Artist: Heike Blohm of Newmarket, Ontario, Canada.
Interview 117:
Interview curated and published by Gareth Bate and Dawne Rudman.
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Heike Blohm is an artist residing in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada with her husband Berny and their two university-aged children Erik and Elise. She graduated from the Illustration Programme at Sheridan College in 1982 and worked freelance as an Illustrator/Graphic Designer for a number of years. Her figurative pieces have twice won Best of Show at the Canadian Doll Artists Association annual conference and have graced a bag of Polyfill stuffing for two years. She has had her work published in A Needle Pulling Thread magazine and Art Doll Quarterly. She has taught classes at the Creative Festival in Toronto, Canada and through one-on-one sessions. Her pieces reside in homes from the west to the east coast of Canada and as far away as Japan. Heike participates in the annual Newmarket Studio Tour and sells her work in a number of smaller venues. Heike's website, Tumblr
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Artist Heike Blohm, photo: Bernard Gagne. |
What does your artwork involve?
I am a textile artist who incorporates paint, paper, beads, recycled fabrics in my work – and a long list of items waiting for me to try with stitch. If I can use fabric or stitch with a technique in some form, it is fair game. I started off doing more figurative pieces but I have moved onto less dimensional works as well. I enjoy creating each kind equally though I do more images for wall art these days because of time constraints.
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Full Moon, 18" H, hand dyed cottons, silk, lace, chiffon, fabric paint, pencil crayons, beads, paper-clay, wooden stand, ribbon. This piece won the People's Choice Award for the Fibre Art category of the Silver Anniversary Designer's Style Challenge of the Creative Festival, 2012, Toronto, Ontario. |
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Detail: Full Moon, 18" H, hand dyed cottons, silk, lace, chiffon, fabric paint, pencil crayons, beads, paper-clay, wooden stand, ribbon. |
A lot of your work is with figurative pieces, how did this come about?
My figurative pieces are fantasy based, with mermaids sitting at the top of my list of favourites. I did a lot of reading when I was a child, so the figures definitely get drawn from the influence of all the folklore and fairy tales I consumed. The base figures have gotten simpler over the years as I find I want to spend more time exploring colour and texture options rather than worrying about creating feet. As the details slowly emerge for each figure, I find myself creating a story to suit the personality. A touch of mischief, a little bit of mystery, and a little bit of wisdom - they all have something. Most figurative pieces will not be sold as I feel like I would be selling off a friend.
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Anemone, 18" H, hand dyed cottons, lace, chiffon, beads, wooden stand.This piece won the People's Choice Award for the Fibre Art category of the Silver Anniversary Designer's Style Challenge of the Creative Festival, 2012, Toronto, Ontario. |
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Detail: Anemone, 18" H, hand dyed cottons, lace, chiffon, beads, wooden stand. |
You work in 2D as well, tell us about that side of your practice:
Once I started back at a full time job, I had fewer hours with which to be creative, and seeing as I need the creativity as much as I need to breathe and eat, I had to compromise. Out of this my floral artwork and landscapes were born. I play with a combination of papers (mostly Japanese) and acrylic or fabric paints, make lots of messes and work back into the layers for the final piece. The one thing that both the figures and my floral and landscape pieces all have in common is the use of texture – I love being able to run my fingers over a finished piece to have a tactile connection to go with the visual one. The floral art tends to be bright and bold with no holds barred as to using leftover bits off the sewing room floor to finish everything off. The landscapes are another matter entirely. I work on natural linen and use black rayon machine embroidery thread for the base design. I do not draw anything on the linen first but I do work from a sketchbook drawing. In a way I am drawing with my sewing machine. I like the spontaneous feel of just going for it – mistakes and all.
The figures I create make me smile and bring back some of the magic you lose when growing up. The landscapes bring me peace and quiet. I find with the craziness that life can be for most of us I need both the magic and the quiet to keep myself on the right track.
