Hi Sharon!
What a fabulous site! I see you’ve been very very busy. All your new ventures look really exciting. I hope we cana get together soon to catch up!!
All the best to you and David!
cheers
connie
Hi Connie, was just asking Fae today if she had heard from you lately, what is January like for you? catching up would be great.Wishing the best to your family, Sharon
Seeing how you’ve worked with English Ivy before, I was wondering if you had any advice on how to weave ivy into a skipping rope?
I work in Coquitlam where we do ivy pulls in parks, I thought it’d be very cool to make use of all that ivy…so I thought of making skipping rope out of it! Right now, I’ve been setting aside any ivy twine that is fairly sturdy and dry with a bit of thickness. But I’m not exactly sure how to preserve them and how to weave/braid them into a skipping rope.
Hi Britta, skipping rope is a great idea! I think the best thing is to experiment with different numbers of strands to find what gives you the best weight- as for a skipping rope it is all about the weight I believe… usually work with the ivy within a few weeks max of harvesting- especially this time of year, and I would suggest making cordage or rope with it as the binding method- or even just a simple braid- try two strands per grouping, standard 3 braid style and see how that works if is too sluggish, less, if it doesn’t have enough weight to hit the ground properly, add more to each braid… good luck and let me know what you discover- would love to see a picture of it in action!
best, Sharon
my name is Julien, Ive been meaning to get in touch with you after I met with Jil P. Weaving about a project I am working on. I am currently tending an installation called Stick Shift, which involves planting fruit trees in cars and parking them around the city. My future project also involves fruit trees, and I was pleasantly surprised to see your name come up when I checked out the Means of Production urban orchard at China Creek Park!
The most pressing item to discuss is in regards to a class at SFU I am taking, called Dialogue and Public Issues. The class will be visiting Crab Park this upcoming Wednesday afternoon, and I remembered Jil saying you are working on a project at the park – would you be around to meet with the class and discuss some of your work?
Hi, Sharon, I had a chance to enjoy your work and chat with you a few weeks ago at the Public Dreams/Coquitlam event, and you’ve just shown up on Beyond Robson. It’s a pleasure to see photos of several of the pieces I admired.
Hi Mary- Ev, sorry, I missed this, hope you had a great summer and your projects kept you happily busy, look forward to running into you again sometime. Sharon
Hello Sharon,
I’ve happened upon your site by the usual circuitous route…grants, arts, vancouver etc, and thought to myself after the first few photos to compliment you on your work. Lovely, intriguing and interesting. I also have an affinity with natural elements, doing installations mostly in studio with branches, thread and such, although the focus of my artistic practice is painting. Then, I see that you did work in Crab Park, one of my favourites in the city, formerly my ‘backyard’. After that, I was wowed by your work in Kilkenny, where I am planning to return to do am artist in residence stint at a fellow artist’s studio outside the city.
As it turns out, I also went to BealArt, leaving there to finish my degree in Ireland in 1988! And so, with all these common elements, it seems only fitting to introduce myself, and say hello!
Great work, and perhaps we’ll stumble into one another one day in person!
Best…
Siobhan
Wow! What a brilliant site! If you have time to look at my website in any depth I think you’ll see why I’m so delighted to have found you. Some of the stuff you show addresses so many of my problems.
I do hope we may enter an ongoing exchange of ideas and mutual encouragement.
I am based in Co. Mayo in Ireland, although I grew up in Lancashire. From my e-mail address you’ll probably guess what I do mostly with my time when the rain stops occasionally!
my favourite is the mother’s dresses installation. it is very difficult to decide which of your works i like the best. it is all wonderful, beautiful, poignant and informed in a humanistic way, you turn everything you touch into art. and i am honored to know you. thank you,\
karenza
Sharon CONGRATULATIONS on your Lillian award, –We had portfolio night at Beal and I was
just reading the Handeye magazine blog on line, and there you are!
I will tell the others tomorrow at school. Johnny K has just retired so there are a few
changes. I saw that Siobhan emailed you, she is a wonderful person,–hope you will meet her.
Let us know when you are next in town. Nicole
Sharon Kallis your work so fascinated me that i have just spent an hour away from pressing tasks to look at your photos here and on Flickr. I know “what is done cannot be said” but have your written/talked about your work that is accessible on internet? Your photos are excellent too!
Regards and admiration, LeGrace
Some woman that Sharon, like the sound of a soft drum beats caressing the suns setting rays she leaves a memory of golden grace across the eyes of all who seek the glow within.
Keep glowin’ kid
Bodieman
Hello Sharon. Glad I signed up for the newsletter – now I know who built the canoe in Crab Park! When I was home (Vancouver) a couple of years ago I took a photo of the canoe but had no idea who had built it – excellent job. Loved to find it there where the redwinged blackbirds hide.
There is a local photo competition in the Kootenay Region and I would like to enter the photo of the canoe I took … would that be possible? Of course, now I know the artist who constructed the canoe, your name would be on the back … there is no prize money its just something I thought I would try.
Congratulations. And I look forward to seeing the new canoe when I make my next trip home.
Sharon, I love your site … what fabulously rich work.
I am organizing a program with Tracy Williams, a Squamish weaver and educator, about the use of natural materials.
The program is called Earth Walk. It will happen on May 15, July 10 and August 28. For more information , see http://www.northvanmuseum.ca
I am really excited to hear about what Tracey is doing and look forward to meeting her- am hoping to blocks off some times for walks, and share this with others- thanks , Sharon
HI Jessica, the peice is remarkably still whole and fairly good colour wise- 5 or 6 years later! The key is keeping work in the fridge- after leaves are collected and work in progress… I also painted olive oil on the front of the leaves after sewing them onto the cotton backing, I sew in pinned, panel strips – vertical panels working left to right- so things don’t get bunched up at the arm of the machine… the work is very dry and “crunchy” now, but hangs still wonderfully in a low light area. I remember working very intensely on that piece over a thanksgiving weekend- chained to my sewing machine for several days! Thanks for your kind words Jessica. all the best, Sharon
Thank you so much, Sharon! I recently heard that if you pick branches from trees and put them in a vase or container in a mixture of glycerine and water, they will drink up the glycerine and become preserved from the inside… I haven’t tried this but it sounded intriguing!
Thanks again and I look forward to seeing more of your exquisite work,
Jessica
My name is Adam, and I co-ordinate the Purple Thistle Youth Collective gardens, just down Clark from MOP in East Van. We’ve been weaving a willow arbor from willow gifted to us from MOP last year, and finding that we need another few bundles to finish the project. Is there any left over or harvestable willow that MOPARRC would be willing to give us to finish the project?
Hi Sharon, this is a bit last-minute… I heard that you might be teaching a workshop tomorrow at Strathcona Gardens on weaving with invasives… is this true and if so, could you email me the details? (couldn’t find them online) thanks! Hannah
Hi:
I was just looking for like-minded artists and opportunities to exhibit, make more work that evolves around rainforest vegetation and big trees…am from Northern Ontario.
And came across the fantastic ephemeral project realized at Stanley Park a while back…and found your site..
I can totally relate, there is so much to do while working with nature rather then against it. Thanks for sharing. Nice work.
Hello, Sharon!
I was just speaking with your parents last night, at my parents’ home, about your work and thought I would check out your website. I love your work! How fresh and innovative and the materials are amazing. Congratulations on your wonderful career!
Hello Sharon,
I was rather taken by the presentation at Capilano University in October 2011 (Place Art Community) when I was first introduced to your work. You have not left my mind since then! As an ECCE Degree student at Cap and an Early Childhood Educator at UBC, I am always thinking about ways to incorporate nature into artistic experiences with the children.
You have inspired me and I would like to learn more about you and your techniques. I will check out the link above for help with our Willow Hut that is growing wildly out of control, as I would love to shape it into something really interesting.
For my Art As Inquiry project (Sylvia Kind is my instructor), I have chosen you as my artist of interest. Where might I be able to see one/some of your (community) installations in person? Is the canoe still in place at Crab Park pond? Is there anything more interactive?
