Tapestry 'Celebrations' 2021
Inviting all tapestry weavers to ‘celebrate’ your 'Midwinter / End of Year' festivities. It can be a whole small tapestry or simply a detail of one; something you've woven in the past year, are currently weaving or just your favourite. They will be on permanent display so so visitors can enjoy them and be motivated towards a colourful Festive Season.
Send your image, with your name, town/county and country, the title and what it means for you (up to 80 words), with the subject marked 'Tapestry Celebrations 2021' to: webmanager@thebritishtapestrygroup.co.uk. There is no deadline, but it would be nice to get as many contributions as possible before the end of the year.
Linda Porte, Maple Bay, BC, Canada
"BlueVase III"
These 3 little tapestries, are part of a series, “Blue Vase”. Blue Vase III represents the Corona virus, and a healing aloe Vera.
Linda Porte, Maple Bay, BC, Canada
"BlueVase IV"
Blue Vase IV references 3 flowers that symbolize “be kind, be calm, be safe” the mantra of our Provincial Health Officer throughout this pandemic.
Linda Porte, Maple Bay, BC, Canada
"BlueVase V"
Blue Vase V references a celebration of colour and hopefulness.
Thank you for the opportunity to share these. 8 cm x 16 cm tapestries.
Judy Harcus, Crofton, BC, Canada
"Enlightened"
The title was chosen for several reasons - I was exploring a few techniques and so was enlightened by what I learned; the white center stripe is an elongated 'N' of light; and the floating objects have been 'lightened'. 8"x9.5".
Judy Harcus, Crofton, BC, Canada
"Bird Shadows"
This was an exploration into transparent effects using hatching. I had a long narrow warp on my loom and birds in flight seemed appropriate. 6"x25".
Po Wan Cheng, Hong Kong
"The Sea"
I like the sea. Under sunshine, it reflects thousands of colours. The endless coastline, so boundless like my imagination, is where my thoughts are. The deepest silence of the sea, is where I rested my mind.
Jeannie Koroluk, Ottawa, Canada
"Jester"
OK, this could also be turned upside down and become a hat. Though I like the idea of jester pantaloons... either way, they make me smile.
Maria Lee, Hong Kong
"Lightning"
There were flashes of lightning on the sky and birds were flying wildly in response! The fields below were still and quietly awaiting for the expected rain to splash on them.
Jane Kirby, Farnham, Surrey, UK
"Christmas Tree"
A tiny tapestry, the tree weft is Quality Street wrappers. Bit late in submitting, but we had to eat the Quality Street!
Pamela Birch, Northamptonshire, UK
"Bedfordshire Boxes of Delight 2"
Companion to a piece woven in 2020, originally intended for a Bedfordshire Archives textile project they represent some stories of Bedfordshire to be found within the boxes in the county archives - the bottom border represents the Bedfordshire flag; the side borders mills and churches; the middle agriculture and estates e.g. Luton Hoo (left). The project was put on hold due to Covid but I kept weaving. Will be 10 x 7 inches.
Barbara Heller, Vancouver, BC, Canada
"Leah’s Giraffe"
I wove this tapestry through the dark days of winter and of covid to celebrate family. The design is a combination of two drawings made by my grand daughter, then six. I just loved the happy giraffe and the joy in colour and movement. The strange creatures jumping around the flowers and hearts are cats, I am told, because “grandma loves cats.”
Donna Millen, Denman Island, BC, Canada
"Hope"
The first line of a poem by Emily Dickinson is: "Hope is the thing with feathers".
At my one man show at a small community owned gallery here on this small island, a young lad, visiting the show with his grandmother came up to me and said, “You should do a Painted Bunting”. So I did.
Mina Doerner, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
"2020-2021: Nevermore!"
I can’t wait til the pandemic is over! There have been bright spots-getting to practice my weaving and watching ravens fly over to see what we are doing are among them. The neighborhood ravens are quite vocal and have an amazing range of sounds they make. A musical “blorp” is my favorite.
Jeannie Koroluk, Ottawa, Canada
"Treats"
This was a fun challenge to weave an unconventional shape as part of a traveling exhibition... a sweet little treat.
Maria Lee, Hong Kong
"Waurn Pond"
The Waurn Pond in Geelong, Australia, was a place which I loved to sketch. This time, I was caught by the ever-changing clouds and their reflections on the quiet pond. The sky was ever so beautiful with its blue and white mixed with tints of the sun setting. In contrast, the varying shades of green of the lushly trees around the pond and reflections in the water make the picture complete with a feeling of serenity and calmness.
Claire Cooper-Walsh, UK
"Dew Drops"
This design was inspired by a magnified photo of dew drops on a blade of grass, but they remind me of colourful baubles. It was woven with a mix of wools, silk, rayon, cotton and metallic threads.
