Last Friday night we had the Artist’s Reception for Deconstruct to a New Paradigm. It went really well! We had about 100 people attend and a really positive atmosphere. I loved sharing my work with new people and finding out what intrigued them. Here are a few photos of the event. Unfortunately I was so busy greeting people, I didn’t manage to pick up a camera until near the end of the event when it had quieted down. Next time I will assign a photographer!

Opening Reception for “Deconstruct to a New Paradigm”

 

Near the end, a sweet little visitor came and REALLY enjoyed the labyrinth. Watching him dancing around in the center under the spotlight was lovely!

 

“Crossing the Breach” by Jenny Kiehn

I had a very intelligent eight year old visitor who said made some excellent observations about my latest piece “Crossing the Breach.” This is a quilt about the complexities of resolving conflict. This quilt has been ripped apart and is struggling to come together again.

She said “The one pointing the finger doesn’t want there to be a solution. The one curled up doesn’t think there can be a solution. The ones pulling the thread think it might not be what it was before, but it will better than it was because we worked together to put it together.”

Bravo, Natalie!

See, that right there is one of the reasons I love having kids in my life and sharing my artwork with them.  Out of nowhere they can be so insightful!  Isn’t that magical?  And everything you show them is a seed that grows in their minds.  I can’t wait to see what she says when she interprets artwork in a few years.

My workshop also went very well too! Each participant got to make two designs and went home with a 5×7 print of each. The participants got right into it and really enjoyed looking through the wide range of objects I had brought with me.

“Make Your Own Story Quilt” Workshop

 

There was a wide range of interesting objects to work with.

 

Here I am photographing the participant’s designs.

 

The participants talked about how fun it was and what a nice addition it would be to any party. One participant commented on how “it would be great for any kind of party, even a birthday party because you get to do this with other people but you don’t have to talk to them!” “Introvert’s delight!” said another!  In other words it provides a stimulating, shared experience but also gives introverts a much needed break! Then, once you have your designs in hand you can chat about them, so there is a helpful conversation starter for shy people.

By the way, you can definitely chat with people while doing the workshop.  I just think it’s refreshing for introverts because you don’t have to.

Here are some of my favorites from what they came up with:

 

Thank you so much to everyone who came to the opening and participated in the workshop. I really appreciate you! Thank you for helping me to spread thoughtfulness and a mindful approach to creativity in the world!

If you didn’t manage to make it there, you still have time to go to the exhibition. It will be on display from 10:00am to 5:00pm Mon to Fri until August 16th. Going now is actually a great time to go because it’s likely to be quiet, so it’s a good time to walk the labyrinth. I’ve walked it a few times now and every time have found a solution or a new approach to a problem I was struggling with. It is an ancient form, and really does work if you approach it with open minded, quiet intention.

Or of course you can just go and look at the artwork! 😉

Take Care,

Jenny

PS. If you like the look of this workshop, I will be teaching more soon!  Sign up to my email list and I’ll keep you posted!  If you want to know how I can enhance your party or corporate event, see my Events page for more details or contact me here.