SATURNA CAFE ART SHOW - Interview with Donna-Fay Digance

 

 

Saturna Dreamscapes - March 10 - April 15, 2021
Interview with Donna-Fay Digance
by Monica Morten

Tell me about yourself and your art. 

I have a B.Ed. in Art Education from the University of Alberta and a M.Ed. in Art Education from the University of British Columbia. I have also taken summer courses at Emily Carr in viscosity etching and paper-making. Maiwa courses were a great resource for learning to dye fabric, silk painting and batik. I taught for three years and then moved to London, England to do an extra year’s study at Goldsmith’s College, University of London where I met my husband, Leonard We opened a pottery studio in an historic coach house across from Greenwich Park. Our son, Avrom was born two years later. When he was 11 months old, my mother had moved to Vancouver and persuaded us to return to Canada, because of all the ‘opportunities for artists.’ Hah!  So I began teaching again and had absolutely no time or energy for my art. Twelve years later I enrolled in an art class at UBC with a wonderful  artist, Dick Bond, and those early skills came back, better than ever.

Now I exhibit with professional fibre art organizations: Studio Art Quilts Association, Fibre Art Network, Surface Design Association and Vancouver Island Surface Design Association.

How did you come to Saturna?

When I took early retirement, we wanted to open a B&B on the Gulf Islands as Len had completed his chef’s training and hospitality courses. That way we could also have our art studios to use in the off-season. Saturna was the island that resonated most. We planned to find a fixer-upper but nothing was available, so instead of following sage advice to downsize, we built our six bedroom, five bathroom B&B home. Now really being retired, we wondered what on earth we were thinking.

What's the best thing about living here?

The best things about living here are of course the people, the incredible scenery, the peace and quiet, and now in the midst of a pandemic, the safety.

Where do you get your inspiration?  What inspires you?

My early work always featured the human figure as I had attended my first life drawing class when I was in high school. I did a series of etchings, “Masked Dancers”, which used a theme of transformation juxtaposing combinations of animal and human forms which I called “Dreamscapes.”

Since we moved to Saturna full time in 1996, the pristine environment has me now creating landscapes from my imagination, but the iconic Arbutus trees now move and sway like my early dancers.

How did you become an artist?

I was raised by a single mother, at least between two marriages, who always bought me quality art materials because she knew I’d keep myself busy for hours. We returned from San Francisco, after many moves, to Vegreville, Alberta so my step-father could manage my grandfather’s hotel. I enrolled in an adult art class, at age 11, where, Laura Reid, a well-known Alberta artist, encouraged my foray into art creating watercolour landscapes. 

Why did you choose fabric for your art?

My early training was in drawing and painting. I then explored etching, and intaglio printing using different grounds, zinc plates, solvent and nitric acid. I used to work towards a summer show each year, of my etchings, at Dundarave Print Co-op on Granville Island. I certainly didn’t want to use those toxic materials on Saturna, so when an opportunity to learn quilting with Lynne Piper arose, it seemed a perfect opportunity to explore fabric. I was terrible at trying to do precise piecing so it was more rewarding to transition to my own images. There are so many processes to use with fabric: appliqué, dyeing, piecing, batik, painting, hand embroidery and endless variations of machine stitching. I especially like the freedom from rules so one can keep experimenting and exploring possibilities. I still have my etching press though, so maybe someday I’ll use it with fabric.

What projects are you working on/looking forward to?

I look forward to working on larger original art quilts based on themes set by juried shows.

Tell me about a piece that you are really happy with and why. 

I’m pleased with my latest painted silk art quilt, 20” x 34,” that has three layers: a painted top, batting and a silk design backing. I used free motion machine stitching through the three layers which adds to the depth and texture of this Saturna inspired landscape.

Tell me about your show and one piece in particular. 

For my March Saturna Cafe Show, “Saturna Dreamscapes”,  textile pieces  are mounted on black stretched canvas. I’m really pleased with the small version of the Parks Canada Saturna Field Office Triptych. The original is three art quilts, each 27’’x 60”, but this new piece has all three images reduced in size to 20”x 16.”  I’ve been experimenting with having my original designs professionally printed on different types of fabric, and in different sizes, modifying with paint and stitch to create new pieces.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I miss the opportunities to sell my work directly at the summer and Christmas markets and directly in my studio but my Facebook page, Saturna Dreamscapes Studio and my new website: www.donnafaydigance.com, designed by web242.com , Avrom Digance, have provided some new opportunities.

