Henley Festival

On July 10 and 11, The Big Weave was at the Heneley Festival. As can been seen from the following photographs, the tapestry is now at about 6 inches and has had many hands, eyes and minds involved. It is a wonderful community project.
For more on the Henley Festival visit the website

http://www.henley-festival.co.uk/

Photographs by

Joanne de Nobriga

Day Three Ends

Using the skills and techniques they learned on the small frame looms, the weavers work on the main tapestry

Placing the weft

Note the bubble technique of placing the weft

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Close Up

Putting the new skills to use

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Many hands

This is a community tapestry project

Photos by

Joanne de Nobriga

The Big Weave Day Three

On day three Thoma Ewen gave a workshop for teachers, weavers and craftspeople at Maiden Erlegh school. The small frame looms were produced at the school and are an invaluable tool in learning how to weave a tapestry.

Frame looms

Putting a warp on the frame looms

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Separating warp threads

Using fingers to manipulate the warp

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Tapestry is started

The first couple of inches of weaving

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Nearing the end of this weaving

Only a few more picks to go

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Cutting the warp

The warp threads are cut and tied

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A small finished tapestry

Holding up a wonderful piece

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Two more tapestries

More example of the tapestries produced during the workshop

Photos by

Joanne de Nobriga

Day Two Ends

Placing the cartoon The cartoon is set in place behind the warp

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Marking the warp

A black marker is used to draw the design on the warp
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Caroline & Thoma weave the heron's wingtip
The weaving is on!!


Photos by
Joanne de Nobriga

The Big Weave Cartoon

The Big Weave Project is now into day 2 and the preparation of the cartoon of the design is the main focus.

Working with the design

Careful planning is needed

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Placing a grid

Using a grid to map the design

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Transfering the design to full size cartoon

By way of the grid the cartoon is drawn to full size

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A cornucopia of colour

A selection of the wool for the Big Weave Project


Photos

Joanne de Nobriga

The Big Weave Day 1

Moon Rain and it's artistic director Thoma Ewen are so pleased and excited to be participating in The Big Weave, a coming together of artists and community to create a public art project which gives adults and children the opportunity to learn new skills and to participate in the creation of a unique community artwork.
This international project is located in Reading England and will take place during three weeks in July. Part of the beauty of the project will be derived from taking the project out into the community, teaching basic weaving techniques and providing the opportunity for all to weave.
Reading photographer Joanne de Nobriga joined us and took some amazing photos of the activity. Joanne will join us regularly during the three weeks of this project and has generously offered to document the event. Thank you Joanne.
Below are some of her photographs from day 1

Warping up

Diane and Caroline warping up The Big Weave Loom

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Checking the tension

Thoma checks the tension of the warp on The Big Weave Loom

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The first shed

Thoma prepares the first shed on the loom

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Down to work

Three weavers settle down at the loom

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The first pick

The first pick of the project is laid in place

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The design

Going over the design

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Check back to follow the progress of The Big Weave. Also please go to the Big Weave website at

http://www.thebigweave.org

The Big Weave

Weaving A Vision For The Earth

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Weaving a Vision for the Earth

Join special guest Thoma Ewen to create a tapestry inspired by Earth Day. Write your visions, messages and wishes for Earth and weave them into a communal work of art. Families can also create a personal mini-tapestry to take home.

April 18, 2009 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM

April 19, 2009 11:00AM to 4:00 PM

Canadian Museum of Civilization

100, rue Laurier Street, Gatineau QC

Free with Museum admission

Summer & Fall Workshops

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Moon Rain Centre announces its tapestry workshops schedule for the summer and fall of 2009.


weekend workshops for beginners will be on the following dates:
June 20, 21
August 15, 16
September 12, 13
October 17, 18



5-day workshops for elementary and intermediate tapestry weavers will be the following:
August 17th to 21st
September 14th to 18th
October 19th to 23rd


accommodation and camping are available on site


please telephone 819 457 9711 or
email info@moonrain.ca for more information


Please visit the website at http://www.moonrain.ca/ for detailed workshop descriptions

Winter Weaving Workshop: a weaving retreat and Canadian winter experience

In the autumn of 2008, Moira Diane Wood, fibre artist from Reading, England ( http://www.linenworks.co.uk/) contacted Moon Rain Centre to arrange a winter weaving workshop for herself and her artist sister, Elaine Callen from Ireland. Moira Diane is collaborating with Maiden Erlegh Community Arts School in Reading to develop a Family Weaving Programme that facilitates community tapestry projects as creative community outreach. The two artists wished to further explore tapestry techniques in the quiet retreat of the studio at Moon Rain Centre. Here are Moira Diane Wood's and Elaine Callen's summaries of their winter weaving week.

