Lenka's Way of Lace
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.
TesseLace Pendants
Posted on March 8, 2018
New TesseLace Pendants Collection is a unique creation in the world of lace as well as the world of jewellery. It has been designed with using a groundbreaking TesseLace program by Veronika Irvine, and made by hand in a traditional bobbin lace technique. The TesseLace TSL1 Pendant is based on a TesseLace grid 6x6_3 and explores the pattern interpretation in two colours.
A hybrid between traditional and contemporary, fibre and metal, lace and jewellery, TesseLace Pendants create category of their own and bring an excitement back into wearable lace art.
The TesseLace Pendant Collection as a tiny window into the magical world of lace. The square frame defines an area of focus, which is filled with intriguing pattern. The lace weave, created with very fine threads, exhibits lightness and delicacy unequalled in jewellery design. Its transparency works well with various background colours, an therefore offers many styling combinations.
Variations A, B, C, D and E are made from fibre, metal and crystal materials, which give the design very unique look and feel: black enamelled copper wire produces a body; stainless steel provides strength to the open lace weave; black pure silk contributes depth and softness; gold plated copper enriches with a precious detail; crystal beads and/or gold plated beads add highlights. All materials working together create a balanced sacred geometry pattern.
The TesseLace pendants connect the past and the future, and remind us to live in the present with awareness and appreciation.
I love to create these pendants. They represent the essence of lace design: a simple pattern can be worked in many variations by changing stitches and thread colours. As a result, each pendant is the same but different. This creative process is very interesting and rewarding for the designer, and it shows in the finished pieces. They carry the sense of wonder, and bring delight to discerning viewers and wearable art lovers.
These unique pendants appeal to connoisseurs of fine work and delicate ornament, as well as to the lovers of one-of-a-kind wearable art and understated luxury.
DETAILS:
Size: height 5.5 cm, width – 5.4 cm (approx. 2 1/8 inch)
Removable silk necklace
Available in Lenka’s Way of Lace shop on Etsy
Copyright©2018 Lenka Suchanek. All rights reserved.
Offering: Moon Reflection
Posted on November 14, 2017
Handmade Bobbin Lace Wall Art
Material
steel wire, milky marble cabochons, glass seed beads, silk background
Techniques
handmade bobbin lace, beading
Size
75 x 27 cm
Waves: Offering to the Moon
Posted on May 12, 2017
“Waves – Offering to the Moon”
transparent lace sculpture
42 x 36 x 8 cm
driftwood redcedar frame, stainless steel, shell moon
Story of The Waves:
I was looking for frames for a new body of work, and I found Colin Hamilton, an artisan-woodworker, who works with cedar driftwood collected on the beaches of Gulf Islands. He hand splits the logs and builds gates, furniture and art, using traditional joinery techniques. Colin agreed to make some frames for me and I left it up to him to chose size and shape. The frames were beautiful when they arrived – very organic, and like no other frames I used before. They were already art pieces in their own right, and it was not difficult to see how they should be completed with lace. One small frame was asking for waves and I decided to use steel wire, because the Pacific Ocean on the Canadian West Coast often looks like it is made of steel. I couldn’t see though what pattern to use for lace, because all traditional lace designs lacked the fluidity I envisioned. I decided to create my own pattern, but since that takes long time, I put the piece on hold to let the design percolate. By chance, I was contacted by Veronika Irvine, a University of Victoria PhD candidate and a fibre artist, who developed a mathematical model to describe bobbin lace tessellations. From this model she generated thousands of original grid designs. Veronika was looking for lacemakers who would test the new patterns. I tried, and immediately realized that this was exactly what I wished for for my new piece – and much, much more…
I found pattern that flowed like water, made the “Waves” and offered them to the moon. The piece sailed away, spent some time on the Gulf Islands with Colin, then crossed The Strait of Georgia and reached Veronika’s lace collection in Victoria on Vancouver Island.
We regard the “Waves – offering to the Moon” to be a truly West Coast creation, in sync with the ocean waves that connect us. And while we are all busy with our own work, we are open to future collaborations. Colin is working on new frames (thujawoodart.com), Veronika is doing her binary code magic in computer science and lace design (tesselace.com). And I am leaving all the rest to the moon.
Copyright©2015-17. Lenka Suchanek. All rights reserved.
Needle Lace in Stainless Steel
Posted on October 20, 2014
Intensive Workshop for Beginners
This workshop introduces needle lacemaking with stainless steel wire and covers basic steps of handling wire, using basic stitches (single, double, underlined and bars), adding beads and finishing. Two designs to choose from; both can be finished as pendants.
One intensive session – 8 hrs of instruction.
Pre-requisite: Needle Lace in Copper Wire workshop is helpful, but not necessary
Location: SOUTH SURREY ARTS CENTRE
14601 20 Ave, Surrey, BC
Sunday, Nov 2nd, 9:30 am – 5:30pm
Cost: $120.00
Materials: $10.00 (stainless steel wire, 2 stainless steel frames, swarovski crystals + printed instructions)
Tools: Bring if you have following, but everything will be available in the classroom:
- bolster or honiton style pillow recommended (bolster pillow available for $95.00 – let me know, if you need one)
- wire cutters, long nose pliers (jeweller’s size)
- medium size pins, and a few long pins
Registration:
By phone at 778 288 o72o
By e-mail at laceaway at gmail dot com
Please send a request and I will e-mail registration form to you.
Payment method: Cash, cheque, VISA, MasterCard and AMEX
- Next Workshop: Needle Lace in Wire for Beginners – Silver
Sunday, Nov 30th, 9:30 am – 5:30pm
Location: South Surrey Arts Centre
Cost: $120.00
Materials: TBA
Ocean Collection … just because it is summer!
Posted on July 29, 2014
Ocean Collection
New needle lace Ocean Collection of amulet pendants is inspired by ever changing appearance of the Ocean Park Beach.
Every morning is different as sky and water blend in mix of colours and shades and give the beach unique mood and purpose for each day.
Ocean Park Beach
I feel tremendous awe contemplating the endless variations that had graced this shore for millions of years and I am deeply grateful for each moment that I can be present to witness this natural wonder.
Ocean Collection is tiny offering to immensely huge Pacific Ocean and calm, receptive shores of the Turtle Island.
Ocean Collection Amulet Pendants are made in various materials – silver, enamelled copper, stainless steel and gold plated copper, with semiprecious stones.
Needle Lace Amulet Pendants are miniature pictures that capture a moment in time. They happen spontaneously, without planning or drafting, imagination triggered by a feeling rather than an idea. Needle lace technique supports instinctive flow of work beautifully, allowing free movement of threads in the frame-defined space. Lace is made from very fine wire – copper, silver, gold or stainless steel – and is built slowly, one stitch at the time.
Copyright©2014 Lenka Suchanek. All rights reserved.
Lenka's Way of Lace 