Excerpts from ‘Art in Stitches’ by Cherie Thiessen,  Aqua, Gulf Islands Living, Volume 12

“When you take a classically and extensively trained artist with a sense of adventure and a zest for experimentation and put her on a small island where there are few distractions but copious natural beauty and serenity maybe this is what you get: riveting fabric multi-media collages that look remarkably like traditional canvases but are three dimensional and tactile.  To bring her canvases to life, the artist uses a variety of  fabrics combined with drawing, painting, batik and textile dyeing, … enhanced with machine and hand embroidery”

Fibre Art Show at the Café - Interview with Robyn Quaintance

Robyn's show runs until March 10th.  Please stop by and have a look and put a comment in the book!

Your new show just started a few days ago, how do you feel about that?

As my very first solo show, I was terrified and yet afterwards, really pleased with myself for having put my artwork and name out there. It is a big job to get ready for a show including planning and hanging it. Because I was exhibiting more than just prints on a wall, I had to work carefully with Priscilla and her staff and they allowed me to use the table for more displays.  Staging a show is a challenge in a working café, and am grateful for the help of Nettie, Joyce and Carol.

Why fibre arts?

I love working with textures, I love the feel when I spin wool, and it makes me feel good manipulating wool into felt. Bright colours and combining unlikely textures are always fun to work with.  I enjoyed learning about the different kinds of sheep and their coats.  My favourite wool to spin is Lincoln and it comes naturally in lovely silver and grey tones.  It also takes dyes very nicely. My beginning spun wool had plenty of lumps and bumps, which I always appreciated because of the texture.  I have since developed great skill in spinning and have taken up knitting as well.  I have woven lots of ‘rag’ rugs and also very fine, precise pieces, like the vest hanging in the show.  At university, I even had an opportunity to work with a computerized loom, and a large-scale production machine for handmade paper fibre.  I also experimented with dyeing silk with paper fibres and saw how the dye was taken up much stronger (and brighter) by the silk fibres.  It made a really lovely contrast that worked well together.

Why fish?

I have always enjoyed the ocean, and I kayak regularly and look for fish beneath the water.

I wanted to make something different, something whimsical, something playful, something bright with their own personalities. The mobile fish continue to intrigue me when hanging in my own space.  They always seem to have a bit of movement with the air currents and it changes the physical space where they hang because of the movement.  Some people have hung the fish from the rafters with long fishing lines, others on a short leash and still others have hung them from a triangular frame as a larger mobile and they look great in all three ways.  They are one-of-a-kind and all have fish names, which makes it more fun to view them.  

How has your use of fibre as a media progressed over time?

I spun and wove for well over 30 years, and then added making hand-made paper and felting when I went to art school.  I find fibre arts have endured a bad rap and not given the respect the art form deserves. For many years, people thought framed paintings were the most important of the art world, but fortunately, fibre arts have finally gained respect even here on Saturna!

Your art work sounds like it is taking new directions, talk about that.

I have always appreciated the character of wood grains, natural colours and love the smell of working with wood by cutting and sanding it.  All new skills take learning and experimentation, and so it is with painting on raw wood and sitting back to watch what would happen in each stage of sealing.  I find a new piece of wood has its own personality and actually suggests to me what to paint.  The preparation is quite extensive.  I have also been experimenting with water pencil crayons to create a series of large marina/boat scenes.  I have painted 3 large scale murals in my own back and front yards and looking forward to painting more external murals.  One of my neighbours has approached me to paint a mural on her garage.   

Final Thoughts?

It takes a village to raise a child and Saturna clearly demonstrates it has the resilience to roll with the punches.  But we need to remain aware and discuss the bigger issues around us.  This is my role as an artist and yet the whimsical theme of this show contradicts that, like life.      

I am challenged to think about how art interfaces with what is going on around us right now.  Rather than this period being lost to COVID ambiance, as artists, how can we interact and express the dynamic changes that are occurring outside of our little island of Saturna?  I think about how privileged I am to be healthy and living on Saturna.  I believe art needs to give clarity on the social issues of our time and stir up thoughts and difficult conversations. 

Regardless of the world problems, we always need to love and respect each other, including everyone on our island.  Thanks for giving me a voice among my fellow artists here.

 

 

 

Art Saturna Artist Interview: Nettie Adams

Nettie Adams is a photographer who lives and works (mostly) on Saturna Island. I met her at her lovely forest home on East Point Road on a sunny, summer afternoon where we talked about her passions, art, Saturna, bamboo and hardy cacti…

Tell me a little about yourself and your art.

As a photographer, I rarely set out to shoot a specific image. Photographs just happen. They are fragments of timelessness captured in time. I know this to be true because of the way I feel. Excitement, complete fascination, a sense of connection, even rapture at times. Something in my visual world just “speaks” to me and I am hooked. This “timelessness” is a miracle to me. I am so human, so bound by norms, expectations and judgments that to be caught in a moment, of creative exhilaration, is pure joy.

How did you come to live on Saturna?

I first came to Saturna in 1985 to attend a friend’s wedding. I was busy with the wedding and taking photographs and didn’t see much of the island. Five years later, when Charles and I were looking for somewhere in the Southern Gulf Islands to get married, I remembered Saturna.  We were married in St. Christopher’s Church in 1990. We were living and working in Vancouver, so we went back home afterwards, smitten by Saturna, hoping to one day be able to buy property there. In 1996 an opportunity arose to buy property and then we camped for another 20 years until we bought this house. We are regular part-timers; we spend about two-thirds of our time here. 

How did you become a photographer?

I have always been a photographer. I think I had a Brownie camera when I was five years old and took pictures of my pet bunny. I have a degree from UBC in Fine Arts with a specialty in photography. I was fortunate enough to be taught and mentored by the now world-famous photographer, Fred Herzog. He was actually a Biomedical professor at UBC and, at that time, there was no one to teach photography in the Fine Arts Department, so they hired Fred to do that. It was a very special opportunity. A group of us tripped around with Fred in the mid 70’s. Fred taught me that if you get one or two good shots out of a roll of 36 (back in the days of film) you were doing awesome. Of course, every shot that he took was amazing. He also helped me to develop an eye – to look for things that other people didn’t see. When I finished my degree I didn’t show any of my work for thirty years. I’ve always had a camera and I continued to take family photos but any other photos that I took, I just kept to myself. I also worked for Lens and Shutter for many years and saw a lot of other people’s photos (laughs).

How did you start showing your work again?

Jean-Francois Renaud was curating the art exhibitions at the Saturna Café and he said, “I can offer you a show.” Saturna had rekindled my interest in artistic photography and so I said ‘yes.’ There was a lot of nervousness and trepidation, but I agreed. There’s nothing like a show to motivate you (laughs). That first show was in 2012 and was called “Sagacious” and I’ve had several other shows since. I once covered the inside of the Café with panoramic shots of tree bark that totaled 21 feet in length. It was called “Enfoldment.”

Ethereal Egg

              

What inspires you?

Saturna inspires me. It has been a very photographic summer. I often photograph community events and I did the Lamb Barbecue, again this year. This time I focused on all the work bees and volunteers. It was amazing. It’s important, to me, to document that event because the record says so much about community. There are so many people, who do so much, that it is almost impossible to describe to someone who hasn’t seen it. In many ways, I’m like a voyeur when I’m behind my camera but when I photographed the BBQ this year, I got to see how I fit into the community. That was an important moment for me.

How do you fit into the community?

I saw that everything that people do is important – building the tables, making the rice, cleaning the site – and I saw that what I do is important too. By taking photos I help others to see the community. I am a connector and making connections through my photographs builds and unites the community.  I help to broaden the view; to provide a window to each other and to life. 

Tell me about a piece of work that you are really happy with and why?

