that is left exposed by the tides. Sometimes I feel like a voyeur as I explore the flora, fauna, and the many sea creatures that have washed onto the shoreline. My designs are also inspired by the barnacle formations on rock clusters of shells, and the range of bright colours of seaweed I find floating in low waters. I have devoted months creating this collection of earrings, necklaces, and broaches attempting to capture the rich aesthetic of the ocean. I invite you to share my love of the ocean, its vivid colours, wonder, and beauty as you explore this collection.
ayelet9@yahoo.com
Instagram: @_aydesign
Facebook: Ayelet Somekh Stewart
Isako Suzuki
Inspired by both traditional and contemporary Neriage works, and determined to not follow the tradition, I taught myself how to create my own style of Neriage work by studying some Japanese masters’ work and by trial and error. I carefully assemble hundreds of layers of gradated coloured clay, from which I throw a piece on the wheel; the resulting work appears to have flowing motion with gradated bands which also creates three dimensional effects in viewers' minds.
Hermann-Suzuki Pottery
hspottery@gmail.com
http://www.hspottery.com
Jane Whitten
“Oh, I could knit that!!!”….. I am constantly seeing things in the landscape that I would love to knit. I’ve been knitting since childhood and find the repetitive movement and the automaticity helps keep me focused on other things going on around me. (The only time I don’t knit is when I’m driving.)
Traditionally, knitters create functional pieces for protection and comfort: sweaters, hats, mittens, socks, long underwear. In this time of climate crisis, however, knitters are uniquely positioned to use their needles to help spread social, political, and environmental messages.
Beach Blanket is the story of how our beaches give us great pleasure and comfort and that we also have a responsibility to protect them.
Instagram: @janewhittenbasketry
Bette Young
I am inspired by the PEI landscape when I design and create my hooked pieces. Homesteads and old buildings are set in the rich colours of the fields, roads and shores that I love. I hand dye most of my wool, but also incorporate wool from old clothing. I especially enjoy hooking skies, which set the mood for my works.
Bette Young
Stratford, PEI
(902)432-0200
Instagram @bettehooksrugs