Elaine Callen in the studio

A few weeks before Christmas my sister and I left the UK for Toronto, boarded a train for Ottawa and on to Quebec. Our first glimpse of Moon Rain came just as the sun was setting - a golden glow in the sky, dark silhouetted trees and blue shadows across snow - more snow than we had ever seen before. Thoma led the way to the studio, showed us our cosy rooms, lit the woodburning stove, advised us of the whereabouts of the washhouse and left us to settle in with a very welcome invitation to dinner later.

Soon the wood-burning stove was roaring and the thought of going outside to the toilet was not appealing. However our night time expeditions to the wash house and the contortions of putting on all the layers required were rewarded with a stunning carpet of stars on clear nights and hushed fields covered in glistening snow.

Mornings we worked hard on our weaving guided and inspired by Thoma quietly and assuredly at work on a new Aurora tapestry. By lunchtime we could no longer resist the lure of the snow outside. Snowshoeing expeditions were called for - a short one to try out our snowfeet with Little One leading the way, and then a more adventurous expedition to the far corner of Moon Rain to visit the frozen waterfall.

Little One shows us the way

Moira Diane on snowshoes

Our last evening was memorable - the euphoria of finishing our tapestries, Thoma's special egg nog (sweetened with Moon Rain's smoky maple syrup) all rounded off with venison stew which had bubbled on the wood burning stove all day.
We enjoyed every minute of our stay at Moon Rain, and cherish all the new experiences it brought. We brought home a beautiful and much admired tapestry each and hope to return one day to see the finished Aurora tapestry and the Moon Rain garden that was hidden under the cloak of snow.

Thank you Thoma and Moon Rain for an unforgettable experience.
Moira Diane Wood

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My week at Moon Rain was a wonderful experience of sunshine and snow, bright blue skies and deep blue shadows. Baskets of multicoloured wools on a warm wooden floor. Ideas and inspirations, weaving and concentration. Snow shoe walks over pristine fields. Icy cold and warming spiced teas.

Elaine Callen. December 2008

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Below are the wonderful finished pieces that Moira Diane and Elaine designed and wove during the winter tapestry workshop

Elaine Callen's winter landscape tapestry

Moira Diane Wood's "Flax Field" tapestry

Moira Diane Wood is a flax spinner and linen weaver living in the UK (http://www.linenworks.co.uk/)

Elaine Callen is a landscape artist working in paint and pastel, she lives in Ireland.

Recent Tapestry Commission

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Garden of Light

custom designed and woven for an Ottawa residence

Greeting Cards

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Greeting Cards Of Moon Rain Tapestries

Greeting cards available from Moon Rain Centre For Tapestry Arts

info@moonrain.ca

Weaving Peace Field Tapestries

National Gallery of Canada

October 25 2008

Photos C. LePlante

Moon Rain Featured on TFO

Broadcast on TFO's Panorama May 11 2006

Moon Rain's Artistic Director Wins Award

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COMMUNIQUÉ

LAURÉATS DES PRIX D’EXCELLENCE DES 9e CULTURIADES DE LA

FONDATION POUR LES ARTS, LES LETTRES ET LA CULTURE EN OUTAOUAIS

Le 6 novembre 2008 - La Fondation pour les arts, les lettres et la culture en Outaouais a rendu hommage aux artistes de la région hier soir, lors de son événement annuel, qui s’est déroulé au foyer de la Maison de la culture de Gatineau. Douze prix furent remis lors de cette neuvième édition de la Soirée des Culturiades, dont l’animation fut assumée par le Théâtre Dérives Urbaines et la trompettiste Isabelle Arseneau-Bruneau.

Le Grand Prix d’excellence - IVes Jeux de la francophonie attribué à un artiste pour l’ensemble de ses réalisations, assorti d’une bourse de 2 500 $ :

- Thoma Ewen (Métier d’art)