Mountain Art & Craft Sale at The Banff Centre

Memories #1 

Encaustic Collage by Tiffany Teske

I have been gearing up all week for the 2011 Mountain Art & Craft Sale, this weekend, Saturday, October 29th, & Sunday, October 30th. This will be the second year I sell my work at this sale, which is in conjunction with the Banff Mountain Film & Book Festival. A great place to find unique Christmas items made by mountain artists from Alberta & British Columbia, the sale takes place in the RBC Lobby of the Eric Harvey Theatre. With close to 30 artists, you can find blown glass, paintings, fibre art, photography, clothing items and more, all made by hand. Come see me this weekend, if you can, and meet all the wonderful people who make this show a place that locals look forward to shopping year after year. Hours on Saturday are 11 AM - 7:30 PM and on Sunday from 11 AM - 5:30 PM. I will have encaustic collage, Polaroid transfers, silver spoon assemblages, bird nest & glass tile pendants, and magnets, available.

Glass Tile Ring by Tiffany Teske 

Ferns

Polaroid Transfer by Tiffany Teske

Bird Nest Pendant 
by Tiffany Teske 

Abundance

Spoon Assemblage by Tiffany Teske 

Preview of My Work in the Florescence Show, Currently On at Cube Gallery in Ottawa

Dance Passionately Through Life (or I also like to call it Ghost of the Dance)

Encaustic Collage on Wood

12x12"

I love living in Banff, but my old art stomping grounds are Ottawa, Ontario & Chelsea/Wakefield, Quebec, and sometimes, I miss it and the lovely people I know from there. I still show my work in these locations, most frequently at Cube Gallery in Ottawa, for at least two group shows a year, when I am on top of things. The current show, Florescence, is a show about flowers. I have 10 Polaroid transfers, 4 encaustic collages, and 2 collages on canvas in this show. I WISH I could attend the opening on Sunday afternoon, because one of my oldest Ottawa art friends (I mean how long we have known each other, not her age) Mahshid Farhoudi, is the show, too. Mahshid and I used to share a studio on Preston Street in Ottawa. Those were the days... Barbara Gamble, an artist I admire, is also in this show. And the people on the guest list are a whose who of Cube and Ottawa artists I know including Ruth Secunda, Sandra Hawkins, Vivian Tytor, Pam Connolly, Violeta Borisonik, Patrick John Mills, and of course, the owner of Cube, Don Monet. I wish, yet again, that I could somehow teleport myself to this opening to see all the beautiful work. If you are interested in what I have in the show, scroll down to see my offerings...

Bloom

Collage on Canvas

16x20"

Arms of the Angels

Encaustic Collage on Wood

12x16"

Blossom

Polaroid transfer original

3x4"

Once Upon A Time

Polaroid Transfer Original

3x4"

Bloom

Polaroid Transfer Original

3x4"

Storehouse & Nursery of Bastardy

Encaustic Collage on Wood

12x16"

Nostalgia

Polaroid Transfer Original

3x4"

Days Gone By

Polaroid Transfer Original

3x4"

Time Passes Quickly

Polaroid Transfer Original

3x4"

Geisha Girls

Encaustic Collage on Wood

12x16"

It Came To Me In A Dream

Polaroid Transfer Original

3x4"

Please Come See Me

Polaroid Transfer Original

3x4"

Give Up Every Preconceived Notion

Collage on Canvas

12x12"

Today I Thought Of You

Polaroid Transfer Original

3x4"

Growth
Polaroid Transfer Original
3x4"

Florescence - Cube Gallery, Ottawa - September 6th to October 2nd, 2011

Give Up Every Preconceived Notion by Tiffany Teske
Collage on canvas
12x16"

16 pieces of my work are in the following show. 10 are Polaroid transfers, 4 are encaustic collage, and 2 are collage on canvas. I will be uploading images of them all here in the next couple days. For now you can see them in this Facebook album...