(Nettie took me inside her house to see two photographs that she has mounted and framed on her wall. Both photos portray intimate moments of young people in Thailand.  One is titled “Boys” and the other “Painted.”  As she shows them to me and speaks about them she has tears in her eyes).  Sometimes it is a privilege to take a photo.  There is a moment when I see something and I am smitten.  It’s the movement of the light and I lose all sense of time and space; time stops and I am in awe.  I live in that moment.  Photography is a means to capture the magical wonder in nature and the world. 

What projects are you working on or looking forward to?

This weekend I have a show opening at the Café called ‘3 x 3 – In Plain View.’  Two others photographers, Maureen Welton and Nancy Angermeyer and I are showing together.  I feel honoured to be sharing the space with these two women. The show will be up during the Art Saturna Tour on the BC Day weekend, August 3^rd and 4^th when other artists on the island also have their studios open. I’m also very excited about an event I’ll be having at the Sunset Talks at East Point on August 30^th. It’s called ‘Night de Light’ and my images will be projected large-scale onto the side of the Fog Alarm Building.  Having my images presented in such a grand scale is something I’ve dreamed of for a long time.  Bring a blanket and come see!

You can see more of Nettie’s work at:  nettieadams.ca

-By Monica Morten

An Exhibition of Photography: 3 X 3 - In Plain View

Photographers Nettie Adams, Nancy Angermeyer and Maureen Welton are featuring their work at the Saturna Cafe with an opening reception this Saturday, July 27, 2019 from 4-6 pm.  Come down and meet the artists and experience the world 'In Plain View' in a way that you may have never seen before! 

Art Saturna Studio Tour 2019

The annual Saturna Arts Studio Tour will be happening on the August long weekend.  Tour the island and pop in to see artists in their studios. Come and join us!

Maps will be available at the Cafe and the General Store. 

Early Spring Show 2015

Winter on Saturna... All that rain means that we spent a lot of time indoors this winter. Studio time! Come and see what we've been up to over the past few months. 

Opening Reception, artists present:

Sunday, February 15, 2 to 4 pm
at the Point Store Gallery
by the Ferry Dock

Light refreshments will be served

 

Spring Booms and Snow Flakes

Just as Saturna anticipates our upcoming artists' show on March 16 and visions of spring skip up everywhere, I'm looking at some photos I took just recently. Photos of being snowed-in! A reminder of how very surprising life, even a fairly simple life, can be.

path from our place, Saturna Island (Janet Strayer photos)

Spring comes relatively early in this part of Canada. Earlier in February we'd already seen the crocuses and daffodils  up from the earth, the sun smiling upon them for several days with the promise of spring. Then POW!

Large powdery flakes of snow took over the terrain during the last weekend of February. The sky turned white. The sea a pewter grey. No sight of the distant mountains. Few clear edges at all. The temperature dropped dramatically. Still, it was beautiful on our land at Saturna. But it was cold. Very cold.

Janet Strayer studio (before the tree hit it)

We hadn't been at our home for a week, leaving it without heat. On arrival, it takes about an hour to heat up the house by raising the thermostats. This time, we had about half an hour of electricity before the power went totally out!

Many islands were affected, including Saturna. We could hear trees falling nearby as we walked the path you see.

No power at our place for nearly three days. Cold and getting colder. No heat, no electric light. Our one central fireplace was huffing and puffing so much we'd used up most of the stored dry wood and were cutting some wet logs. Smoky. Even with the fireplace going, we wore hats and gloves in the house.

No painting for me -- fingers much too stiff and mind unable to thaw. What a disappointment as I so look forward to my studio time, painting. Life was reduced to basics: shelter, food, and appreciation for what we had.

The power came back after about three days and we decided to try to drive out and take the ferry to Vancouver. We had work to do there, too. One route was blocked by fallen trees, and our wheels couldn't get enough traction through the snow. The other route was steeper but shorter and downhill. We made it.

Stopping at the store beside the ferry terminal to revisit the current Art Saturna show, I had a huge surprise. My painting wasn't there! What?

Terrible? Not at all. It had just been sold. One of my worst weekends and it was topped off by this very welcome news. My thanks and good wishes to the couple who purchased my painting. May it join you in your home with all the warmth and abiding meaning art can convey.

