UPPERCASE 39

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J A N I N E VA N G O O L

UPPERCASE IS AN INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE.

Dear Reader, The themes for this issue derived from exploring the word “felt”— “to feel” in the past participle, but also its homographs referring to both the cloth as well as the corresponding verb. It was a simple mental game that led to a rich collection of stories and inspiring artwork. Within these pages, we’ll meet five fibre artists who use felt and felting techniques prominently in their works. There’s also a special feature about contemporary and traditional rug makers. (I became personally infatuated, so much so that I needle punched this cover on the weekend before this issue went to press!)

In creating and making, we can express our most heartfelt emotions. Our feelings can be put on view through illustration, art and craft to further others’ understanding of our unique experiences. During the process of expression, which is more often challenging than it is easy, we gain perspective into our own selves. In this issue, readers like you share how creativity allows them to express their personal experiences.

The cover is by featured illustrator Suzy Ultman.

J A N I N E VA N G O O L

publisher, editor, designer

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Contents HOOKED RUG POEM BY J O B A R B A R A TAY L O R Still life fashioned in fabric, variegated burgundy and currant frame grinning poppies, dark and bright like clotting blood, and wildly verdant leaves within a scalloped bed, oyster white.

The rug gives new life to tired textiles.

The deep reds, granddaddy’s worn out woolen shirts, the gentle white, an old horse blanket, the brights from remnants of jackets and skirts left over from rugs covering familiar floors.

Long strips, scissor-cut three-eighths inches wide, hooked and pulled in a rectangle of burlap backing, thirty-five by twenty-four.

Grandmother and her sisters Aunt Denna and Aunt Mattie drew the template in indigo ink, freehand on jute.

Their ancient eyes saw the design before anyone else.

Wrinkled hands dipped hooks like ladles into the burlap, latched wool, and pulled the loops again and again until the pattern emerged.

With occasional mumbles they passed strips back and forth, then only the rhythm of the hooks.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2018

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They ran their fingers over the nap, checking for consistency in depth and tension.

When they lay aside the hooks, they did not behold art, but found pleasure in the utility of a rug. originally published in How to Come and Go, Chatter House Press, 2016

W EL C O M E EDITOR’S LET TER CONTRIBUTORS SU BSCRIPTIONS SNIPPETS NOTED TREND

M ATERIA L S

FRESH 12 Alejandro Alvarez, Hayley Kim, Xiaojie Liu, Jessica Marshall, Sam Fred Hinton, Abby Chamness, Kat Goodloe and Nicola Allan B EG INNINGS

by Melanie Falick illustration by Andrea D’Aquino

Five Felt Artists You Should Know Diane Krys 80 Heide Murray 82 Dani Ives 84 LeBrie Rich 86 Prilly Lewis 88

3 6 7 8 10 11

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GA LLERY

Heartfelt reader submissions SK ETCHBOOK

The Sketchbook Project Collaborative Creativity photos and story by Andrea Marván

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FINE PRINT Spin a yarn, tell a tale BUSINES S

What to Do About Your Business Feelings by Arianne Foulks AB ECEDARY

Abecedary of Fibre Beasts

by Glen Dresser ORIG IN S TORY

Sweaters: Icons of People and of Place by Correy Baldwin

DISCOVER

18 20

22

24

Does the right hand know what the left hand is doing?

by Nadine Flagel COLLEC TION

Yarn Sales Samples

by Nadine Cloutier

A Spinning History: The Schacht Spindle Company

by Benjamin Kudwig

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com/free

Mind & Heart: Art as Meditation

by Joy Deneen

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S TUDIO

HOB BY

Shop Talk by Brendan Harrison

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106

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CR A F T

M IS C.