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Moana, 12" H, undyed cotton, hand dyed cottons, silk, lace, netting, chiffon, wire, beads, old jewelry, hand dyed mohair, fabric paints, pencil crayon.Moana won Best of Show at the 2005 Canadian Doll Artists Association Annual Conference. She was the very first mermaid I made and now I can't stop! The base of the figure was created from stitched layers of cottons, silks, chiffon, netting, and lace with tons of hand beading added at the end. The hair was needle felted onto her head after I added light washes of fabric paints to her face and arms. |
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Detail: Moana, 12" H, undyed cotton, hand dyed cottons, silk, lace, netting, chiffon, wire, beads, old jewelry, hand dyed mohair, fabric paints, pencil crayon. |
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Detail: Moana, 12" H, undyed cotton, hand dyed cottons, silk, lace, netting, chiffon, wire, beads, old jewelry, hand dyed mohair, fabric paints, pencil crayon. |
What does your art mean to you?
The need to create, to translate ideas in my head into something more tangible, is as necessary to me as the need to breathe. Without a creative outlet to give me some downtime from the everyday things we all deal with, I would not be a very happy individual.
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Night Garden, 18" H, hand dyed cottons, silk, recycled silk blouse, beads, chiffon, wooden stand. |
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Detail: Night Garden, 18" H, hand dyed cottons, silk, recycled silk blouse, beads, chiffon, wooden stand. |
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Detail: Night Garden, 18" H, hand dyed cottons, silk, recycled silk blouse, beads, chiffon, wooden stand. |
From where do you get your inspiration?
Inspiration comes from so many different directions for me. It can be something as simple as a comment a friend makes or the way the light is filtered through the tree outside my living room window. When my head is too full of ideas and I am not sure of where to go next, I find going for a walk in the local park clears my head and allows me to focus. I always take a small camera or sketchbook with me to record ideas when they hit. My collection of tree images is growing by leaps and bounds and I am sure I would need to live well past 100 years to make use of them all!
I love browsing through second hand / vintage clothing stores as the bits and pieces of someone else's life can get me to musing how to incorporate my finds into something new. The figures I create always have some old pieces of clothing incorporated, usually not recognizable, as I like having a bit of history attached to a piece.
Music also plays a big part in my creation process, with certain songs having inspired a visual image that just begs to come to life. For instance, bright and bold floral artwork means the music will be high energy. I don't want to think too hard in the beginning stages as I lose the spontaneity of the process. As I finish a piece of artwork, whether it be figurative or a landscape, the music quiets down as I don't want to overdo what I am working on.
For those times when inspiration is hiding, I find that getting together with other artists can really get ideas flowing - the more diverse the group of artists the better. Bouncing ideas off of someone else, seeing what other people are doing can trigger a flurry of inspiration, as I want to see if I can "just try that with fabric or stitch".
The one thing I do find is that the less time I have for my artwork, the more the ideas come – funny how that works.
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Undine, 12" H, cloth, lace ribbon, beads, wire, mohair.Undine was 1st runner up for a Fairfield Poly-fil® competition and had graced the bags of Soft touch Poly-fil® for a couple of years. |
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Detail: Undine, 12" H, cloth, lace ribbon, beads, wire, mohair. Undine was 1st runner up for a Fairfield Poly-fil® competition and had graced the bags of Soft touch Poly-fil® for a couple of years. |
What specific historic artists have influenced your work?
The beautiful clean lines of Art Deco figurative pieces have always been one of the best sources of inspiration for any figure I do. There is such a wonderful balance between detail and the flowing lines of the sculptures, that I do my best to achieve the same feel with my figures. I have always loved the Art Nouveaux illustrations of Alphonse Mucha and I find that the expressive hands he drew on his female figures are always foremost in my mind when posing the fingers on my pieces.
At the other end of the spectrum, Impressionist artists, such as Vincent van Gogh, who used colour and brush stroke with such abandon, give me the look I strive for with my floral pieces. Upon closer inspection, their work is not finely detailed, the colours are not what you thought they were but the final result gets the story across.
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Wave Dancer, 18" H, cotton cloth, ribbon, beads, ribbon, wooden stand. |
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Detail: Wave Dancer, 18" H, cotton cloth, ribbon, beads, ribbon, wooden stand. |
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Detail: Wave Dancer, 18" H, cotton cloth, ribbon, beads, ribbon, wooden stand. |
Why did you choose to go into fibre art?