Christine Rivers, Parksville, BC, Canada
“Let’s go fly a kite”
I wove this kite tapestry to have fun. The fish kite and the two bird kites on the sides were woven separately and sewn on to the main tapestry. The shaped tapestry is 11 1/2” across the bottom and 20” at its tallest place through the fish kite. So many things were happening in life that were serious and worrisome, I couldn’t weave anything serious. I needed my weaving to take me to a happier more joyful place.
Lourdes Elizalde Lujanbio, Donostia/Gipuzkoa, Spain
"Rocks on my loom. The memory of Nature"
When I walk through these beautiful limestone rock landscapes, I wonder how much of us are in them. Immutable and changing at the same time, they perfect their shapes and textures over time. Whitenesses of our passage through this life, they will still be there when we leave just like the rain and the wind do; and if we know how to look, we will see that they speak to us in all their beauty.
Jeannie Koroluk, Ottawa, Canada
"New Year's Eve Tuxedo"
I did this weaving for a friend who loves dressing up. This New Year's in particular, we need to celebrate the simple joys... a fancy outfit, a little sparkle...
Kaori Okabayashi, Japan
"Omochi"
In Japan, families and neighbors used to get together on the end of the year to make rice cakes (Omochi) for the New Year. Nowadays, this kind of event is rarely seen. I wove this tapestry based on my warm memories of gathering with my grandparents to pound rice cakes. And I'm using it for my 2022 New Year's card.
I hope that everyone will have a happy year.
Maria Lee, Hong Kong
"The Roaming Countryside"
I love to sketch and paint the countryside of Victoria, Australia. In this tapestry, I wanted to portray the varying landscapes, the shrubs, the lavender fields, the flowering bushes through the inter flow of colours and yarns. Life is vibrant and colourful and yet gentle!
Robert Wieczorek, Poland
"At Your Gate"
What interests me about the fabric is its texture and structure, and this is what I focus on in my works. I want to show the viewer that you can create your own world with just spots and textures.
Liv Pedersen, Canada
“The Last Holiday”
A friend and I went to Ixtapa in Mexico just before the world found out, that Corona would put all travel on hold. This tapestry is in memory of those happy days. Fortunately I’ve had many other great memories during the past 2 years, but none from traveling very far...
Gladys Tam, Hong Kong
"Afterglow"
Winter dust, cold and alone, the world is fading, in the last glow of the day.
Violet, golden and red, it burns so bright, till the darkness softly closes by.
Hazy, fleeting but magnificent, I will hold on tighter, the afterglow.
Maria Lee, Hong Kong
"The Silk Road"
I am always fascinated by the undulating landscape of the desert, the sand dunes, the cool shades as contrasted with the hot fiery sun, the sweat and tears of the merchants traveling on the camels. I attempted to weave this into my tapestry. For your interest, those tiny dots were supposed to be camels!
Marie-José Bâcle, Victoria, BC, Canada
"Fish Ladder"
Each year, salmons move up rivers in British Columbia to spawn in the place where they were born. Tunnels are built along some rivers to help them cross rapids. A large screen showing their efforts against the current allowed me to admire them as they passed. It was fascinating! The fish ladder was located in the Stamp River Provincial Park.
Wendy Murray Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
"Ship"
. . . a huge sampler using different techniques.
Each tapestry that I do becomes part of me and enriches my life.
Cindy Lam, Hong Kong
"Rice Terraces and Hakka Tulou"
Yunnan’s Rice Terraces and the Hakka Walled Tulou are unique cultural and architectural gems, both listed as UNESCO Heritage Sites. For this pair of tapestries, I applied different compositions and values to achieve distinctive visual effects and feelings. For the terraces, I used linear flows and lighter hues to illustrate how the landscape integrated softly into a kind of voidness… For the Tulou, I used flat surfaces, intensive darker tones to convey how the Tulou stood strong, bold and solid.
Elia Leung, Hong Kong
"Winter Greetings"
In the past four years, I made a small tapestry each year, the photo image of which was sent to all my friends as winter greetings. This year I have combined the four tapestries into one and put it on the wall of my living room. I feel so warm and contented with this completed artwork!
Ewa Maria Poradowska, Werszler, Poland
"High Summer - 2021"
I am inspired by my garden at any time of the year. The scent of flowers has a positive effect on the sense of smell, the fruit stimulates the sense of taste, and the handwork with sheep's wool affects the sense of touch. High summer (20 x20 cm) belongs to the "Nature" open cycle. The bouquets of colourful flowers, made with the use of the carpet technique, bring the viewer closer to the summertime of the year and relax the body and soul.
Lindsay McKeever, Ontario, Canada
"Shetland"
I love this piece so much as it reminds me of my visit to Shetland with my dearest friend Cheryl...
It is all handspun by me with the treasures I collected... the top is spun from the hentilaggets collected from fences we passed by... next reminds me of St. Ninian's tombolo... next represents the peat and heather that grows there...the purple was waste given to me at the Lanark Woolen Mill... last is processed Shetland fibre that I just couldn't resist...
Shetland is definitely a place that gets into your soul...
