Woman with Cat, by Pierre Bonnard 
self portrait
Two Exhibition Openings May 8, 2010
I have been to 2 Exhibition Openings this past week. Both events are showcasing textiles by artists working in Ireland. And each event was excellent. My only disappointment was that I had nothing on display since most of my recent work is now in Seattle. Nevermind, the shows gave me a lot of inspiration and I am eager to get weaving again. And they also gave me a chance to meet up with many dear friends whom I had not seen for a long time. Plus, it was especially heartening to receive comments like, “Oh Janet, hello, I still have one of your rugs………” which I like to interpret as meaning I like your work and have fond memories of you.
The Exhibition Opening on Wednesday night was that of the Irish Guild of Weavers Spinners and Dyers, held in Dalkey Castle Heritage Centre. Here are a few samples from the Exhibition.
woven tapestry
by Patricia Gellon
woven wall panel, paper, cotton by Monika Auch
woven tapestry, cotton, wool, silk, hemp, viscose by Terry Dunne
On Thursday night, the second Exhibition Opening took place. This Exhibition was put on by the 595, aka 510, Group. This Exhibition is in Dun Laoghaire and featured not only textiles but also ceramics and wire and art work in other media. The Exhibition is in part retrospective and included a number of works which had previously been exhibited elsewhere.
Orange Peel flowers, in wire by Magda Rubalcava
Mother and daughter woven tapestry, wool & cotton warp by Magda Rubalcava
Welcome Mat, handwoven rug in Mary O’Rourke’s handspun hand dyed Irish wool
Butterfly Hunt, wool & cotton warp by Magda Rubalcava
Handwoven floor rug, cotton by Beth Royds
The Fourth Dimension – Hyperbolic Crochet April 21, 2010
The Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef – A Woolly Wonder
This exhibition is a must for all textile enthusiasts, mathematicians, scientists, science fiction buffs, etc. It really is spectacular.
Back in October I wrote a brief blog about the Crochet Coral Reef Project. At that time the invitation was made to participate in working on the Irish Reef part of this worldwide endeavour. I didn’t find time to participate but now I was delighted to see the completion of the work by some of my textile friends.
A few weeks ago I wrote a blog about a weird book title award. The winning title for 2009 was Crocheting Adventures with Hyperbolic Planes. I couldn’t find any mention of this book at the exhibition but I had better luck over at Hodges Figgis. They looked it up on their computer but couldn’t find it – I went off and searched in the crochet books and lo and behold there it was. It was quite expensive but I couldn’t resist buying it. It is a wonderful book. I suggested that the man should give it to me free since they didn’t know they had it but he wasn’t buying that idea. Nevertheless I am delighted with my purchase, particularly when he told me it is now out of print.
Just a few photos for you of bits of the exhibition
From the upstairs part of the exhibition, I could look down on the bicycles for the Dublin Rent-a-Bike scheme. Hmm, I thought – those bikes look easy to ride – should I rent one and cycle the streets of Dublin – here was my chance! But, alas, the streets of Dublin are quite daunting – particularly the big buses. So I made my excuses, no helmet etc., and missed my opportunity. Maybe I’ll be better prepared next time and I’ll choose a quiet Sunday morning. Meanwhile I’ll think fondly of my Dutchie bike waiting for me back in Seattle. Isn’t she a beauty.
my Seattle bike, with blue helmet
Janet's thread 