Art Lover, painting by Janet Strayer, www.janetstrayerart.com

Back at Saturna now, two weeks later, there's a fallen tree atop my studio. It seems to have done little damage and can be chopped for firewood. All in all, it's quite an eventful life we lead...or wander our way through.

If you would like to read more about my eclectic take on this eventful life (travels, art, creative tips and adventures), please see my blog at janetstrayer.blogspot.ca. 

Karen Muntean: "Home & Away" Show

Here are a couple photos from the opening of "Home & Away", my show of new linocuts at Saturna Café that runs until February 27, 2014. 

Hubertus served up a fabulous meal for nineteen after the opening, which made it a really nice evening for me.  Thank you to everyone who came to look, talk and share a glass of wine.

Opening Reception at Insight Gallery, Galiano

On a beautiful day, seven Saturna artists and a poet went on a boat ride and visited another island for a party... How much fun was it? Lots of fun!  Insight Gallery, on Galiano Island, warmly hosted the opening reception for the Saturna Artists Show, which continues until September 28. If you can get to Galiano, don't miss it.

It was exciting to see the array of styles and media on display in the gallery. 

We would like to thank Tish Saunders, artist and gallery owner, who organized this whole escapade for us, down to boat and bus transport. Tish invited an interested crowd to the opening and everyone was treated to a reading of select poems by Ellen McGinn.

Ellen McGinn, reading poems at Insight Gallery, Galiano Island, BC

It was a lively crowd, with loud conversations going on, a lot of networking, and we noticed some early  sales! Great vibe in the room...

Tish Saunders, above, introduced everyone and described the goal of this initiative, which is to build cultural links across the water, with the generous support of the Trincomali Community Arts Council. During the reception, we were able to meet many artists from Galiano and from Mayne islands, including several directors of the Trincomali Arts Council, which was an additional treat!

And after the party, while regretting that we had to go home... we certainly enjoyed the beauty of the sunset. A beautiful end to a visually-rich day.

Saturna Studio Tour!

Coming soon: you all have another excuse to tour Saturna's gorgeous landscape, and discover (or rediscover) your favorite artists, and their studios. Are you from Victoria? Consider a day trip

Save the dates:  

Saturday and Sunday
August 3rd and 4th
from  11 am to 4 pm

So get out the bikes, or your walking shoes, or pile in the car... Come and explore, and note that some of the studio tour stops are near places where you can rest for a while, enjoy good company, and have a a bite or something to drink, like the Saturna Café, the Wild Thyme Coffee House, the Saturna Pub, and the Bistro at the Saturna Vineyard. The artists await.

Christmas Fair is coming!

Don't miss it! Saturna Artists will be showing and selling their work at the Annual Christmas Market at the Recreation Centre, on Saturna. A treat for the eyes... and a treat for the tummy.

Saturday, November 24, 10 am - 2 pm
Saturna Recreation Centre

Mark your calendar, and don't miss a chance to pick up some gifts (for your dear ones? for yourself?) made locally.

Participating artists: Anne Popperwell, Donna-Fay Digance, Denise Kuzyk, Elisabeth McColl, Karen Muntean, Gaye Oreskovic, Sam Peramaki, Teresa Higgins, Neysa Wiens

And of course, for all the gourmands and gourmets out there, the Christmas Market always offers plenty of locally made treats for the pantry... and for immediate happy tummies. Hard to resist the fresh baked goods and local jams and jellies! A treat for the eyes, and a treat for the tummy.

Photos by Jim Hebert

Report on the October Show

During the Thanksgiving weekend, members of Art Saturna held their first art show at the Saturna Community Hall, a lovely heritage building located near the ferry landing. Paintings, drawings, photos, textile art, collages and weavings were on display, tempting visitors and islanders who wandered in the Hall during the afternoons of the show.

The artists are particularly thankful to the Community Club for its generous financing of the new display system. The system worked well, creating islands in the room and featuring colourful displays.

It was fun to see old friends and neighbours, and meet visitors who wandered in the Community Hall to have a look, because what else is there to do while waiting in line for the ferry?

The members of Art Saturna are already working out how to put the display system to good use in the coming months. Stay tuned!