Marianne Garrah | Special to the Fitzhugh
The past 21 months have had some devastating effects on artists. Whether their medium is painting or making music, events and opportunities have been severely impacted. Habitat for the Arts in the Jasper Library and Cultural Centre, Jasper's space to create-learn-share, has been quiet. Capacity restrictions meant taking film and theatre nights to virtual audiences. Classes became smaller to accommodate regulations. Camps went outdoors.
The arts, if anything, are resilient community recovery tools. The Habitat and the Fitzhugh proudly present Re-Ignite, Re-Bound, Re-Imagine – a monthly Q&A with a local artist.
Q: What medium do you work in? Is there a reason why you chose that medium?
A: I work with fabric, ribbon, sequins, beads, embroidery thread and crochet cotton. I chose this medium due to the fantastic variety of fabrics with designs by nature. It's possible to purchase fabric with designs of water, sky, forest, rocks, pinecones, sunsets, animals - you name it! It's really fun and interesting to shop for fabric. Since my stash is so large, I decided to use it differently, more than just for quilting. I work with the fabric using the natural images as inspiration and embellish them with thread, beads and the other fabric mediums to dress them up and make them prettier.
Q: When did you begin creating?
A: I've only been doing this for a few years, but it's advanced differently than I expected it to. I was expecting art, art cards and print sales, which I do have, but I also have wearable art, which is different and totally unexpected. I now have an online store of clothing and accessories.
Q: Jasper has a lot of creative people – how do you find ways to showcase your art?
A: I've been fortunate to have a local artist community to share thoughts and space with. The Jasper Art Gallery mainly showcases my artwork, but I have also shown my work at the Jasper Museum and Archives and at the Friends of Jasper National Park store as well. My online business is hosted at www.legaleriste.com/louise.hayes. This storefront comes from LeGaleriste in Montreal, so the clothing is 100-per-cent Canadian made. I send a photo to them and they produce fabric which becomes wearable art and home accessories.
Q: What is the most rewarding part of your practice?
A: Living in Jasper has been a rewarding experience for me. I enjoy hiking and the constant views of the land which changes with the seasons and provides more ideas each year. Last winter I was fortunate enough to find some "snow flowers" to photograph and to use as a subject for my art. I've never seen snow flowers before, so this was an exciting experience. Being able to use mixed media to create dimension and variety on the fabric… developing my own techniques, using sequins and beads to add sparkle… using materials I have on hand is very rewarding.
Q: Best piece of advice to give to someone starting out in the arts.
A: Take the plunge. Let the world give you a chance. Success might come to you differently than you were expecting, but without trying, you'll never find it.