Thank you for the inspiration and the amazingly labor intensive work you and the people around you do!
Melanie
thanks for your kind words of support Melanie, and yes, there is stuff going on you will likely be interested to particpate in- check out the urbanweaverproject.wordpress.com website- and come out some Thursday night! Also, on my website look for the MOPARRC newsletter link – top right, and subscribe to that- I don’t really blog about projects on my website- just update pages, but send out a newsletter every 4-6 weeks with project updates and workshop info. ANd- Yes, the crab park canoe is still there- this is the second one, and I will be at Science World this Thursday Feb 2nd from 6-7pm for the little reception under the coiled river ivy project made with community throughout 2011. come by if you can! all the best! Sharon
Thank you for such a quick reply Sharon! I will check out your suggestions. Unfortunately I have another engagement this coming Thursday, it would have been a great opportunity to (maybe) talk with you for a few minutes…perhaps another time. I will try to get to Science World to see the coiled river ivy project, as soon as I can!
Thanks again!
Melanie
Hola Sharon: mi nombre esPatricia Brevis, te escribo desde Chile, América del Sur. Tu trabajo es hermoso, tiene mucha fuerza. Yo soy artista textil y también pertenezco a la etnia MAPUCHE (mi nombre indigena es ANTIVILO- serpiente del sol). Felicitaciones.
Hi Sharon!
What a fabulous site! I see you’ve been very very busy. All your new ventures look really exciting. I hope we cana get together soon to catch up!!
All the best to you and David!
cheers
connie
Hi Connie, was just asking Fae today if she had heard from you lately, what is January like for you? catching up would be great.Wishing the best to your family, Sharon
Hi Sharon,
Seeing how you’ve worked with English Ivy before, I was wondering if you had any advice on how to weave ivy into a skipping rope?
I work in Coquitlam where we do ivy pulls in parks, I thought it’d be very cool to make use of all that ivy…so I thought of making skipping rope out of it! Right now, I’ve been setting aside any ivy twine that is fairly sturdy and dry with a bit of thickness. But I’m not exactly sure how to preserve them and how to weave/braid them into a skipping rope.
Any ideas? Thanks,
Britta
Hi Britta, skipping rope is a great idea! I think the best thing is to experiment with different numbers of strands to find what gives you the best weight- as for a skipping rope it is all about the weight I believe… usually work with the ivy within a few weeks max of harvesting- especially this time of year, and I would suggest making cordage or rope with it as the binding method- or even just a simple braid- try two strands per grouping, standard 3 braid style and see how that works if is too sluggish, less, if it doesn’t have enough weight to hit the ground properly, add more to each braid… good luck and let me know what you discover- would love to see a picture of it in action!
best, Sharon
Hello Sharon,
my name is Julien, Ive been meaning to get in touch with you after I met with Jil P. Weaving about a project I am working on. I am currently tending an installation called Stick Shift, which involves planting fruit trees in cars and parking them around the city. My future project also involves fruit trees, and I was pleasantly surprised to see your name come up when I checked out the Means of Production urban orchard at China Creek Park!
The most pressing item to discuss is in regards to a class at SFU I am taking, called Dialogue and Public Issues. The class will be visiting Crab Park this upcoming Wednesday afternoon, and I remembered Jil saying you are working on a project at the park – would you be around to meet with the class and discuss some of your work?
Thanks,
Julien
Hey Julien, I left you a voice mail message, yes, I am around on Wed afternoon and could meet with your group, give me a shout! cheers, Sharon
Hi, Sharon, I had a chance to enjoy your work and chat with you a few weeks ago at the Public Dreams/Coquitlam event, and you’ve just shown up on Beyond Robson. It’s a pleasure to see photos of several of the pieces I admired.
