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.
Meganeura
Posted on September 14, 2018
Material:
stainless steel and enamelled copper wires
drift wood, crystal beads
Technique: handmade bobbin lace – free form
Dimensions: 48 x 72 x 5 cm (19 X 28 x 2 in)
Meganeura is an offering to Gaia and her transformative powers.
Meganeura, a dragonfly’s ancestor from the Carboniferous period, symbolizes transformation, survival, and incredible ability of Earth creatures to adapt and evolve with the environment. Watching dragonflies and knowing that their progenitor Meganeura lived 300 milion years ago, always fills me with awe and reverence for this planet and all life it carries.
This offering is a prayer for us, people of this Earth, to listen to Gaia, and learn from her wisdom… before it is too late.
This work is listed for sale in my Way of Lace shop on Etsy.
Copyright©2018. Lenka Suchanek. All rights reserved.
New artworks added
Posted on November 14, 2017
Offering: West Coast Mandala Lace Sculpture
Reframed; Lost Art I & II Wall Art
Offering: Moon Reflection Wall Art
Offering: West Coast Mandala
Posted on November 14, 2017
Frame:
Cedar driftwood (designed and made by Colin Hamilton of Thuja Wood Art)
Lace:
Enamelled copper and stainless steel wires
Semi-precious stone cabochons and beads (from centre):
Nephrite (BC jade), Almandine Garnet, Shell, Rose Quartz, Bamboo Coral, Rhodochrosite, Clear Quartz Crystal, Calcite, Blue Tiger’s Eye, Shell, Hematite
Technique: handmade bobbin lace – free form
Dimensions in centimetres: 64 x 61 x 12 ( 4 cm without stands)
Dimensions in inches: 25 x 24 x 5 (2 inches without stands)
West Coast Mandala is an Offering to the magnificent Pacific Northwest nature.
In harsh climate of the temperate rainforest, human life has never been easy. Ancient people called upon spirit powers to receive guidance and protection. They were taught to live in harmony with the land and the ocean, and respect all plants and animals. This wise, timeless teaching still resonates on the West Coast.
The Offering: West Coast Mandala is presented in a frame made from red cedar driftwood, which carries the spirit of the tree of life, and creates a sacred space for reflection and meditation. In its centre, the mandala holds a cabochon of the B.C. jade, and radiates the energy outwards through the copper wire weave. Inner sacred geometry circle with semi-precious stones, coral and shell beads, represents the earth’s depths. Surrounding three currents symbolize underground, surface and ocean water bodies. Water brings fertility and abundance to the soil and to people, and they present offerings of flowers and fish. Fertile land is encircled by a protective range of the coastal mountains, which merge into the mist of the sky dome. From above, water motion, vegetation growth and people’s lives are governed by the moon cycle. All is connected and therefore in harmony with the timeless wisdom.
This artwork is now exhibited in Talisman Gallery on Pender Island, BC.
Copyright©2018. Lenka Suchanek. All rights reserved.
Reframed: Lost Art I & II
Posted on November 14, 2017
Reframed: Lost Art I
Material: Bronze wire Technique: Milanese tape lace
Size: 56 x 56 cm (22 x 22 in)
Reframed: Lost Art II
Material: Bronze wire Technique: Concentric continuous lace
Size: 56 x 56 cm (22 x 22 in)
In North America, handmade bobbin lace has been often called “a lost art”. I could not agree, because the lace I have known was very much alive – present, vibrant, breathing and growing. I followed her intricate patterns and looked for materials and forms that could carry the lace forward. In one of my many projects I explored pattern connections between various craft disciplines – wood work, stone carving, tile work and lace work – and set out a testing ground for new connections. Two pieces that remained from the project were put away, and literally, lost in my studio storage.
When I found them this summer I realized how much has changed in the last 10 years. The lace craft as I knew has been almost lost. The gossamer lace weave is getting weaker as the threads are ageing. Traditional schools closed, lace museums activities were reduced, and major international events abandoned because of lack of funds. At the same time, more and more independent artists started to use lace techniques in their work, creating imaginative lace art. As if lace had left the past and entered the future…
I decided to re-frame these two works to reflect the change. I covered painting canvas with silk fabric and cut the centre out to expose black background. As the lace stretches over the opening, it casts shadows, and the illusive pattern is dissipating into the black hole of the passing time. Lace remains, but only very few people can connect it to the history.
Can lace live detached from her own history? Can we?
Only time will tell…
These artworks are for sale in my WAYofLACE shop on Etsy.
Lace well done…
Posted on June 3, 2015
Season wrap-up wire lace workshop is coming on Saturday, June 27, 2015. It will harness the fresh summer energy to finish projects we started in previous workshops, to improve, strengthen and grow our skills and most of all, to release the creative potential locked in lace. Bring your unfinished projects in wire bobbin or needle lace with your questions about techniques and finishing, bring your finished projects to show and share with others, and of course, bring your ideas for future lace designs. Be ready for learning, brainstorming and fun!
