Blog
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Sketching Before Stitching
2021-09-23 22:39:00 UTC
Daily sketchbook drawing is something I enjoy, it’s very much part of my creative process. Using a 2H or HB pencil is often my first and only step, it’s very forgiving, easy to adjust and alter. I sometimes add colour notes, or a hint of key colours. Quite often the…
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Life Drawing Takeaways
2021-03-05 19:23:25 UTC
This corner of my studio had been getting a little out of hand. I’d decided earlier this year to start drawing figures for my daily practice, something I haven’t done since art school many moons ago, and dug out my old charcoal and conte supplies…
Life drawing is such a…
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Hitting the Pause Button
2021-01-08 16:52:01 UTC
These past few weeks have been the first time in years that I have totally and whole heartedly relaxed and slowed down at home. I welcomed the excuse of the holidays to hit pause. So often I wouldn’t allow myself to really stop, even traveling I still sketched…
I found…
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Holding onto Traditions
2020-11-30 16:33:47 UTC
What do the holidays mean to you? What traditions do you enjoy the most? For me, it’s all about a real tree, covered in a wide assortment of ornaments made, collected and received over the years.
Growing up we usually travelled to see and stay with family, so decorations at…
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Snip and Tuck - The Trials and Errors of an Embroidery Artist
2020-10-30 21:12:41 UTC
As a kid my discard pile was quite big, I learnt through process and practice
Recently, I launched into a larger piece with great enthusiasm, happily stitching away, wrapped up in the process and my ideas.
Then, one morning I looked at the heavily stitched piece and knew instantly that…
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Sentimental Journey
2020-09-25 20:05:19 UTC
I am quite a sentimental person and often wonder why we keep the things we do. I tease my husband for having so many of life’s keepsakes, but actually I’m in serious competition with him
I’ve been spending time going through boxes of old letters, cards, cassette tapes and nick…
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How I Got my Name
2020-08-27 16:03:57 UTC
I am often asked about my name and its origins. Saskia is an old-fashioned Dutch name meaning Saxon woman
As an art teacher, my Mum’s favourite painter was Rembrandt, his beloved wife was a Saskia. When my mum married a Dutchman, settled in the Midlands, and had a daughter, she…
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My Love of Bricks and Mortar
2020-07-29 17:35:14 UTC
Growing up in England surrounded by everything from crumbling Roman ruins, old medieval dwellings, large gothic edifices and post modern structures, my interest in architecture was captured early
In secondary school my architect uncle bought me a book “ Careers in Architecture “ and I realized very quickly that this…
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My Favourite Show
2020-06-30 20:11:49 UTC
When I moved to Canada in 1994, I was keen to see how and where I could share my work, meet other creatives and be part of an arts community
That summer I discovered the Toronto Outdoor Art Show, I was so excited by everything I saw.
In 1995 I…
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A Memorable Moment
2020-06-02 16:56:41 UTC
I’ve built up a few memorable moments over the years. I think enough time has past that this little claim to fame can now be shared.
I was doing a Christmas Show and a lady asked to purchase three ottomans. She said that she could tell me who they were…
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Early ideas that began in isolation…
2020-05-01 14:53:52 UTC
I like being resourceful with life’s leftovers. It’s a family trait and over the years, I have made all sorts of things out of repurposed clothing
I have this vivid memory of my mum making me a nurses head cover while out at sea. My dad was a merchant seaman,…
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Where’s your favourite spot?
2020-04-04 02:13:46 UTC
“Stories from the Red Chair” is from a series of embroideries sparked by seeing the Renaissance Exhibition at the AGO in Toronto.
I began working from drawings of my favourite everyday objects. I then incorporated a narrative within the embroidery. This shares the history of the chair and includes patterns…
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Balancing Birds and Life
2020-03-02 16:56:58 UTC
I thought I’d share more about the story behind one of one of my embroideries
Balancing Teatime was created from drawings inspired by my love of birds, particularly the native birds of New Zealand where my mum is from.
The Fantail is a friendly bird that loves to fly around…
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My Subject Flies Away
2020-02-06 17:13:58 UTC
I’ve had a love affair with birds since I can remember. They capture my imagination and inspire my work with
their colourful, resourceful and characterful natures
Drawing them has always been a challenge. They don’t really sit still even if you can get close enough to observe them properly (unlike…
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Sketchbook, where to start ?
2020-01-03 17:49:22 UTC
Have you always wanted to try keeping a sketchbook? Unsure where to start or felt you just don’t have time? I’m hoping these steps will encourge you to begin your own creative path now
1 Schedule in 10 minutes every day, make it part of your routine. Use a mid…
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Make something fun from your woollies
2019-12-06 23:44:39 UTC
Tips and ideas on what to make with your felted woollies
I’m following up from last months post with some ideas and tips for your newly repurposed and felted woollens. These are really lovely materials to work with, they don’t fray, can be cut into fun shapes, have insulting and …
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How to transform and repurpose your woollens
2019-11-01 19:12:29 UTC
Have you got some sweaters or woollens that you don’t want to part with, don’t wear because they have a hole, love but are worn out, or maybe just outdated ?
I highly recommend doing something with them before giving them up.
Have a go at machine felting !
Below…
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My favourite drawing tool
2019-09-26 14:16:21 UTC
I often get asked about the tools I use. Many presume I must have some fancy programmable machine, but I don’t. I use straight stitch, a regular domestic sewing machine, literally drawing with it.
I do have the Volvo of sewing machines, a Bernina. Its Swiss made, metal body and…
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Confessions of a textile lover
2019-09-06 18:54:55 UTC
I have a life long love of working with textiles. Early on my mum taught me how to use her antique Singer sewing machine so that I could sew clothes and accessories for my toys. By 10 years old I was making my own clothes and bags, mostly from my…
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My favourite creative read
2019-08-01 14:49:41 UTC
Years ago while visiting New York with some of my girlfriends, one of them picked up a magazine and asked if knew of it
That was my first introduction to this very special publication. My friend then subscribed to Uppercase and would let me borrow hers. I poured over…
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Sneak peek inside my sketchbook
2019-06-28 16:56:54 UTC
I learnt to keep a sketchbook from my mum. We travelled a lot and she would draw and write along the way, my mum encouraged me to do the same.
Early on my sketches were tiny fine pencil drawings mixed in with humours doodles and notes……the scale has increased over…
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How do I Begin my Creative Process ?
2019-05-27 20:00:51 UTC
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A few books that I’ve read recently have really got me thinking about my process. Over the years I’ve written many artist statements and I’ve tried to explain how or why I work in the way I do, how I get to my finished embroideries.
My comfort zone has always…
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How Long Does it Take ?
2019-04-25 16:40:29 UTC
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For me it’s not just about keeping track of time as I work, its all the other considerations that have an effect on my end products. My creativity and inspiration comes and goes. I have to keep working away in the hope that in the end I am moving forward…
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My Thread Journey - Part Two
2019-04-24 20:58:43 UTC
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I arrived in Canada in 1994 ready to get my creative career started! I began by building up a body of work inspired by all the things I’d seen travelling over past few years. I did lots of drawing and painting trying to capture some of the memories and inspirations…
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My Thread Journey
2019-04-20 20:02:06 UTC
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Hello… thank you for visiting. This is a new adventure for me, blogging . When I meet people at shows or they visit my studio, I am often sharing stories. They can be about the work I have done, what inspired it or why I made it. Everything has a…
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