Frances Solar
Fran
Solar has been a weaver for many years, specialising in functional
clothing and textiles, using traditional fibres and techniques. In the
mid 1990’s she began to experiment with basketry as another textile art
form. After taking workshops at Basket Focus Conferences in Toronto,
Ottawa, and the Okanagen she developed an interest in using metals-ie
copper, brass, stainless steel, wire, as well as interesting bits and
pieces from scrap yards, hardware stores and Boeing Surplus.--to creat
unique woven sculpture, both free standing and wall mounted. She
now finds she has more fun improvising arrangements of shapes.
textures, materials, and colors than she did as a traditional fibre
artist. However she still uses the same loom based textile techniques
developed from earlier years to weave these new sculptural forms.
She
is very much involved in the arts community in Squamish;as a member of
Visuals-- and served on the committee organising Artwalk Studio &
Gallery tour, presented by Visuals in September 2004.
Since
1997 she has been curator of the Foyer Gallery in the Squamish Public
Library,where art works in all disciplines are displayed in month long
exhibitions.
In February 2004 she was the Visual art co-ordinator for Wild At Art- a one day Squamish street Festival.