SPECIA L FE ATU RE

108 Michelena Bamford, Crystal Moody, Juanitya Dawn and Pat Rozitis SU BSCRIB ERS

The Rug Makers Wanda Kerr

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Trish Johnson

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FA B RIC

Amy Oxford

by Roberta G Wax

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Circular Logic

Arounna Khounnoraj

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Kelly Wright

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Deanne Fitzpatrick Personal Style is an Exploration

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PEEPS

112 113

COVET

114

SH A RES

Rug Envy by Andrea Jenkins

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TOOL S

ILLUS TR ATION 44 Illustrating the Moment text by Aleks Byrd illustrations by Melanie Reim, Aleks Byrd, Veronica Lawlor, Evan Turk, Julia Sverchuk, Sara Dilliplane, Kati Nawrocki, Carly Larsson and Jeanette Simmons

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UPPERCASE 201B –908, 17th Avenue SW Calgary, Alberta Canada T2T 0A3

CONTRIBUTOR

A L EKS BY R D

J A N I N E VA N G O O L publisher, editor, designer janine@uppercasemagazine com

Aleks Byrd is an illustrator, knitwear designer and traveller.

You can find her snapping photos, sketching and knitting on the go.

She is inspired by what makes a place or moment unique to translate to paper and in wool.

GLEN DRESSER customer service shop@uppercasemagazine com CORREY BALDWIN copyeditor C O R E C O N T R I B U TO R S Jane Audas Correy Baldwin Andrea D’Aquino Melanie Falick Arianne Foulks Carolyn Fraser Joy Deneen Glen Dresser Brendan Harrison Andrea Jenkins Linzee Kull McCray Andrea Marván Kerrie More Emily Orpin Lydie Raschka Christopher Rouleau Laura Tarrish ADDITIONAL C O N T R I B U TO R S Jo Barbara Taylor, Alejandro Alvarez, Hayley Kim, Xiaojie Liu, Jessica Marshall, Sam Fred Hinton, Abby Chamness, Kat Goodloe, Nicola Allan, Aleks Byrd, Melanie Reim, Veronica Lawlor, Evan Turk, Julia Sverchuk, Sara Dilliplane, Kati Nawrocki, Carly Larsson, Jeanette Simmons, Nadine Flagel, Nadine Cloutier, Roberta G Wax, Benjamin Krudwig and India Hobson Thank you to everyone who submitted their artwork and stories to this issue’s open calls

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WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE A CONTRIBUTOR? If you’re an artist, designer or crafter interested in being profiled, please submit your portfolio by following the instructions: ||| uppercase magazine.com/ participate

R O B E R TA G . WA X

NADINE FLAGEL

Roberta G Wax is an award-winning journalist and imper fect crafter Her work has appeared in a variety of newspapers and magazines, from the Los Angeles Times to Somerset Studio, Cloth Paper Scissors and Belle Armoire, and she has designed for craft companies She has no art background but was a crafty Girl Scout leader

Nadine Flagel has been interested in reused text(ile)s in literature and textile art for over 30 years A longtime instructor of literature and composition at Simon Fraser University, she was inspired by UPPERCASE issue 24 to begin documenting and developing her art practice Of particular interest to her is approaching and opening up silences in the world of hand-hooked rugs: “Omissions are not accidents,” as poet Marianne Moore observed

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Give this magazine a long life! The content is evergreen, so we hope you’ll revisit it over and over again. If you’re done with it, please pass it on to a friend or colleague who might enjoy our content, or cut up the pages and create some art.

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FRESH

A L E J A N D R O A LVA R E Z LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA , CANADA

H AY L E Y K I M

Alexithymia is something I battle with my work; art making is a cathartic process for me The majority of my work centres around communicating something visually that I can’t precisely, or honestly, put into words I began as a writer of poetry and prose, and soon after, began writing graffiti My love of colour, textures and gestural marks led me to abstract work Here I find a freedom to communicate and connect with others in a more honest way To me, Art is a language of passion expressed without compromise

My illustrations are about, but not limited to, feelings and moments of life I capture moments that arouse various feelings, wishing these illustrations help people coping with stress and sorrow in their lives I want to be a versatile illustrator I always challenge myself to succeed in many different areas including illustration, design, art direction and business

