Needle Power

We are experiencing a renaissance for the needle as a tool in the textile arts. The movement is alive and all generations are involved. I recently increased the number of my textile art workshops this year. It has been a delight to share this magnificent space with other like-minded and spirited people.

Thirty years ago, artists Judy Chicago, Joyce Wieland and other women around the world, shifted the patriarchal paradigm and inspired the needle tool to have power. Their art spoke loud of women's equality, society's gender role-playing and the essence of being a modern woman. Through their work, they showed that the textile arts could convey more than a pretty picture; the medium could acknowledge profound concepts, metaphors, and feelings. These roots have taken hold and the movement is embracing many lives. We are at the dawning of the Age of Aquarius and perhaps women coming into their own, are a sign are of this shift.


The installation The Dinner Party created by Judy Chicago was a collaborative effort of many female artists. The art celebrated women’s accomplishments throughout history. Their choice of medium was the textile arts. There was a lot of buzz when the show opened at the Art Gallery of Ontario in 1982. Having just having left the Arctic a year earlier, I had already fallen for the work with the stitch.Since then, I have watched the climb of gender equality in the art community. It has been a good time historically to be a woman as well as an artist. The textile arts is being recognized more then ever before. The stigma that was attached with Needlecraft, a term coined in the Victorian era, has now been lifted.



The 80's was a happening decade for the arts. Women were getting the recognition and financial support from the public art sector. Some of the art made by women, examined sexual taboos and the place of women in society. How fortunate have I been to be born a woman in this period of human history, as well as be an artist?

Sometime last year William showed me the artworks of Orly Cogan in the Art section of New York Times website. From the recent art I have seen on her website, her approach to embroidery is refreshing, whimsical and pensive. Her use of narrative speaks volumes, as her protagonists are women of different stereotype eras.





Orly’s year has begun with a bang. Her yearly calendar is full of expositions; published articles in books and magazines, talks and it all started this month.

Presently in New York, you can see her in a group show called im Material which runs until Feb 14. at Black & White Gallery, in Chelsea. Here are several photos of Quantum Entanglement the installation she created.




I have always been partial to installations. The complexity and parts involved to create them, tend to drive the my personal experience to a greater height. Once in the gallery space, I have the opportunity to reflect and question my own experience inside. I see a great catharsis from these images of her work. The energy and intention of respecting the medium of thread and fiber is brilliantly expressed by her. I am getting excited looking at the close ups. Too bad that I am not there to see it in person. It definitely would have been a treat.

Also also in New York this month she is exhibiting in a group show called Narrative Thread at The Lyons Wier Ortt Gallery. Recently on display at the Wignall Museum in California, is a large densely embroiderer artwork that Orly created for the group show Raised in Craftivity.

New on the shelves published by Black Dog, is Contemporary Textiles - the fabric of fine art by editor Nadine Monem. Besides the several pages of Orly's work, she told me it's a book worth owning. There are many great fiber artists featured, a good addition to ones creative library. Here's the link to order a copy from the Amazon website.
Orly's artwork is on the cover of January Artpress magazine. The article inside discusses contemporary embroidery.






Just the other day she was mentioned in the NewYork Press an article Taking a Craft. If you double chick on the image, then go to the bottom right corner and hit on the box, you can see the artwork larger. How wonderfully romantic a composition it is. As for the article I found it to have some interesting thoughts. I am not sure if the writer is aware of the arts and crafts revival that has been going on for the past 15 years though. In this month's issue American Art Collector, Orly's work is highlighted with a visual in an article titled Art at the Crossroads.

One of my favourite sayings “A stitch in time saves nine” was included in The Textile Society of America's conference title. At The Contemporary Craft Museum, Annin Barett created a slide presentation A Stitch in Time: New Embroidery, Old Fabric and Changing Values. The discussion considers historic and current social values as evidenced by the embroidered art of Orly Cogan, Ghada Amer and Louise Bourgeois. So nice to see all this celebration of the stitch happening in North America.


It has been a great pleasure to share this acclaimed artist in my writing. Orly's artwork shows so much more then the power of the narrative stitch. The juxtaposition of her imagery brings both satire as well as a cheeky sense of humor. To embroider on delicate lady’s hankies requires great attention and skill. What a challenge using a canvas such as that. I find Orly’s imagery spiritually uplifting and empowering. She is exciting the world by her art today and embodies my fervor of Needle Power to the fullest.

I look forward to seeing her artwork this February at the Museum of Textiles She Will Always Be Younger Than Us. This group show of four women artist begins February 11th and runs through to September. I encourage you to see it if you are in Toronto this year.

The Thread and Needle

My earliest memory of fiber art was a small yarn doll I made at the age of 6. She became my favourite play character. I remember the delight of seeing her complete; 2” tall made from a fine light blue yarn. I glued a set of paper eyes and smile to complete her identity. As a child I had the freedom of discovery. The conception of creating a masterpiece was not in my equation. Without fear one can create with a confidence.








My love of embroidery began in the 60s when I was age 10. Young people were pulling out their needle and thread. Both genders were stitching iconic symbols of love and peace. It was the age of Aquarius and flower power was in. I had just been given my first pair of jeans and on my front right hip pocket I created my first embroidery work. It was a blazing golden sun with curling rays. I can still remember feeling proud about completing this design.










For the past 18 years I have created one of kind cut and sewn hats. My life partner William S Brown and I have established Gwendolyne Hats here in Toronto Canada. As artists we have been lucky to live by our creative intentions. I have always been passionate about the warp and weave of the fabric. Symbolic of the passage of our lives and the events they carry along the way.












My hat designs The Rusalka and The Anoushka are distinguished by hand embroidery. Hand stitching fine wool yarns on the woven wool offers a great narrative expression. Embroidery allows minutia to be expressed. It also brought me to be passionate for 19th century buttons. On any winter day wearing my own Anoushka is always uplifting, as many will send me a smile when they admire it.









Paint and brush, thread and needle, both create art. The gender of the artist brought the artwork to notoriety not the medium. Any thing attached to woman’s work was not given the recognition like that of a man’s. Sadly great-embroidered works do not have the signature of the artist. They’re initials may sewn in, but not much more is recorded about them. Today the public and private Art collections are celebrating this medium to its rightful place.






I created fiber artworks for Toronto’s Museum of Textiles over four years. Each one was a time capsule of my life at the time. In the order of the years they’re titles are: Femme Petalle, My Fathers Garden, P’tah, and Good Vibrations. Donated for their Annual Shadowbox fundraiser it was a very cathartic experience for me.

I feel both alive and grounded when I create with my hands. Finding the time to create for ones self can be challenging in our busy lives.

Last year I brought a personal dream into reality. I established a fiber art course series titled “The Elements”. The intention in this blog is to share with you the stories and journeys of this magical Atelier experience. May the stories inspire your life.