I can't say that I specifically chose to go into fibre art, it was just part of a natural progression for me. I have always had art supplies at hand when growing up so I spent a lot of time drawing when I wasn't reading as a child. My mother did a lot of sewing as well as her own artwork, so picking up the skills from her was nothing unusual in our household. I played around a bit in college with textiles for some of my projects but nothing really major as an "Aha!" moment. Later on I made clothes for my children and myself, but actually using fabric as an art medium did not happen until years down the road. The actual turning point came about when I spotted a Father Christmas figure that I fell for but it was not in my budget. I took a close look at it and realized that it would not be too difficult for me to make one. My first attempts at creating a body pattern were laughably simple but functional. People started asking me to make some old style Santa's for them and I went on from there. One of the most enjoyable aspects of fibre art for me is the versatility of the art form. Anything I did with more traditional art supplies, I can still incorporate with fabrics - there are so many directions it can take you in.
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Meera, 14" H, cotton cloth, leather scraps, wire, lace, mohair for hair, beads. |
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Detail: Meera, 14" H, cotton cloth, leather scraps, wire, lace, mohair for hair, beads. |
When you were a child, did you want to become an artist and did your parents encourage your creativity?
I grew up in a very creative household. My mother and sister are artists, my father is a professional photographer, my brother is a talented carpenter, and several cousins are artists – so to not be an artist would have been more unusual. There was always a supply of art materials to hand and I never really thought of becoming anything else.
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Green Goddess, 18" H, cloth, wire, ribbon, beads, yarn, ribbon. |
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Green Goddess, 18" H, cloth, wire, ribbon, beads, yarn, ribbon. |
What other fibre artists are you interested in?
Three names immediately pop into mind: Maija Brummer from Finland along with Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn from Great Britain. Maija Brummer has created some of the most magical pieces of fibre art I have ever seen. She works with a lot of water soluble fabrics to create very light and airy artwork and when I first saw her work my jaw hit the floor. I must admit I wanted to jump up and down like a kid from the excitement of the discovery. I immediately went out and got my hands on lots of water-soluble stabilizer and started playing around with it. Being able to stitch pieces together and then washing away the stabilizer to reveal an almost spider web effect has so many possibilities!
Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn are also known are Double Trouble Enterprises. They both have slightly different approaches to their work but they compliment each other beautifully. They have a vast array of techniques under their belts that anytime I find a book they have published or one of their DVD's I snap it up. The information they share is worth its weight in gold. Every one of their books I go through again and again just to stare at the photos admiring what they have managed to create. I have tried many of the techniques they write about and I always have good results.
All three of these ladies never fail to inspire me no matter what I am working on.
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All dressed up, 20" H, hand dyed cottons, silk, lace, chiffon, netting, beads, wire, wooden stand, ribbon, pencil crayon, fine point markers. The body was created as a flat piece of fabric with layers of dyed cottons, chiffon and lace with the final layers added by hand after stitching the body together. |
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Detail: All dressed up, 20" H, hand dyed cottons, silk, lace, chiffon, netting, beads, wire, wooden stand, ribbon, pencil crayon, fine point markers. |
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Detail: All dressed up, 20" H, hand dyed cottons, silk, lace, chiffon, netting, beads, wire, wooden stand, ribbon, pencil crayon, fine point markers. |
How have your expectations changed over the years?
I don't know that they have. I expect my artwork to evolve as I try new things – to challenge my creative process. As long as I can keep moving forward with my work I have no specific expectations.
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Detail: Moonlight Magic, 18" H, cloth, silk, mohair, beads, sequins, chiffon, netting, wooden stand. |
What is the most interesting thing to you about the world of fibre art?
Working with textiles and other fibres has changed a lot over the last number of years. There was a time when fibre arts would have been considered a woman's domain and been viewed as a craft form but not necessarily as an art form. I love the fact that artists are taking off in all directions with their interpretations of fibre arts and taking the viewer on so many different journeys. The possibilities of what can be done with such simple materials are endless. This is also what I love about the World of Threads Festival – it helps to open up others to the evolution that is happening with fibres. It gives us a chance to see what others have done.
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Russett, 18" H, undyed cotton, silk from an old shirt, leather, mohair, nutshells, feathers, semi precious stone chips, sun bleached wood, wool leftovers from stitchery kits. All items were from natural materials as part of a doll challenge issued by my doll group. |
What do you consider to be the key factors to a successful career as an artist?
This one is easy to answer, and a tough question at the same time. Does success mean fame and fortune or something more? For me it means you have to be happy with what you are doing. If other people react to my artwork the same way I feel about it – smile at the figurative pieces and find the quiet spaces in the landscapes, then I consider that a success.