James Nightingale, New Brunswick, Canada
“The Flame Burns Bright”
Inspired by the fire which burns bright within us all as humans. I am a fire sign, Leo. It represents the light, sun, fire and one of the elements. Fire keeps us warm it’s fuel, passion and heat.
This is a small format tapestry of Sisal, linen and wool. I used Umbilicaria Lichen found close to my home to dye some of my yarns.
Joy Smith, Melbourne, Australia
"BUNYIP"
This tapestry is the 9th in a series that is called ‘The Lady & the Bunyip’. It started when the BTG had an exhibition called ‘TAPESTRY MICHIEF’. I was influenced by the ‘Lady & the Unicorn’ series and decided to put an Australian theme to the 3 tapestries I exhibited. All my tapestries in this series have Australian flora and fauna, and are shaped with exposed warps, to hint at being ‘found’ fragments...
Charmaine Muscat Kvalic, Melbourne, Australia
"The Children's Tapestry Project...Us"
With the craziness of the last couple of years, especially here in Melbourne, its been a joy to weave this collection of quirky, smiley characters.
36cm x 36cm Silk & Wool
Gail Peck, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
"Forest Dreams"
A summer drive through the forests of Canadian Shield country inspired this tapestry. After the Covid lockdowns of 2021, seeing forests of fir, pine, spruce and birch, pristine blue lakes and ancient rocks fed my soul. I tried to capture that feeling in this piece. The tapestry is wool on cotton warp, 12 x 16 inches.
Jean Roberts, Wales, UK
"The Little Glacier"
The matt, plain weave white wool represents firmly packed snow. This contrasts with the four inch tufts of silk symbolising the fast flowing water of the glacial melt.
Jean Roberts, Wales, UK
"The Village"
Whitchurch was once surrounded by farms. They live on in street names only. Whitchurch had its blacksmiths, saddlers, corn shop, water driven grist mills, canal, cinema and telephone exchange. Milk, bread and vegetables were delivered daily by pony and cart. Whitchurch is now just a suburb of Cardiff.
Liz Bivens, Greater Madawaska, Ontario, Canada
"Life"
This is a very small tapestry. I love nature - plants, birds, seasons, etc. I have no real title yet, I suppose I’d call it « Life ».
Judy Kavanagh, Ottawa, Canada
"Lake Joseph"
My second ever tapestry - the view from my favourite spot on a rock beside Lake Joseph in Muskoka, Ontario, Canada. Working on this tapestry during the cold winter months took me back to this wonderful place.
Malgorzata Buczek Sledzinska, Poland
"Contemporary Collage - Mona Lisa”
The inspiration to create my tapestry were artifacts and museums collections as well as women’s magazines. Centuries have changed the canons of beauty.
Tapestry technique, wool, flax, stylon
Annabella Harding, Dorset, UK
“Festive Tree”
Celebrating the Christmas Tree, a symbol of hope and regrowth for the future. Managing sustainable forests worldwide!
Katarzyna Lis-Lachowicz, Poland
"Meetings"
Weaving is an adventure. Colors meet and permeate like in life. My meadows are a lot of different meetings. I really like telling them in my own way. The weaving process and the search for solutions are my joy.
Debra Warwick, Oxfordshire, UK
"Mulberry House 33cm x 33cm"
Novice to tapestry weaving, this my first attempt, using commercial rug waste 100% British wool yarn. Woven to celebrate sense of place, my home, to lead people there and welcome them to it. Hence the QR code. A celebration of traditional craft, using new technology, a QR code App, to design my piece. Though basic and flawed, I am thrilled that the concept works!! Use the QR to find me and you will be welcomed at my home.
Krystyna Sadej, Canada
"Belle Nuit"
This tapestry was inspired by the beauty of our world's transition from dusk to night to dawn. This continuous cycle, our planet’s motion, is a very weave-like motion.
Lorna Morrish, Scotland, UK
"Lord of the Isles"
I have a love of raptor. They are so majestic and powerful. He is woven in wool and cotton measuring 10x10 inches square.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
Lorna Morrish, Scotland, UK
"Water Nymph"
Here is my photo of "Water Nymph" which I designed from Scottish Folktales and Mythology. She is woven in silk and cotton. Measures 10x8 inches.
Wendy Murray - Halifax, NS, Canada
"Golden Embryo"
. . . is about the travel of energy throughout the body - ideas from Taoist texts.
Wendy Murray - Halifax, NS, Canada
"Gros Morne Park Lake"
. . . landscape of a lake in Gros Morne Park, Newfoundland.
Anne-Kirsti Espenes, Norway
"Sunflowers - 26 x 26 cm"
In 1994 I went to Provence for two weeks to learn French ‘tapisserie’. It was July and an extremely warm period. Every day I went for an early morning walk. I passed vast fields of Sunflowers. Such an impressive view. And I kept thinking "one day I will weave this".
This summer it happened. I made a small tapestry based on memories from France. From a distance the Sunflowers looked like repetitive shapes. Getting closer, I could see they were all individuals - not copies of a copy of a copy...