Hi Mary- Ev, sorry, I missed this, hope you had a great summer and your projects kept you happily busy, look forward to running into you again sometime. Sharon
Hello Sharon,
I’ve happened upon your site by the usual circuitous route…grants, arts, vancouver etc, and thought to myself after the first few photos to compliment you on your work. Lovely, intriguing and interesting. I also have an affinity with natural elements, doing installations mostly in studio with branches, thread and such, although the focus of my artistic practice is painting. Then, I see that you did work in Crab Park, one of my favourites in the city, formerly my ‘backyard’. After that, I was wowed by your work in Kilkenny, where I am planning to return to do am artist in residence stint at a fellow artist’s studio outside the city.
As it turns out, I also went to BealArt, leaving there to finish my degree in Ireland in 1988! And so, with all these common elements, it seems only fitting to introduce myself, and say hello!
Great work, and perhaps we’ll stumble into one another one day in person!
Best…
Siobhan
http://www.humstonstudios.wordpress.com
art@humstonstudios.com
Wow! What a brilliant site! If you have time to look at my website in any depth I think you’ll see why I’m so delighted to have found you. Some of the stuff you show addresses so many of my problems.
I do hope we may enter an ongoing exchange of ideas and mutual encouragement.
I am based in Co. Mayo in Ireland, although I grew up in Lancashire. From my e-mail address you’ll probably guess what I do mostly with my time when the rain stops occasionally!
Kind regards,
Dennis Wright
hi sharon,
my favourite is the mother’s dresses installation. it is very difficult to decide which of your works i like the best. it is all wonderful, beautiful, poignant and informed in a humanistic way, you turn everything you touch into art. and i am honored to know you. thank you,\
karenza
Sharon CONGRATULATIONS on your Lillian award, –We had portfolio night at Beal and I was
just reading the Handeye magazine blog on line, and there you are!
I will tell the others tomorrow at school. Johnny K has just retired so there are a few
changes. I saw that Siobhan emailed you, she is a wonderful person,–hope you will meet her.
Let us know when you are next in town. Nicole
Sharon Kallis your work so fascinated me that i have just spent an hour away from pressing tasks to look at your photos here and on Flickr. I know “what is done cannot be said” but have your written/talked about your work that is accessible on internet? Your photos are excellent too!
Regards and admiration, LeGrace
Some woman that Sharon, like the sound of a soft drum beats caressing the suns setting rays she leaves a memory of golden grace across the eyes of all who seek the glow within.
Keep glowin’ kid
Bodieman
Hello Sharon. Glad I signed up for the newsletter – now I know who built the canoe in Crab Park! When I was home (Vancouver) a couple of years ago I took a photo of the canoe but had no idea who had built it – excellent job. Loved to find it there where the redwinged blackbirds hide.
There is a local photo competition in the Kootenay Region and I would like to enter the photo of the canoe I took … would that be possible? Of course, now I know the artist who constructed the canoe, your name would be on the back … there is no prize money its just something I thought I would try.
Congratulations. And I look forward to seeing the new canoe when I make my next trip home.
Sincerely
Gail D Whitter
one of those small world stories! yes, by means submit the photo and let know how it goes, all the best, Sharon
Sharon, I love your site … what fabulously rich work.
I am organizing a program with Tracy Williams, a Squamish weaver and educator, about the use of natural materials.
The program is called Earth Walk. It will happen on May 15, July 10 and August 28. For more information , see http://www.northvanmuseum.ca
Should be a lot of fun; hope you can join us!
I am really excited to hear about what Tracey is doing and look forward to meeting her- am hoping to blocks off some times for walks, and share this with others- thanks , Sharon
Your work is beautiful and a perfect fit to your way of being. I am so happy for you.
Hi Sharon,
I saw your wonderful presentation at the Staging Sustainability conference and I adore your work.
I’m so curious about “Gleaner Tapestry” – how did you treat the leaves so that they remained so malleable?
Thank you for your commitment to beauty and sustainability!