Detailed information and registration
Victorian Black Lace Brooch
Posted on May 8, 2015
Bobbin lace in wire workshop #4 is coming soon, and since it will happen on a Canadian public holiday weekend that is celebrated in honour of Queen Victoria’s birthday, the theme of the workshops is a Victorian Black Lace Brooch.
Join the class to learn how to make fine black lace, embellish it with jet crystals and finish it as a brooch. The workshop is design to suit beginners as well as lacemakers with some experience with wire. Instruction will cover braids, picots, leafs and basket weave cloth stitch with a special attention to handling fine enamelled copper wire, adding crystals and finishing.
The poster shows just a draft of the design as I am eagerly awaiting a shipment of brooch pin backs to finalize the design and make the first samples 🙂
Victorian Black Lace Brooch – Bobbin Lace in Wire #4
June workshop, on Saturday the 27, 2015 will celebrate arrival of summer with a bright happy “Sun” theme.
There are many ways how to create sun in lace. Numerous patterns had been developed by many previous lacemakers and lace designers, and we can find a lot of inspiration in traditional laces. It is hard to choose which one to start with, and I have not decided, yet it is going to be plaited bobbin lace design or needle lace Retticella in gold plated copper.
Spring Growth – Leaves, leaves and more leaves
Posted on April 8, 2015
April workshop follows the spring theme with leaf motif. Leaves have a special place in lace design. They are bold, prominent and quite beautiful. In fibre lace, the leaf tallies can be difficult to master, and because of that, they are often feared by new lacemakers. Wire medium is quite different, though, and suits perfectly to successful leaf-making. Exploring foliage in wire lace is exciting, because the process is so much easier that negotiating tallies in thread. Lacemakers can relax, have fun and create beautiful leaves of all shapes. In this workshop, instruction will cover three kinds of leaves: plaited leaves, leaf tallies and 3-pair leaves, as well as colour variations in leaf design and implementing leaf design in wearable lace jewellery. With just two pairs of bobbins, lacemakers will create a seedling pendant, and add one more pair to start a vine that can grow into a necklace, bracelet or a garland ornament. This workshop is suitable for beginners, but is also open to experienced lacemakers, especially those who want to overcome lacemaker’s leaf-phobia, and see that they can become happy and prolific leaf growers. Detailed information and registration
Creative Spring in Ocean Park
Posted on March 16, 2015
Spring is here and it brings joy of colours, fresh breeze, warm sunshine and an abundance of energy and creative ideas!
Way of Lace and New School of Lace are collaborating to present original lace art to the Ocean Park community and are inviting neighbours, friends, friends of friends, art connoisseurs and lace lovers to an informal afternoon exhibition with a title “Creative Spring in Ocean Park”. The show is concurrent with lacemaking workshop “Spring Blossoms – Apples, Quinces, Sakuras…” in which new lacemakers will create as much as beauty as the tree branches in our neighbourhood – in a traditional needle lace technique, one stitch and one bud at a time…
Also, we are pleased to introduce work of another lacemaker and fashion designer – Iva Kolotelo. Iva learned lacemaking with Lenka long time ago, and have incorporated some of her wire lace designs into accessories and objects she creates. Her main body of work, though, is a very unique up-cycled fashion, and she will present her Green Art Collection in our spring show in Ocean Park.
Join us to welcome the first day of spring with us, with art and with style!
Spring Blossoms, followed by Leaves
Posted on March 2, 2015
Registration is open for two upcoming workshops – one in needle lace in wire and one in bobbin lace in wire. The first one takes place on vernal equinox, and will be all about spring and blossoms… and love inspired creativity of course! Learn how to make delicate needle lace jewellery with beaded flowers in the workshop that is suitable for complete beginners as well as lacemakers with wire lace experience. The class project will lead students through all steps they need to know to create pendants of their own design – in colour variations of apple, quince or sakura blossoms. These pendants are lovely to wear and even better to share and give in a spirit of spring celebrations…
Spring Blossoms – apples, quinces, sakuras – Needle Lace Jewellery #4
April workshop will follow the spring theme with leaves motif and will be in bobbin lace in wire. Leaves are a prominent design element in bobbin lace and some of them, especially the tallies, can pose challenge to new lacemakers. In wire lace, exploring foliage is exciting, because it is so much easier that negotiating tallies in thread. Lacemakers can have fun and create beautiful leaves of all shapes. In this workshop, focus will be on leaf tallies, plaited leaves and cloth-stitch leaves, that will grow along the way to create a wearable garland.
This workshop is suitable for beginners as well as experienced lacemakers, especially those who want to overcome lacemaker’s leaf-phobia, and see that they can become prolific leaf growers.
Spring growth – leaves. leaves and more leaves! – Bobbin Lace in Wire #3
Lenka's Way of Lace 