Amsterdam: Random Goodness

Café Thijssen; Photo © Karen Thiessen, 2013

While in Amsterdam, I was delighted to see the alternate spelling of my surname. From what I understand, Thiessens started in Flanders in the early 1500s, were kicked out thanks to being radical Anabaptists (Mennonites) and then landed in Friesland and Holland for a few hundred years before making their way to Prussia, South Russia (present-day Ukraine) and finally to Canada and elsewhere. Café Thijssen is named after author and teacher Theo Thijssen. I confess that I had not heard of him until our Amsterdam trip. I love the font.

Milagros; Photo © Karen Thiessen, 2013

The cool thing about the canal district in Amsterdam is that the side streets and alleys are as interesting as the main streets. I found this shop in an alley after a delicious Thai meal. You may think you have seen it all, and then you realize that there's more to discover. These milagros are quite large. 

Doggie in the Window; Photo © Karen Thiessen, 2013

Looking at these pictures of summer light and open windows give me hope that spring will arrive for a long stay. I have my fingers crossed for a slow spring, where the temperature remains above freezing and warms gradually. One can only hope, right?

Amsterdam: Street visuals

AMS Video Store window; Photo credit: © Karen Thiessen, 2013 

In three months it will have been a year since my Copenhagen and Amsterdam trip and I still have images to share from Amsterdam. This video store was on my favourite street in Amsterdam, Haarlemmerstraat. I really like how this video store sliced up movie posters for their window. With a window like this, who needs a sign?

AMS Towing zone sign; Photo credit: © Karen Thiessen, 2013 

Crisp red, white and yellow against black is pleasing, and the black text ties in with the black garage door.

AMS Poster; Photo credit: © Karen Thiessen, 2013 

I'm a sucker for pattern, so this poster was a treat.

Studio Series: undomestic hanger 1

undomestic: hanger 1; © Karen Thiessen, 2012

hanger 1 is a common wire hanger (the kind that you'd get from the drycleaner) that I wrapped with a lifetime of textile trimmings, commercial quilt binding, shoe laces, and yarn. Naturally, after I made this piece, I needed quilt binding for another project and I had to make it from scratch. 

undomestic: hanger 1 detail; © Karen Thiessen, 2012

Don't you think that the hook part looks like a bird head? hanger 1 is solid and heavy.

Sandra Brownlee, weaver/notebook keeper video

A video by the Canada Council for the Arts.

Sandra Brownlee wins G.G. (Saidye Bronfman) award!

I have big news! Sandra Brownlee is the winner of the Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts. She joins such textile luminaries as Kai Chan, Dorothy Caldwell, and Susan Warner Keene in winning this prestigious award, formerly known as the Saidye Bronfman award. An exhibition featuring five of her major pieces opens at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, Ontario on March 27.

Those living in the Toronto area, will have an opportunity to take in a solo exhibition of her work at the David Kaye Gallery from May 1 to 25, 2014, and the opening is on Saturday May 3 from 2 to 4 pm. 

Sandra will also teach her Tactile Notebooks and the Written Word workshop at the Contemporary Textile Studio Co-operative from May 5 to 9, 2014. Space is limited to 12 participants. I took this workshop in 2011 and it transformed my studio practice. This is an opportunity not to be missed. For more information contact info@textilestudio.ca.

Lent 2014

Bus ride documentation, June 2011 © Karen Thiessen 2011

If you visit me here on a regular basis, you'll know that I'm a Lent nerd. I've been thinking about Lent 2014 since October 2013 when most people were dreaming of Christmas. In the past I've given up wine (too easy), chocolate (difficult), all sugar (challenging, but interesting). In 2011 I added a "doing" component to the "not doing" and I practiced yoga every day for 15 minutes. It became a habit and I didn't stop. Three years later, I've practiced yoga 1141 days in a row and since January 2013 I've increased my time to 30 minutes a day. Last year I drew from life for 15 minutes a day as my new "doing" component, in addition to giving up chocolate. Drawing from life every day was hard work and I was often frustrated, but this was good for me. This year I've committed to 15 minutes of daily intuitive mark-making as my 2014 Lenten practice, and yes I've given up chocolate again. I've pulled Martin Venezky's book It is Beautiful ... Then Gone and Corita Kent's Learning by Heart: Teachings to free the creative spirit off the shelf to inspire my drawing during the next 46 days.

Studio Series: undomestic strainer

undomestic: strainer; © Karen Thiessen, 2012

undomestic is a mini-series where I take household objects and render them unusable through a repetitive action. In this case, I sewed buttons onto a wire mesh strainer.

undomestic: strainer detail; © Karen Thiessen, 2012

My favourite parts of strainer are the handle and loopy "antennae" that I wrapped with embroidery floss. Wrapping the handle was immensely satisfying. Seeing it reminds me to do it again.

undomestic: strainer detail; © Karen Thiessen, 2012

Here's a detail of the loopy "antennae."