Women and Art

Happy Belated International Women’s Day! There are many women who inspire my art and craft practice. These women include family who introduced me to needlecraft at a young age, friends who challenge me with a new technique, or creators who inspire me from afar. I hope you have such creative influences around you.

To celebrate International Women’s Day, I’ve selected some resources to inspire your creativity, meet new female artists, and celebrate iconic women.

Beadwork: First Peoples’ beading history and techniques by Christi Belcourt 

Christi Belcourt is an iconic Métis visual artist and author celebrated for her paintings. In this book, she shares her knowledge and love of traditional beading. She introduces different types and styles of beading as they relate to cultural identity through use, region, and practice. The book includes history and techniques, a section on materials, stitches, and templates. Truly a treasure!

Quilt out loud: Activism, language & the art of quilting by Thomas Knauer  

Where quilting meeting “craftivism,” this book shows how quilting can be a platform for social movement. Featured artists meticulously stitch words, data, symbols and more to make a statement. To inspire your own work, the book contains letter templates, tips, and resources like morse code or the alphabet in binary code.    

Feminist cross-stitch: 40 bold & fierce patterns by Stephanie Rohr 

Who doesn’t love a well-worded cross-stitch? This book features 40 patterns so you can make a cute affirmation or a sassy statement. There is a wonderfully detailed Rosie the Riveter pattern, but I particularly enjoy the to-do list that includes “practice self-care” and “speak out.”

Crochet iconic women: Amigurumi patterns for 15 women who changed the world by Carla Mitrani

From Greta Thunberg to Jane Austin to Serena Williams, this book is packed with pattern after pattern so you can crochet a tiny, adorable doll of your favourite iconic woman. I can’t decide where to start – do I make Marie Curie with her miniscule Erlenmeyer flask, or a teeny tiny Jane Goodall with a teeny tiny chimpanzee?   

Empowered embroidery by Amy L. Frazer  

This beautiful book is packed with inspiration and instruction. Each thoroughly detailed pattern starts from a sketch and colour guide, then moves through the process with close-up images to specify stitches and techniques. You can follow along, choose some of the variations provided, or use their instruction to make your own pattern. By the end, you’ll be ready to create an incredibly detailed thread painting of Ruth Bader Ginsberg or Michelle Obama.   

A big important art book (now with women): Profiles of unstoppable female artists–and projects to help you become one by Danielle Krysa

Painters, fibre artists, or mixed media creators – there is a delightful range of art in this book! It’s divided into chapters based on expansive topics or categories, like “look to the past” and “tell a visual story.” Each chapter starts with a project relating to the topic, then features page after page of amazing work created by female artists.

Want more creative fun? Check out our Info Guide on Hobbies and Crafts. 

– Meg

No Apologies

Courageous, strength of character, outspoken – none of these qualities should be seen as intimidating. But when a woman is seen as possessing some, perhaps all of these qualities,  people may feel threatened and their cries of insecurity are echoed by hundreds, sometimes thousands of others. There isn’t enough time to discuss the patriarchy and how women have been oppressed and subjected to a sexist, double standard which their male counterparts seldom if ever have to endure. Fortunately there is time to read Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of the Unruly Woman,  by Anne Helen Petersen, who discusses the challenges that women face when they threaten the status quo.

The book is divided into ten essays that explores a different woman and how she’s too much; whether it happens to be an artist or writer, each individual is too much. Hillary Clinton’s assertiveness is too much which makes her shrill, while Serena Williams’ strength makes her too masculine. It’s a fascinating look at how double standards are applied so easily when a woman is found to be threatening.

Serena Williams has made headlines since her debut in the 90s.  In September she lost to Naomi Osaka at the US Open. Ms. Williams`outburst was not only ridiculed but an Australian newspaper had the nerve to publish a racist cartoon of the incident. Would this kind of thing ever happen to a male player? Doubtful. Anne Helen Petersen tells us of Ms. Williams’ meteoric rise in the tennis world, and how the media has portrayed her as anything but feminine. For someone who doesn’t care about tennis, I really enjoyed learning about Serena Williams.

Too Gross explores Broad City, a sitcom that follows the misadventures of Abbi and Ilana, two twenty-something year olds in NYC. Broad City is funny and vulgar, neither Abbi and Ilana are looking for love. These BFFs want to hang out, get stoned, hook up and then Skype later to talk about the day they spent together. The fact that Abbi and Ilana would rather do these things than get married and have a family challenges society’s perception of what women should be and what they should be doing.

At times these essays are shocking because it deals with race, body shaming and sexism. I was frustrated to learn about Madonna being labeled too old? Too old for what? Entertaining millions of fans – which she’s been doing since the 80s? In other instances I was laughing out loud, I’m a big fan of Broad City and I really enjoyed learning about the creation of the show, and how its creators (Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer) had a difficult time conveying to a TV network there was no long-term romantic objective for either of the protagonists. Girls want to have fun – what’s so difficult to understand? Too Shrill discusses Hillary Clinton, it was a tough read, because two years later I’m still upset with Americans who voted for a rich, misogynistic, racist, xenophobe. But I did enjoy learning more about her.

If you`re ready for something different, I highly recommend Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of the Unruly Woman.

Daniel Bohémier

 

 

International Women’s Day

With International Women’s day just around the corner, I thought it would be the perfect time to reflect not only on some of our favourite books on feminism but also on some of our favourite feminist authors.

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

Bad Feminist is a collection of funny, insightful essays exploring what feminism means today. She reflects on what it’s meant to grow up as a woman of colour and what it means to be a feminist who loves things that stereotypically may go against the ideology: For example, loving the colour pink or live-tweeting Vogue.

 

Men Explain Things To Me by Rebecca Solnit

Ever heard of ‘mansplaining’? If not, google it. This book talks about what often goes awry in conversations between men and women. Other than it just being annoying and rude, she also discusses the alarming effects this kind of behaviour can have on women and society as a whole.

 

All the Pretty Girls by Chandra Mayor

Winner of the Lambda award for Best Lesbian Fiction, this collection of short stories is set in Winnipeg, most revolving around women living on the margins of society. Some roll their own cigarettes and pennies for toilet paper; some experience abuse, but most have hope. Mayor argues that all girls are pretty girls.

 

Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham

“I don’t want to freak you out, but I think I might be the voice of my generation,” is a now famous line from Dunham’s character Hanna Horvath on her hit tv show, Girls. As a self-proclaimed feminist her memoir Not That Kind of Girl is written through that lens. Without apology she describes all of her awkward experiences (and I mean all of them) growing up as a millennial girl.

We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This famous essay has been adapted from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Ted Talk on the same issue. Her essay is lauded for its definition of feminism as one rooted in inclusion and awareness. She defines it as the ‘social, political and economic equality of the sexes.’ Now that’s something I think everyone can get behind.

 

Brittany