Polar Expressions
Sandra Meech
January 16 - April 4, 2021
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
With a background in art and graphic design, Sandra’s form of creative expression is primarily contemporary quilts and mixed media with stitching. She often begins with photographs, studying the details and textures in nature, and then explores her ideas in sketchbooks, paintings, drawings and collages. Eventually she transfers her vision onto cloth, adding pieces of dyed or painted fabrics before the layers are machine and hand-stitched.
Throughout her career, Sandra has found inspiration in the Arctic landscape and the life of the Inuit. Growing up in Canada, she found inspiration early in the ice and snow. A visit to Baker Lake in Arctic Canada furthered her appreciation of the vast beauty of the northern regions. Equally importantly, Sandra was inspired by the people who live in the Arctic. She recalls how “meeting the Inuit people and learning about their art and way of life, in addition to the making of caribou skin clothing,” would inspire her work for many years.
On a trip to Iceland, she was particularly impressed by the sight of the ancient ice that had washed up onto the black lava shore. Her observations of melting glaciers prompted her to learn more about the increasing rate of melting, which in turn informed her artwork. In recent years, her focus has also included urban life and the effects of global warming on forests, woodlands and particularly the Polar regions. For her series Meltdown, she uses orange and red thread with copper shim to reflect the effect of climate change on the ice.
Sandra has studied in Canada and England, earning degrees in art and education. Her work has been exhibited around the world, and is a part of several private collections in Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the USA. She has also presented and taught around the world, including Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom and the USA. A sought after teacher, Sandra shared her skills and knowledge for several decades in venues around the world. Recently she has stepped back from teaching in order to focus more on creating art.
Her work has been featured in several magazines including British Patchwork and Quilting, Machine Quilting Unlimited, Magic Patch, Quilting Arts Magazine, The World of Embroidery and Stitch, WOW Magazine, Textile Forum and Textiles by Mary Schoeser (2012) and Dimensional Cloth by Andra F. Stanton (2018).
EXHIBITION GALLERY
