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November 28, 2013

10 Questions with Cathy Terepocki



Cathy Terepocki, Yarrow, BC. Artist and co-owner of Very Hush Hush, a converted 1964 Airstream trailer with Tracy Fillion (Dear Pony).






When did you start your art practice?
Graduated from Alberta College of Art in 2004. Started working as a full-time studio artist shortly thereafter.



What is your creative process like? Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Found objects, colours, patterns, anything that possesses incidental beauty; that allows anyone to conceive of a narrative or evokes unintended meaning. For example: a piece of clothing or an old chair that has been repeatedly mended. In my creative process, I am adding different colour, print, or texture at different stages in the process to try an capture this similar aesthetic. That is why I fire each piece four separate times.



How has your art practice evolved over the years?

My practice evolves with life circumstances. Since graduation I have lived in three provinces, have had six different studios, and have had three children. Each change affects my process, mostly for the positive. Although I work primarily in production, and therefore try maintain a modicum of continuity, these variants are often subtly detectable in my work. 



Describe what you will be bringing to SFM this year.
I will be bringing printed dishes and jewelry. What I am most excited about this year is the development of some new work, using found objects combined with printed clay.




How man years have you participated in SFM?
This is my first year.



What's new for this year at SFM? 
Printed dishes and jewelry.



What's your favourite thing about the SFM show?
It is a good group of people that I have worked with in the past. Also a good opportunity to connect with the local craft community, as we have only recently moved to the Lower Mainland.

Who are your favourite artists?
Hella Jongerius. I also think my kids are pretty great artists (but I might be biased)



What are you listening to in your studio?
CBC Radio One in the morning; Songza in the afternoon.

What other creative outlets do you enjoy?
Baking with my kids, knitting (on road trips only), and if I had a bit of extra time I'd sew more.


Instagram: cterepocki

Screw Black Friday, Shop with us for Free!!

We're just about two weeks away from our 10th Anniversary SFM Show. We don't change much from year to year, we find something that works and stick to it. Free admission? Check. No holiday tunes? Got it. Another Georgia Straight $200 shopping spree? Yes, yes, yes!!

For your chance to win, check out the Straight's online contest section and good luck to everyone!
As always, thanks for shopping local and handmade! XO SFM

November 24, 2013

10 Questions with Mariana Frochtengarten of Nana Fro

My name is Mariana Frochtengarten, I was born in Brazil and have been leaving in Canada since 2006. I am a textile artist and teacher. I graduated in Fine Arts and Education from Fundação Armando Álvares Penteado (São Paulo, Brazil) and I have a master's degree in Fine Arts (Textile Department) from NSCAD University (Halifax, Canada).
I have been living in Vancouver  since 2009, when I started my company Nana Fro Textile Art. My work was a continuation of what I was making in Brazil, which   
includes until today mostly objects for the body and the home. 
I have a passion for textiles and I have always been particular captivated by the different kinds of resist dyeing methods in which patterns are constructed by preventing dyes or discharge agents from reaching certain areas of the cloth.
For a few years I have been working mainly with shibori on natural and stretchy fabrics, bringing a contemporary approach to traditional time-honored techniques.


When did you start your art practice?

 My first closer contact with textiles happened in 1992, when I was finishing high school. I took  a course in the ancient art of batik and immediately fell in love with the technique. What primarily started as a hobby became my professional activity,  which evolved throughout many different routes in the textile field.




What is your creative process like? Where do you draw your inspiration from?

When I started working with batik I referenced Modern painters and existing patterns quite often, as well as graphisms from different cultures. My process was oriented by the use of simple lines and shapes, and very vibrant colours.
Throughout the years, especially after I started working with shibori, I have learned how to work in partnership with my materials, allowing fiber and liquid media to respond to my acts according to their own qualities. I combine my initial plans with elements of chance and the unpredictable responses. My inspiration nowaydays is mainly based on the idea of layering colours and shapes to bring visual depth to my fabrics. I play with an infinite number of possibilities and I constantly plan each step of resist dyeing based on the outcome of the prior one.


How has your art practice evolved over the years?

I started learning batik in 1992, when I was still in high school. When the course finished I bought all the necessary materials and tools to start working on my own. After some “trainning”  I started to receive orders from colleagues and friends and soon I was selling my work in fairs and shops. Since then, I never stopped working with textiles. Three years later I started to get involved with teaching as well.
I have always been mainly interested in resist dyeing techniques. I worked with batik on paper and fabric for 17 years, producing functional objects for stationary, home furnishing, and fashion. For a few years I have been working mainly with shibori and I continue to produce objects for the body and the home. 



Describe what you will be bringing to SFM this year.

Scarfs made of a beautiful raw cotton Indian fabric, 100% cotton onesies for kids between 6 and 24 months, stretchy tulle armbands and tops, leggings and tights.


How man years have you participated in SFM?

This is the second time I am participating in the show.


What's new for this year at SFM? 

The scarfs, onesies, and the stretchy tulle armbands and tops.



What's your favourite thing about the SFM show?

I like the fact that it is a small show with artists that you can see were carefully chosen. I find the overall quality of the show is excellent and I like the personal atmosphere that fills the space during the show. 


Who are your favourite artists?

Two names that come to my mind now are Ernesto Neto from Brazil and Toshiko Horiuche from Japan. They both work with fiber in very large scales, exploring the material in very unusual and sensual ways.  

What are you listening to in your studio?

I listen CBC quite often and lately I have been listening to my collection of Brazilian music cds, which I hadn't  listened to in a long time.

What other creative outlets do you enjoy?

Travelling, meeting new people and experiencing other cultures.

Keep in touch with Mariana: