Out in the world

In February this year my work was part of “Interlace” the Ferry Building Gallery’s first fibre art show at their lovely oceanside location in Ambleside West Vancouver.

My collection of Moon circles, twelve for the months and one blue moon making a coven’s worth of thirteen was among the work of six other artists each of us unique in our approach to fibre works.

My inspiration for this collection came from a revisiting my elemental pieces in embroidery hoops created for an early commissiion and shown again in May 2024 on Salt Spring Island .

Each moon carries characteristics from full moon traditions, features of the season in the natural world and a poetic phrase typed on my trusty manual trypewriter and stitched on. I loved the way the curator displayed my work, how perfrect to have the circle of circles a little apart from the rest of the show in a wall just the right size to hold them. I was joined by a group of friends at the opening and another group at the artist’s talk a few days later, such great support I am blessed. The conversations with gallery visitors were lovely, so much appreciation for the texture, content and feeling in the work. It is such a moving experience to know my art is landing in the heart and opening the channels of curiosity and joy in folks.

Friends at the opening, curiosity and conversation with Aline LaFlamme

wolf howl echoes hunger over
frozen land and lake while
cold january moon shines
ice patterns crack and moan

winter storms sweep the land
dark days long nights lean to
hunger in full february moon

earth crust softens
sap rising pink yellow
march worm moon leans
chaste into spring

sprouting grasses edge ponds alive with fish
frogsong fills the air
wildflowers blossom
under blushing pink moon

hares in furrowed fields
blossom scented air under
milky may flower moon

longest day june strawberry moon
blesses hedgerow flowerings
tth’uxwub indian plum
qel’qulhp nootka rose
qeth’ulhp ocean spray

hay bales stacked
deer graze beside sprakling waters
cooling under hot summer sun

sturgeon moon brightens skies
over ripening harvests
feasts of summer
fields of abundance

bright in september darkening skies
full corn moon shines on
sheaves of wheat and barley

hunter’s moon shines bright
golden grasses edge
october travellers’ path

frost patterns etched
in november mists
sparkle under beaver moonlight

wintering oak shivers
under december
long nights moon

blue mystery moon
elusive infrequent
‘belewe’ pattern betrayer

This was my first series of works on a theme, and a collection that required a good amount of research to find my final expression of each month’s moon. The pieces were made over a full year in harmony with the moons as they arrived, affording me an opportunity to deepen my own relationship to the full moons in the cycle of the year. I was particularly interested in the story of the blue moon I found on the Royal Observatory Greenwich website.

The Vancouver show prompted a greater interest in finding other opportunities and locations to show my work. When I came home I identified some closer to home opportunities, more about that in upcoming posts - hopefully without another five month silence on this page!!!

I’m writing this in my tiny home under the hot sun of early May - while I love the beauty, I am very aware of a strain of anxiety about the upcoming drought season which could mean a big forest fire season for Canada. May you all be safe and take care of each other.

Grateful to live on Quw’utsun territory home to the Hul'q'umi'num and SENĆOŦEN speaking people whose ancestral rights to this land remain unextinguished.