HI Jessica, the peice is remarkably still whole and fairly good colour wise- 5 or 6 years later! The key is keeping work in the fridge- after leaves are collected and work in progress… I also painted olive oil on the front of the leaves after sewing them onto the cotton backing, I sew in pinned, panel strips – vertical panels working left to right- so things don’t get bunched up at the arm of the machine… the work is very dry and “crunchy” now, but hangs still wonderfully in a low light area. I remember working very intensely on that piece over a thanksgiving weekend- chained to my sewing machine for several days! Thanks for your kind words Jessica. all the best, Sharon
Thank you so much, Sharon! I recently heard that if you pick branches from trees and put them in a vase or container in a mixture of glycerine and water, they will drink up the glycerine and become preserved from the inside… I haven’t tried this but it sounded intriguing!
Thanks again and I look forward to seeing more of your exquisite work,
Jessica
Hi Sharon,
My name is Adam, and I co-ordinate the Purple Thistle Youth Collective gardens, just down Clark from MOP in East Van. We’ve been weaving a willow arbor from willow gifted to us from MOP last year, and finding that we need another few bundles to finish the project. Is there any left over or harvestable willow that MOPARRC would be willing to give us to finish the project?
Many thanks,
Adam
Hi Sharon, this is a bit last-minute… I heard that you might be teaching a workshop tomorrow at Strathcona Gardens on weaving with invasives… is this true and if so, could you email me the details? (couldn’t find them online) thanks! Hannah
Hi:
I was just looking for like-minded artists and opportunities to exhibit, make more work that evolves around rainforest vegetation and big trees…am from Northern Ontario.
And came across the fantastic ephemeral project realized at Stanley Park a while back…and found your site..
I can totally relate, there is so much to do while working with nature rather then against it. Thanks for sharing. Nice work.
Hello, Sharon!
I was just speaking with your parents last night, at my parents’ home, about your work and thought I would check out your website. I love your work! How fresh and innovative and the materials are amazing. Congratulations on your wonderful career!
Linda Hendry
Hi Sharon!
We’ve featured your weaving technique with invasives on our BCWF Bog Blog!
http://bcwfbogblog.wordpress.com/2011/12/01/amphibian-habitat-lost-streams-of-vancouver-and-crocheted-invasives/
Hello Sharon,
I was rather taken by the presentation at Capilano University in October 2011 (Place Art Community) when I was first introduced to your work. You have not left my mind since then! As an ECCE Degree student at Cap and an Early Childhood Educator at UBC, I am always thinking about ways to incorporate nature into artistic experiences with the children.
You have inspired me and I would like to learn more about you and your techniques. I will check out the link above for help with our Willow Hut that is growing wildly out of control, as I would love to shape it into something really interesting.
For my Art As Inquiry project (Sylvia Kind is my instructor), I have chosen you as my artist of interest. Where might I be able to see one/some of your (community) installations in person? Is the canoe still in place at Crab Park pond? Is there anything more interactive?
Thank you for the inspiration and the amazingly labor intensive work you and the people around you do!
Melanie
thanks for your kind words of support Melanie, and yes, there is stuff going on you will likely be interested to particpate in- check out the urbanweaverproject.wordpress.com website- and come out some Thursday night! Also, on my website look for the MOPARRC newsletter link – top right, and subscribe to that- I don’t really blog about projects on my website- just update pages, but send out a newsletter every 4-6 weeks with project updates and workshop info. ANd- Yes, the crab park canoe is still there- this is the second one, and I will be at Science World this Thursday Feb 2nd from 6-7pm for the little reception under the coiled river ivy project made with community throughout 2011. come by if you can! all the best! Sharon
Thank you for such a quick reply Sharon! I will check out your suggestions. Unfortunately I have another engagement this coming Thursday, it would have been a great opportunity to (maybe) talk with you for a few minutes…perhaps another time. I will try to get to Science World to see the coiled river ivy project, as soon as I can!
Thanks again!
Melanie
Sharon,
I am starting a community artist in residence program and would like to send you information about it.
Can you give me your contact information
Hola Sharon: mi nombre esPatricia Brevis, te escribo desde Chile, América del Sur. Tu trabajo es hermoso, tiene mucha fuerza. Yo soy artista textil y también pertenezco a la etnia MAPUCHE (mi nombre indigena es ANTIVILO- serpiente del sol). Felicitaciones.