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U P P E R C A S E

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES

JESSICA MARSHALL MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA

If you’ve never been published in print before, please share your work and UPPERCASE will endeavour to publish the best submissions in future issues

My name is Jessica, and I dream of using glitch art and digital art to raise awareness of disability, and increase the accessibility of art on a professional level As a young disabled woman, the art world is inaccessible Being in art school, I’m expected to spend at least 30 hours a week on my work, both in and out of the classroom I’m expected to stand for hours on end, to take very few breaks, to work through the typical discomfort and pain of an intense day But that’s not something I’m capable of It’s so frustrating to have your body not be able to keep up with your mind To have the work ethic and hunger to create but to be betrayed by your own limbs It’s only with digital art that I have found an accessible way to create without feeling such intense, blinding pain and exhaustion that I can’t move the next day I want to use my art to connect with people, to change the face of disability and to communicate my experiences and enable others to come forward with theirs I have been lucky enough to make my own form of accessible art, and I want to show it to others I want to give others the chance to see what I have seen of the art world, to let it be an equal opportunity space for those who have unique views that need to be expressed

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GET PUBLISHED

XIAOJIE LIU MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA , USA

My name is Xiaojie Liu I am an illustrator currently living in Minneapolis, originating from China I do children’s book illustration, editorial illustration and pattern design My aim is to become a real freelance illustrator

com/participate

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SAM FRED HINTON UNITED KINGDOM

I’m a recent illustration grad from Falmouth University, UK My work is bright and fun with a focus around outdoor culture and lifestyle I hope to partner up with companies, publishers and individuals with similar interests, promoting the ever-changing world outside of our own backdoor ||| samfredhinton.co.uk

ABBY CHAMNESS STUT TGART, GERMANY

I’m an American graphic designer, originally from Seattle but now living in Stuttgart, Germany (all thanks to falling in love!) My passions are illustration and print design, and my dream is to combine those two by working for a magazine or by beginning my own stationery and paper products line This personal project pushed me to create for myself, outside the normal corporate guidelines I was working within for my day job I was doing a lot of travelling, so I created a set of typographical illustrations to represent each city I had spent time visiting These after-hours designs gave me the freedom to do the unexpected and were designed to be slightly illegible to counterbalance the organization of my 9-to-5 job ||| abbychamness.com

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K AT G O O D LO E DALL AS, TEXAS, UNITED STATES

I’m Kat Goodloe, an art director, letterer and illustrator I’ve been drawing ever since I can remember and it has truly become my outlet for happiness I attempt to share that with viewers by creating characters in a world of illustration or by lettering a light-hearted and relatable phrase My goal is to become a full-time freelance artist doing a mix of illustration, lettering and character design I would love to break into the industry of book cover design for young adult novels and children’s books! Hopefully a feature with UPPERCASE would help to set me down this path and it would be a dream to have this be my first feature! ||| katgoodloe.com

NICOL A ALL AN EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND, UNITED KINGDOM

I’m a freelance illustrator with a passion for creating characters and dreaming up stories I also love making illustrated maps, designing greetings cards and home decor products, and creating patterns for fabric, packaging and apparel Although I trained and worked as a lawyer for over 10 years, illustration has always been my passion, and now, after moonlighting for a number of years, I’m keen to make it a full-time gig My next goal is to publish the children’s book I’m currently working on—it’s about a little boy who doesn’t quite fit in The book has an empowering message for boys who don’t necessarily conform to the gender norm ||| nicallan.co.uk uppercasemagazine.com

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B E G I N N I N G S

I

t has been two years and I am almost done writing Making a Life, a process I have been chronicling here in UPPERCASE through past issues. The bulk of the manuscript is due in about a month and I will come very close to meeting that deadline, if not meeting it exactly. As I get closer to reaching that important goal, I feel some relief and excitement, but the work itself does not get easier. The vision I have in my mind each time I begin to write a new chapter is of me pushing a boulder up a steep hill. The boulders I am pushing are no lighter today than they were two years ago, but there are fewer of them left to move, which is satisfying. And when I reach the top of that hill with the last boulder, I have a vision of myself raising my arms up above my head, inhaling the fresh, clear air and enjoying a beautiful view of those boulders and the rest of the world around me.