September 6 – Oct. 2, 2011
Florescence
At Cube Gallery
( n. the process of blooming and flowering )

Vernissage: Sunday, Sep 11th, 2011 — 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm

They can be an expression of adoration or remorse; happiness or sadness; re-birth or bereavement . The language of flowers is vast, ancient and mysterious, yet somehow always fresh.
Join the dialogue at Cube Gallery from Sept. 6 – Oct. 2 as we present Florescence, a show that celebrates, explores and delivers flowers.
This group will feature some of Canada’s most distinguished still life artists including:
Barbara Gamble, Tiffany Teske, Gary Bowes, Janet Moore, Paul Schibli, Julia McDonald, Mashid Farhoudi, Beth Levin, Nicholas Abusow, Pina Manoni-Rennick.

====================================

Floraison
6 septembre - 2 octobre 2011

Vernissage:Dimanche le 11 septembre 2011 – 14h à 17h

Elles peuvent être une expression d’adoration ou de remords; de joie ou de tristesse; de renaissance ou de deuil. Le langage des fleurs est vaste, ancien et mystérieux, mais toujours frais.
Venez participer au dialogue à la galerie Cube, du 6 septembre au 2 octobre, alors que nous vous présentons Floraison, une exposition qui célèbre, explore et vous livre des fleurs.
Ce groupe présentera des artistes parmi lesquels sont les plus distingués dans l’art de la nature morte.
Barbara Gamble, Tiffany Teske, Gary Bowes, Janet Moore, Paul Schibli, Julia McDonald, Mashid Farhoudi, Beth Levin, Nicholas Abusow, Pina Manoni-Rennick

Submissions to the Self Portait Challenge From Cloth, Paper, Scissors (Using Polaroid Transfers & Emulsion Lifts)

Ever since I left University, I have looked for opportunities to make art to a theme and on a deadline. That was one of the things I loved about being in school. I am good with deadlines, and while I don't really plan out my work before I get started, aside from the medium I plan to use, I do like to have a direction to go in.

Authentically Me by Tiffany Teske
Encaustic collage on wood
6x6"

I created this for the Cloth Paper Scissors "A Little Me" challenge. It is called "Authentically Me". It is a 6x6" encaustic collage. I first used a colour copy of a gelatin monoprint I made using a self portrait image I took of my own feet and hands. I combine a black and white copy of the image with printmaking inks and a flower which left a negative print. I combine the colour copy of the monoprint with beeswax, then using a stylus I hand wrote adjectives I would use to describe myself. I then rubbed a Shiva paintstik in iridescent copper over the words and removed the excess. This piece is "authentically me" because it is how I see myself and because it contains flaws in my spelling and hand writing. I don't generally plan out all aspects of my pieces so I accept "mistakes" as something that happens when a real person makes art. Perfection is impossible and can get in the way of making good art. This piece also includes a wire bird nest with gemstone bead eggs that I made. Much of my work contains birds, feathers, eggs, and nests, so it just seemed right to include it as one of those things people identify with me and as something that is close to my heart.

Detail of Authentically Me

I am Unique (Like Everyone Else) by Tiffany Teske
Encaustic collage
6x6"

This is another submission for the Cloth Paper Scissors challenge. It is entitled, "I Am Unique (Like Everyone Else)" because it is true and because I have always liked that saying. It is a 6x6" encaustic collage. It has many layers and meanings. I started with a colour copy of a Polaroid transfer of a self portrait I made on handmade paper. I layered beeswax on top of the copy, and then, using a stylus, I hand wrote information about me across the piece. I then rubbed a black Shiva paintstik over the words, then layered it with more wax and fused. I added a feather and ribbon, two eggs (one that is broken and contains another egg), a wire and gemstone bead nest I made, and a twig I painted, distressed, and added vintage paper flowers to and dipped in wax. I made a little pouch from a wire edged ribbon, sewn together with wire, that contains the word "remember" and some turquoise beads. Turquoise is said to take on the characteristics of its owner. I selected the word "remember" because much of my work has to do with memory. The eggs represent my children and the nest the home I have created. Much of my work contains birds, feathers, eggs, and nests. This feather represents my travels through life and the ribbon my childhood. The flowers represent growth. I made them on a twig because I derive a lot of inspiration from nature and I live in a National Park.The phrases are personal things about me. The whole piece is a bit complicated, and eclectic, like me.

