Last weekend the Fabric of Life, an exhibition of work by Killaloe artist Patricia Thurston, opened at Studio Dreamshare in Pembroke. The exhibition was hatched when the textile artist met Dreamshare owner Cameron Montgomery last summer. Montgomery is not only a gallerist but also a video artist, filmmaker, teacher and musician. The two women were among the local artists featured in Pop Up Art Renfrew County, the Extraordinary exhibit that travelled to six different venues in the region. Above: Patricia Thurston (left) with Cameron Montgomery pose in front of some of Thurston’s work
Thurston says her work is inspired by living in the Valley. As she said at the opening, it “is the perfect place for me to work on my Nature themed subject matter for wild places still exist here in abundance…. The people too are stoic and strong, and carry in their hearts a deep love of this amazing land. I feel privileged to be able to reflect back to them my own uniquely personal view of this wonderful place.”
At the opening, the artist talked about her practice and explained that after attending art college in Toronto she embarked on an intensive study of traditional European tapestry technique. Once she had relocated to the Valley, Thurston said she then transitioned to another traditional technique, patchwork. She said, “I combined the basics of patchwork with my own version of appliqué and hand sewing to create one-of-a-kind works.… The use of patchwork and applique is an exciting and evolving field for creative work these days.”
The works on display are remarkable, not just in terms of technique, but because of her unique artistic vision. Fabric of Life covers a wide range: tapestry, quilting, collage, even artist books. When asked about how she manages to produce such a variety of incredibly intricate work, Thurston replied, “It’s those little voices in my head. They keep going on and on, so I have to give them something to do.”
Thurston’s work includes quilted, embroidered artist books. This one tells the story of a tea party from a by-gone era.
While Thurston follows and adapts tradition in terms of her technique, artistic tradition is also woven into her family life. Her mother was the late Helene Thurston, a well-known artist in Barry’s Bay. And Patricia Thurston has passed on her needlework skills to the next generation. Her daughter, Eden, has provided some quilts that help tell the story of Fabric of Life on the walls at Studio Dreamshare. The exhibition continues to the end of February.
Artist offers collage workshop
Thurston is offering a two-hour “Soul Cards Collage Workshop” at Studio Dreamshare on Sunday, February 23 at 2 p.m. She calls it “a sort of spiritual practice to assist people to look internally. We will use a collage technique with beads, feathers, magazine clippings and … people can bring along other small items … anything that is personally meaningful to them.” Click HERE to register for this workshop. The suggested donation is $10, or Pay-What-You-Can.