I am writing about weavers, potters, printers, woodworkers and many other kinds of makers. Each of them has their own unique story to tell about what they do and why, and I want to do all of them justice. In putting their stories together with my own, I hope they will illustrate my thesis, that making with our hands can help us lead whole, healthy and fulfilling lives, that making with our hands is our evolutionary birthright and integral to our humanity.

As much as I want to push myself to finish, to just sit at my desk and force the ideas out of my mind and into words on the computer screen, I am continually reminded that my inspiration—the seeds at the heart of what I am doing—does not work that way. While there is definitely a place for grit and determination in the creative writing process, the more I force, the more frustrated I feel. As when holding a yoga pose, I am at my best when I find a balance between effort and ease. I am most productive when I step onto my yoga mat or sit down in front of my computer and stay present, accept that this is where I am, at this moment today, and this is good just as it is. Work done with the greatest of care can be seriously marred by a rushed finish: If I don’t weave in my yarn ends on a hand-knitted sweater carefully, take the time to baste the neckline ribbing on a hand-sewn top before I stitch it in place, my neglect will scar my earlier effort, and belie the integrity of the rest of the piece.

The Push to Finish STORY BY

MELANIE FALICK ||| ILLUSTRATION BY

ANDREA D’AQUINO 16

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U P P E R C A S E

So, these days, I write a lot and with as much grace and integrity as I can muster. In the mornings my mind tends to be the most flexible and fluid, able to conjure fresh perspectives and solutions to problems that seemed impenetrable the night before. By afternoon, drained by concentrated effort, I sometimes need to turn to a different activity to refresh. There are days when a few rows of knitting, 15 minutes of yoga or even doing some housework or gardening or running an errand—just “changing the channel” for a little while—will get me back on track. And there are days when that is not enough and I have to walk away for longer, even stop writing until tomorrow or, on occasion, the day after. I know that I must have faith in my ideas and inspiration, that they are not abandoning the journey or forgetting about the deadline, just taking good care of themselves, which means, of course, of me. The trek up the hill, back down again and then back up, that is in some ways more meaningful than the celebration at the top. Step by step, that is life. ||| melaniefalick.com

C O M I N G

S O O N

SHIPPING OCTOBER 2018

E S T I M AT E D SHIPPING DEC 2018

PRINT / MAKER

EPHEMERA

I N K Y, C R E AT I V E S U CC E S S

F O R E V E R , A LWAY S & N O W

This volume features profiles of designers, artists and craftspeople who use printmaking and print technology to make things for themselves and others This book includes in-depth interviews with printers, stationers, publishers, and homeware and clothing designers through studio pictures, portfolios and sound advice from print/makers from around the world

Gorgeous and inspiring collections of vintage lettering and typography along with profiles of creatives who make art and business through their collections Collage artists, illustrators, type designers, graphic designers, creative entrepreneurs and more!

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MICHELENA BAMFORD C ALGARY, ALBERTA , C ANADA

In 2014 a little nook opened up in a dumpy little strip plaza within walking distance of my home and in a completely spontaneous and serendipitous moment I secured what would become Wolf Willow Studio After growing my business and three sons in a little bungalow with a single garage I was ready to expand my Rocky Mountain Wreath company and mosaic art workshops into a more full-time endeavour It took much work to reclaim the run down space and I salvaged dressers and storage from thrift stores and back alleys to house all of the materials and tesserae for my mediums A nature lover, with many pets at home, I even converted an old cupboard to house a couple of finches, to keep me company in my new found space An existing little front entrance area creates a quiet sitting area in front of sunny windows for meetings and computer time, and my grandmother’s old kitchen table anchors the back room for drafting my community-based mural work In the winter, the space is filled with fresh boughs and the seasonal works allow me to focus on sharing my love of mixed media and recycled mosaics the rest of the year Above all, I love that my studio is big enough to share with others; I believe creative space is sacred, and like the plant it is named for, Wolf Willow Studio is a haven for community with deeply spreading roots ||| wolfwillowstudio.ca