I am Unique (Like Everyone Else) Detail

I am Unique (Like Everyone Else) Detail

I am Unique (Like Everyone Else) Detail

I am Unique (Like Everyone Else) Detail

My Skin by Tiffany Teske
Encaustic collage
6x6"

And for my last submission to the CPS challenge... It is entitled, "My Skin". It is a 6x6" encaustic collage. I started by writing my thoughts onto carbon paper with tissue beneath. I then added the tissue to my substrate using wax. Next, I transferred a colour copy of a Polaroid emulsion lift self portrait I made onto my encaustic surface. I added the words, "I feel comfortable in my own skin" to the wax surface by writing with a stylus onto carbon paper. I added a wire and gemstone bead nest I made, a feather I found while out exploring with my daughter, and a distressed ribbon in my favourite colour, dipped in wax. The nest represents the home I have created, the feather my need to travel and discover, and the cheerfully coloured ribbon ties these things together, bound by the wax, as they are entwined in me.

My Skin Detail

Thanks for taking a look at my work... I am always happy to share it!

New Work - Maternity Shoot for Polaroid Transfer Originals

Commissioned Polaroid Transfer 2011

This may be one of my final Polaroid transfers. After stocking up on 669 film after Polaroid announced they would cease to produce it, people would ask me what I was going to do when it all ran out. Well, I have had a good long run with Polaroid processes, and I like change. If you do something for too long you run the risk of falling into a rut. I decided that when my 669 was gone, I would either stop and do something else or I would find a new way to make transfers and emulsion lifts. I will write more on what I have decided to do, soon. But for now, I wanted to share that I am down to one box of 669 (!!). And in the past month I have had a very exciting time using up my expired film. It has not been without incident, though, since the chemistry has been acting up. Everything I have made in the past year or so has had sepia toned streaks that no matter how many times I cleaned my rollers, I could not stop. While part of the ArtsPeak Studio Tour this year, I gave demos on transfers and emulsion lifts. I had 6 hours straight two days in a row to work. At this point, I had already shot a maternity session, that I was hired to do because the mom-to-be was enamoured with a transfer (you can see it below) I had given to my midwife, who is also her midwife. She commissioned me to make two transfers. But that weekend I began to wonder if I was going to be able to fulfill her request. But with the time to work I turned panic into a solution with some trial and error. I let the transfers that I had made dry, then I put them back in water and rubbed off the brown staining with the tips of my fingers. It worked remarkably well. And it made me feel really good that after 10 years of working with this process I was able to learn something new, something that would also save the day on this commission. Phew! I am so glad I could make this image...

The inspiration for the above transfer was an image I made if my dear friend, Cristina, when she was pregnant with her son, Francis. I think this was taken in 2004, but my memory is not as good as it used to be...

ArtsPeak Studio Tour 2011

What an amazing weekend! I am still on cloud nine. I was asked awhile back by the Edge Gallery in Canmore, to be part of the Canmore ArtsPeak Art Festival, by being part of their leg of the studio tour. David and Kathy Foxcroft, who run Edge Gallery, have some of my Polaroid transfers in their gallery, and I was part of a group show there last summer. David creates amazing collages and I have had some good conversations with him about art. He and Kathy were introduced to me by my talented (and amazing) friend, Barb Fyvie, whom I met when I took part in an exquisite corpse art collaboration in 2009. You know those people who just make you smile when you think about them? Anyway, I jumped at the chance to be part of the studio tour, both because of the fun I was sure to have, and because my hubby was available for the weekend, and it would mean 6 solid hours, TWO DAYS IN A ROW, of child free art making. Now you all know how much I LOVE my kiddos, and making art with them, but sometimes, Mama needs her time alone...