It is about the creative process – without that there is no career to be had.
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Detail: Verdigris, 12" H, cotton fabric, lace, chiffon, beads, shells, ribbon, wooden base. |
Please explain how you developed your own style.
I don't know if I can explain specifically how my style developed over the years – it was simply a natural evolution. As I try new techniques and add new skills to my repertoire, I can see changes in how I approach a figurative piece or a stitch-scape but the basic elements are still there. I always draw faces on the figures with pencil and pencil crayon, the bodies tend to be a certain size, (I've tried to work smaller – the piece grows when I am not looking) and I pose the fingers "just so". These three elements are distinctly mine.
I did a lot of pen and ink contour drawing in my art college days, and kept up this practice whenever I drew anything. It has gotten to the point nowadays that I prefer to draw with a fine point black marker or even a black pen instead of a pencil. This penchant for fine black lines led me to my sewing machine being used to "draw" on fabric with black thread. I try to challenge myself to do an entire stitch-scape with just one continuous line. It does not always work – the thread can break, (or I run out) but the spontaneous look of the finished piece is what I strive for.
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Jacqu'leen, 18" H, cotton fabric, velvet, hand dyed silk, wire, beads, chiffon, paper mâché pumpkin, beads, embroidery floss, wool roving. |
Tell us about your studio and how you work:
My studio goes by a different name in this house – it is called the living room. I do my machine stitching on a small table tucked behind a sofa. I am surrounded by baskets and bowls, which hold the bits and pieces that I use for my work. I have storage drawers nearby holding all my threads and small supplies with most of the fabrics stored in bins on a set of shelves in the basement. I have a workroom in the basement, but I find I need to see beyond four walls in order to be happy, so I migrated the main portion of what I do to our living room.
I tend to do the machine stitching when I have larger blocks of time and then do the fussier hand work in the evenings while sitting in my favourite chair beside the big living room window. I always have multiple pieces on the go – it is not from lack of focus, it is from too many ideas wanting to be born and the need to get going on them. Because I do a lot of slow, detailed work I put the projects down from time to time and switch to a new one so that I have fresh eyes again. Rather like not being able to see the forest for staring at the trees too long! My family has been very supportive as I slowly take over the living room. They are not surprised when I use the floor to layout designs when the kitchen table does not have enough room, nor are they put off by the baskets under the coffee table that can contain body parts and other items I need. The kitchen table is my wet work surface, just covered in a large sheet of plastic. I do clear it in time for meals! The family all pitch in when I need a hand prepping for a show or sale so I must admit to being very lucky!
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It's not about what you have, it's about what you do with it. The space is small but the view is great. Photo: Heike Blohm. |
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Figure, 10" seated, Cotton fabric, Poly-fil stuffing, sock yarn, silk, pencil outline for the face. Starting to work on a basic figure. Costuming details are still being worked out. The face has been started. Photo: Heike Blohm. |
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Flight of Fancy, 18" tall. Wooden base, cotton fabric, Poly-fil® stuffing, silk, organza, lace, feathers, beads, pencil crayon and pencil (for face colouring). The figure is partially dressed. I'm still working on placement of arms. The face is halfway there. Photo: Heike Blohm. |
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Flight of Fancy, 18" tall. Wooden base, cotton fabric, Poly-fil® stuffing, silk, organza, lace, feathers, beads, pencil crayon and pencil (for face colouring). Second arm added to figure. Sorting feather placement for the hair and headdress. Photo: Heike Blohm. |
What interests you about the World of Threads festival?
The World of Threads Festival allows people to get a glimpse of the talented fibre artists that are cropping up all around the globe. It would not be possible to see such a variety of work without some sort of common thread (pardon the expression!) to get us all connected. I look forward to the interviews as they allow the readers/viewers a peek at what goes on inside the workings of other fibre artists' heads and plenty of eye candy to keep us going.
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"Where the Music Moves You"I was given the opportunity to participate in a fund raiser for the Blue Bridge Music Festival by transforming a violin that was to be auctioned off. I loved the challenge of using stitch to create something magical on a hard surface. |
Do you have any upcoming shows?
The only show on my calendar at this point in time is the Annual Newmarket Studio Tour that takes place each October. With a full time work schedule I try to participate in smaller shows as they crop up.
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