Now at Bluerock Gallery

Since my new physiotherapist has suggested different ways of working, I have finally been able to re-visit larger work. Plus, the use of Canadian made Tri-Art acrylics have not bothered my husband...hallelujah! I am so grateful for the gift of the paints to try out.

These images were inspired by my week of research at the Banff Centre for the Arts in 2023 and previous bodies of work that I wanted to revisit. As my parents are from South America, embroidery and hand-stitching is a huge part of my family's culture, I decided to incorporate it as it was the first art form I learned as a young elementary school girl. I had previously added embroidery into a large painting during my artist residency at Sparrow Artspace previously and have been attempting to incorporate it into my work. My first large painting project in art college in the mid-1980s also incorporated embroidery which was a large part of that piece.

Handwork has been considered women's work for many years as a way to beautify a home but also as a way of mending and extending the life of garments and linens. Instead of adding another layer of spray painted patterns on these pieces, I decided to include the three-dimensional patterns and colours of quilt making and embroidery that was always present in my childhood home. As a long-time 4-H handcraft member in my northern Manitoba childhood, I still have the first linen tea towel that I embroidered. I'm really enjoying the work and am excited to see where this leads.

If you are interested in viewing these pieces, please visit Bluerock Gallery or visit my portfolio titled Alberta Bound.