Our studios were in Silver Creek in Canmore. They are units that are for sale, and they have both a living space, and a studio/retail space. Very cool, and if Andre and I were empty-nesters, I would jump at the chance to live in a home where I could also have a studio and gallery. The Edge Gallery is one of these units, as is the Virginia Ann Hemingson Art Gallery. The ones we were in were bare bones, large, light filled spaces with plenty of wall space for exhibiting our work. I must say that I am not the best display person, so I just hung all my work salon style and set up my table to work on. But, fellow artists, Larissa McLean, and Annie M. Froese, effortlessly TRANSFORMED their space into a garden of colour. I have no idea how they did it. They travelled all the way from High River to be there, and they opened the doors to their van and a garden came pouring out! I wish I would have taken pictures... hopefully they took some!

On Saturday, I had my space all to myself, which was heavenly. Not that I didn't want a neighbour, but I am just as happy to be alone as I am to social. Barb, who was participating in the weekend, as one of the en plein air painters at the gallery, greeted me and helped me to set up. I was super excited for the demos I would be giving. On 10:30 AM each day, I "formally" demonstrated Polaroid transfer, and at 2:30 PM, Polaroid emulsion lifts. That is what I was scheduled to do in the newspaper advertisement, but I worked all day in both processes, as people gathered around to watch. Many were very interested, maybe because of my enthusiasm. I am so passionate about making art, any kind of art, but Polaroid processes are my old friends. You know the ones who you don't have to see for a long time, but when you finally do you just fall back into step like no time has passed? I could make a Polaroid transfer in my sleep. And after years of teaching the process, it was fun to demonstrate it for an audience that was just there to listen and watch. I have never actually done that. And I printed several images that I have never tried before.

One Sunday, my studio mate joined me. I was excited all morning to meet her. Shannon Williamson, from Calgary, works in encaustic. I couldn't wait to pick her brain. She was so so lovely from the moment I met her, and her husband, Doug. Doug, went off to oil paint, en plein air, and Shannon gave an encaustic demonstration for most of the day. And patiently answered my questions. I learned a great deal, both about encaustic, and about pricing my work, since Shannon works at Wallace Galleries in Calgary. I have been an artist my whole life, but pricing is still such a sticky issue... I am grateful to Shannon for her generosity, both in teaching me, and in purchasing some of my work. I look forward to seeing her again.

I was really surprised by the turn out on Sunday as opposed to Saturday. And it was busiest at the end of the say on Sunday, which is not common in weekend shows I have done. I had more sales than I anticipated and I gave 20% of that to Mountain Arts for next year's festival. I was not look at this as a selling opportunity, mostly as time to work, to meet other artists, and to learn a thing or two.

And speaking of meeting other artists, I also briefly met Lucie Bause, of Canmore, whose Portal XII, just became Canmore's newest public art piece. And Karin Millson, of Calgary, whose demonstration, entitled "Sewing Machine Abuse" caught my eye the minute I saw it advertised in the newspaper. Unfortunately, I was so busy all weekend that I never did get to go and learn from her, but I plan to pay her a visit. And I also plan to visit Larissa and Annie in High River. I would like to photograph the beautiful Larissa in the wonderful Victorian hats and clothing that she owns, among her colourful gardens, and to see Annie's gallery. Maybe I will make the trip with the one person I met this weekend whom I have been waiting to meet. Sometimes, there is a person that EVERYONE I know seems to ask me if I know. And I don't know them. And it shocks everyone... well, that person walked right in to my studio at the end of the day. Her husband had seen my demos the day before, but since she was giving a workshop in bookmaking(the legal kind) she had not been with him. I recognized him from the day before. And the minute this woman started talking I KNEW who she was. I had been waiting to meet her. AND not 10 minutes before, I had been talking about her with my new friend, Adrienne Lawlor, whom I had exchanged emails with but whom I accidently met in person that day... the woman whom I am quite sure I will be making a lot of art with is Dea Fischer. Things happen when they do for a reason... and I always approach each art experience with an open mind, because I just never know what is going to happen... and that is my favourite part about every day.

