Lenka's Way of LaceOffering: Red Berries
Posted on March 26, 2019
Frame:
Cedar driftwood (designed and made by Colin Hamilton of Thuja Wood Art
Lace:
Enamelled copper and stainless steel wires
Semi-precious stones and beads:
Bamboo Coral, Clear Quartz Crystal, Hawk’s Eye, Rudraksha Seeds
Technique: handmade bobbin lace – TesseLace pattern
Dimensions in centimetres: h:43 x w:43 x d:5
Dimensions in inches: h:17 x w:18 x d:2
If cold winter months are good for something else than hibernating, it is for lacemaking. Long, dark nights offer quiet time for uninterrupted work and allow sustained focus that reaches almost a state of meditation.
Cocooning in my studio, I was looking for an idea for lace that would fit in one of Colin’s driftwood frames. Dried by sun and fresh air the wood feels so warm, as it is radiating energy collected over many summers. Just like standing cedar trees, the driftwood offers assurance that we, too, will survive yet another winter. Living on the West Coast of Canada for thirty years, I came to understand why cedar has been considered sacred by indigenous people.
majestic cedar tree in my backyard
An empty red cedar driftwood frame has been standing on the shelf in my studio for more than a year, patiently waiting for lace. Upon invitation, the images kept appearing, but none of them strong enough to stay and prompt me into action. One day, on a walk through fresh snow in Kwomais Point Park, I was amazed by dark lines of underbrush with embellishments of ice and red berries, set starkly against pristine white background. There is a lot of lace to be found in the forest, but rarely in such plain sight.
I started to work on my next offering. Once again, my connection with Veronika Irvine and her TesseLace worked miracles, and I was able to find the right grid and use the Circular Grid Templates for designing the mandala.
It worked so well that the piece was finished before the snow in the forest melted… It became my offering to the season that makes us revere cedar, to the beauty of snow and ice, and to the berries who know how to say ‘fertility’ like no other.
The Offering: Red Berries will be shown in juried exhibition ‘Just Gates’, organized by Arts Council of Surrey, in April 2019.
Copyright©2019. Lenka Suchanek. All rights reserved.
NEW: Spring Garden Pattern & Tutorial
Posted on March 26, 2019
Just in time for spring festivities, the Spring Garden Pattern and Tutorial is here to help you to create original gifts and decorations for all special celebrations that come with the season – from Easter to Mother’s day, from spring weddings to showers for spring babies, from birthdays of the lucky spring-born to spontaneous merrymaking of green-thumbed people… Because all the flowers areblooming and all the birds are singing to remind us that we are taking part in a miracle of life.
The Spring Garden lace can be finished as an egg holder or napkin ring, used as a greeting card insert, framed as a picture, or shaped as fanciful free standing 3-D decoration.
Cheerful grass greens with colourful beads brighten spaces and minds, especially after long winter. It is a wonderful gift that does not take too much time to make, and it is sure to surprise and impress the lucky recipient.
The pattern is easy to learn, and is therefore suitable for lacemakers of all skill levels. The tutorial is very thorough and detailed, with almost forty photos to illustrate the techniques from start to finish. If you bought any of the previous New School of Lace Patterns and Tutorials for Wire Lace, you know that you can expect quality instruction and original ideas. And you can combine the new design with other spring themes – Flower Earrings, Seedlings and Chicken Egg Stand… All available exclusively from my Wire Lace Supplies shop on Etsy.
There is always more room to learn and grow and expand your lace skills.
Happy spring and happy lacemaking!
Spring is here !
Posted on March 20, 2019
And a new Spring Garden Pattern & Tutorial is coming soon…
2nd lace|heart|art challenge is now closed
Posted on March 1, 2019
Thank you for your wonderful lace|heart|art challenge entries! We look forward to producing our second online show. We will keep you updated about the progress 🙂
lace|heart|art online exhibition will open, and winners will be announced, on April 8, 2019.
Winners will be contacted and the prizes provided by our sponsors, Barkonie and Wire Lace Supplies, will be sent in the following weeks.
❤️❤️❤️
lace|heart|art team
Lenka's Way of Lace 