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JUANITA DAWN AND PAT ROZITIS

CRYSTAL MOODY SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI, UNITED STATES

My studio is the front room of our rented, century-old house in the Ozarks My favourite thing about this studio is the way the light streams in from the south and east windows I use an old library table and thrifted chairs By day, I paint at this table, and by night, homework and board games happen here It’s an open room so I’m a part of the comings and goings of kids, dogs and visitors Over time I’ve gotten used to that and now I can’t imagine working any other way ||| crystalmoody.com

C ALGARY, ALBERTA , C ANADA

The Long Grass Studio is located in the foothills of Alberta where the city of Calgary is next door and the Rocky Mountains are our neighbours We are a couple of Calgary artists with a huge passion for creating and discovering new art forms In 2013 we built a free-standing, 1,200-square-foot studio dedicated to our artistic passions Inside our studio we delve into completely different art practices On Juanita’s side, there’s sculpting, and puppet and mask making Puppet making requires the use of many different materials, including clay, plaster, fibre arts, paints and wood works On Pat’s side, there’s the ongoing practice of glass fusion and stoneware glazing When we built the studio, the intent was for us to spend our long winters together in a creative and fun space Over the past year we have begun teaching classes on our various art forms to satisfy the ongoing need to build the art community in Calgary and the surrounding area ||| longgrassstudio.ca

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FABRIC

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U P P E R C A S E

VOLUME 3 OF UPPERCASE FABRIC

IN STORES EARLY 2019

F

OR THOSE OF US INFATUATED WITH FABRIC, a pretty pattern in combination with a unique colour story often results in love at first sight. Whether cut from the bolt, chosen from an irresistible stack of fat quarters or curated from our personal stash years in the making, patterned cottons inspire us with their unlimited possibilities.

Choosing fabric is simultaneously an act of confidence and a leap of faith. What will it become? A stylish garment? A trusty bag? A quick and fun craft? An heirloom quilt? It could be any and all of the above—and, perhaps even more tantalizing, something we haven’t yet imagined.

Within the free Circular Logic digital idea booklet, I’ll share with you how my third collection from Windham Fabrics inspired me and my friends to sew and make. I hope that you’ll be inspired to explore your own creative potential, too!

JANINE VANGOOL UPPERCASE publisher / editor / designer

FREE IDEA BOOK, PATTERNS & TEMPLATES

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P E E P S

Sarah B.

I WRITE LETTERS BECAUSE . . .

I create original hand-drawn surface pattern designs and block print beautiful textiles, note cards and archival prints. Do what inspires you.

Modern, Bold, Bright INSPIRING art of portraits, teacups, skulls, succulents and vintage objects using collaged vintage book pages.

Make your house a home.

Follow along with this new series that illustrates the humour, creativity and transforming generosity of writing letters.

sarahbertochi.com

aliciarogerson.com

postmark1206.com

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Quilt Retreat with Patricia Belyea

Sew JOY, Reap Quilts!

Let your inner artist play with colourful fabric.

Visit my blog to see how I create joy through designing quilt patterns.

Print, Stamp & Roll:

Explore collage papers + mixed media. My new Skillshare online class. 2 free months when you sign up with my link. duclosdesign.com |||

Educator • Writer • Artist • Photographer a-dainty-dish.blogspot.com |||

Suffer from multiple hat syndrome? myLife planners provide space to puzzle together your life your way.

Save $5 using code PEEPSROCK crystalink.ca/shop |||

The 2019 Twelve Months of Paper calendar is filled with twelve fun paper projects for the whole family to create together. Order your copy today! bit.ly/TwelveMonthsofPaper |||

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

Expand your repertoire of construction techniques as you explore the limitless possibilities of inserting curves in your quilt designs. okanarts.com |||

Confront fear and choose a mindset both powerful and courageous.