"UFOs on display at library" Rocky Mountain Outlook Article About My Current Show "Decidedly Undecided"

UFOs on display at library
Feb 03, 2011 12:33 pm | MICHELLE MACULLO

submitted
BUCKET STUDY #2 by Tiffany Teske

January was a busy month for Banff photographer and artist Tiffany Teske.

Rarely one to say no, even with little notice, she jumped at the opportunity to host the February art show at the Banff Public Library Art Gallery. With little more than a month to pull off an exhibit, operating on a-few-minutes-here and an-hour-there schedule, she did what she does best – making visual magic out of what she calls UFOs – unfinished objects.

“A lot of people in crafts and arts would know what that is,” she said.

The past four weeks were a blur, and now that she’s playing catch-up, she’s wondering how it is she is no longer considered a scorpio, given the recent astrological decision detailing the misalignment of the stars to their signs.

“I’m flabbergasted,” she says in disbelief. “There’s no way I’m not a scorpio.”

But perhaps there is some truth up in the sky.

Unlike a scorpio, Teske was ambivalent about a name for her exhibit. And then it dawned on her.

During February, Teske presents Decidedly Undecided, a rich blend of new and revamped photography, mixed media and mosaic pieces on display at the Banff Public Library Art Gallery. An opening reception with the artist in attendance takes place on Saturday (Feb. 5) from 7-9 p.m.

Most impressive pieces in the show include Cold Heart of the Sun, Balance and Bucket Study #2.

Teske says her career choice was deliberate and made for a number of reasons, the least being money. And while she’s had the opportunity to follow more traditional artistic paths with a meatier paycheque, she’s comfortable with who she is and what she does. And she has a good support network to boot.

“I make it work,” she said. “There’s a statistic out there that says most artists quit by the time they’re 40. My husband won’t let me quit.

“It’s who I am. It’s my sanity. When I don’t do it I get stressed out.” Teske uses her house as an informal gallery, displaying many of her efforts, those of her friends and pieces acquired through art trades. While her skills and interests have evolved since she first picked up a 110 camera at the age of seven, she’s a firm believer that her past has provided her with the foundation for continual inspiration, and a constant supply of artwork for her walls.

“I’m not old enough for a retrospective,” she says. “But I’m proud of all of it.”

The majority of the show’s pieces are for sale. For more information on Teske or her artwork, email tiffany@oldesage.com or visit her blog at www.tiffanyteske.com.

Decidedly Undecided is on display until Feb. 28.

Miss Match Diptych - Week 11

Left: Tiffany Teske
Right: g(ART)en / Gordana

My second foray into the Miss Match/fPOE diptych project. My wonderful partner was Gordana, of g(ART)en. My image is of the hands. I love how Gordana made a story with our images. A "dark fairytale" as one person commented...

Female Photographers of Etsy Release Their First Book, "She's a Rainbow"

Photo Mosaic by Amy Longberry

I have a shop on the popular handmade site, Etsy. I started selling on Etsy in 2007 and I am a member of several teams there. Teams do many things together like have group sales, hold member chats, write group blogs, and promote team members. Teams are usually formed around a theme or shared interest. One of my teams is Female Photographers of Etsy or fPOE, formed by fellow photographer, Elle Moss. The team was formed in 2009 and has over 200 members. As an admin on fPOE I have been working with team members Myan, Meganzii, Ligeia, Lililly,Shannonblue, Ena and the Swan, and Elle Moss, on our first group book, She's a Rainbow. We started the process back at the end of October. The book features four photographs from each of 58 talented members who chose to participate. The cover was designed by Myan, the cover photo is by ravencolours, and the intro was written by Futurowoman. The book is available through Blurb and can be viewed and purchased here. It has been wonderful to work on this colorful project with so many incredible female photographers.

Here are my images from the book:


Stairway to Heaven (Iceland) by Tiffany Teske


Kamibayashi by Tiffany Teske (Polaroid Transfer)


Carrotss by Tiffany Teske (Polaroid Transfer)


Deflowered by Tiffany Teske (Polaroid Transfer)