Cynara de Goutiere, a fibre artist, painter and illustrator, makes her home with partner and musical instrument maker,
Rob Moore, in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island, British Columbia,
where she gives voice to her creativity through fabric sculpture, fiber/papier mache, painting and fiber arts media.
Her figures in fabric and papier mache have sojourned through Public Gallery exhibits and other display venues in Canada and the US.
Comments Off on Summer side up
February 22nd, 2012 Posted 4:55 pm
On the loom, a run of runners.
Summer and winter, Diamond and Block pattern, Threading #2, from Marguerite Davison’s Handweaver’s Pattern Book. Interesting preamble to the Chapter, on the origins of the weave which were traditionally credited to both Pennsylvania Dutch, and the Finnish.
My tie-up is reversed on my counterbalance, so I’m enjoying the summer side of this weave, with its flowers instead of diamonds.
Warp set at 12 epi is a variegated limey green crochet cotton. Weft is turquoise 2/8 cotton for the tabby and a linen/rayon blend for the pattern.
The variegations of the warp yarn shift in phased 15″ sections, so a long runner will show the watercolour effect well.
My sample for this weave in linen, shows the diamond and block on the Winter side.
Now the Winter side is around to the cloth beam enough to see. And winter’s back too – snowfall warning tonight!
Comments Off on working colours
February 2nd, 2012 Posted 11:44 am
I love how colours working together as light are quite different than had they been puddled together into solid pigment. Here is the Oranges and Lemons warp of the previous two posts with a new weft – predominantly brick-rose. Read the rest of this entry »
Comments Off on Harbingers
February 2nd, 2012 Posted 11:39 am
Spidery Witchhazels and Hellebore buds, like claws from the dark earth.
Comments Off on Say the Bells of St. Clements
December 17th, 2011 Posted 9:12 am
Oranges and Lemons
The bowl of oranges and lemons of my previous post would not wait another day, so I cut this twill table runner off the loom last night.
Odd how old nursery rhyme chants roll round and round in the mind. They are so instilled in us that vague and meaningless as they are, they become cultural references. George Orwell in “Nineteen Eighty Four” uses Oranges and Lemons as a repeated chant – a mnemonic evoked as a touchstone of a lost and irretrievable time.
Oranges and lemons
Say the bells of St Clements
You owe me five farthings
Say the bells of St Martins
When will you pay me?
Say the bells of Old Bailey
When I grow rich
Say the bells of Shoreditch
When will that be?
Say the bells of Stepney
I’m sure I don’t know
Says the great bell at Bow
Here comes a candle to light you to bed
Here comes a chopper to chop off your head
Put to music..
A fascinating and well researched history of the rhyme can be found here.
Comments Off on Oranges and Lemons
December 14th, 2011 Posted 3:47 pm
oranges and lemons
Maybe it’s our Pacific Northwest winters – gray, gray, gray, with occasional teasers of sparkly bright hoarfrost days.
Maybe it’s the old National Geographic article I’ve been reading about shipwreck treasure and the crew’s likely demise from scurvy,
or just because I’m an incorrigible colour hound and can’t get enough of these happy colours… Read the rest of this entry »