Love every step of your artistic journey. Sign up for the “Fearless Artist” email series today! bit.ly/2NFSQ1e |||

Illustrator for hire.

Enjoys watercolours, digital techniques & textiles. Seeks clients with GSOH & shared passions/ intrigue in rockin’ designs, roller skating, tattoos & sci-fi. northernbirddesigns.com |||

I teach drawing for everyone combined with Italian language classes in Lucca, a less crowded but beautiful part of Tuscany.

Come play with me! susannaselici.com

—N e l s o N M a N d e l a

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theownerbuilder.com.au

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Collaboration for exposure

THERE ARE NO PAID ADVERTISEMENTS IN THE MAGAZINE.

Fun, bold & colourful jewellery designer from Amsterdam is looking for bloggers/influencers to collaborate. Does our audience match? Contact me :-) pop-a-porter.com |||

C is for Caregivers,

a very cute A-to-Z illustrated book, is finally available (Hint: it makes a great Xmas gift for those unsung heroes) cisforcaregiver.com lauracrawford.design |||

I have been photographing my

French Bulldog

#OzzyTheFrenchie daily since October 2009. I hope you enjoy the series as I continue with it. flickr.com/photos/ lainer/collections/ 72157700457373164

THANKS TO THE SUPPORT OF SUBSCRIBERS, UPPERCASE HAS BEEN PUBLISHING SINCE 2009. |||

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113

C OV E T

||| PHOTOS AND STORY BY

ANDREA JENKINS |||

Rug Envy

T

HE FIRST RUG I EVER WANTED was a shag in cotton candy pink flecked with tiny bits of blue, red and yellow. It was exactly as if actual cotton candy had morphed into rug form and then requested rainbow sprinkles. In my 10 years of living, I had never seen anything like it.

It was perfect, and I wanted it. I needed it. I imagined it covering the floor of my new bedroom, the way my feet might sink into softness each morning. With the right light, I thought, it might even glow. I imagined the slumber parties I would have, the patchwork of sleeping bags laid out over it, belonging to new friends I would make in the town we would soon be moving to—friends who would surely comment on this spectacular cotton candy carpet, and surely (secretly) be consumed with jealousy. It would be the cornerstone, the very foundation of my decor. But one look at my mother’s face and I knew—I knew it would not be.

And so, a precedent was set. Over the years, I have loved (and coveted) a multitude of rugs. I would find one, fall in love with it and then have my heart broken by price or circumstance. A vintage tangerine shag covered in geometrics found in the stalls of a Manhattan flea market. A creamy flokati original in the San Francisco apartment of a friend of a friend. A coppery ornate Turkish rug spotted while travelling in Kosovo. Make no mistake, I’ve collected some extraordinary rugs in my lifetime. I’ve just never owned a single one of them.

Fifteen years ago, I started taking photographs of the places where I stand. I point the camera down at my feet, at the place where I am standing, and shoot. There’s great comfort in the ritual, and the images have a singular, storied sense of place. Early on, I realized I had finally figured out a way to bring my beloved (albeit unattainable) rugs home with me. I had finally figured out a way to own them. Their colours and patterns, texture and history—forever living now as elements of a photograph, pieces of a greater story: my story. No longer underfoot, but put into frames and hung on the wall, tucked next to favourite collections or affixed to pages of a sketchbook.

No longer the workhorse of the house but elevated to fine art status, perhaps where they more rightfully belonged.

Or maybe that is just wishful thinking. The truth is, if I won the lottery tomorrow, I would hop the next plane to Morocco and make a beeline for the rugs in Marrakech. Sure, I’d shoot a thousand photos but I would ship enough rugs home to cover every square inch of the nubby brown nightmare carpet that currently covers the floors of the home where we live. And I just might go looking for that cotton candy carpet, too.

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