Sometimes we call her MacGyver. Galen can pretty much make anything out of anything, especially when the clock is ticking and domestic emergencies loom. I'm serious. She is a brilliant multi-tasking renaissance momma, spilling over with inspiration and love for us all. She expresses herself creatively before she gets her funky pants on in the morning, and she's constantly evolving and finding fresh ways to spread her lovely vision. Galen worked primarily as a painter in her twenties and early thirties, and
explored an impressive range of themes and styles. She began working with fabrics a few years ago and now uses her super-fine taste and creative instinct to take beautiful prints, materials and colours and convert them into an entrancing collection of adult and children's clothing pieces, stuffed toys, pillows, play-tents, magical garden things, and assorted other seriously charming and beautiful whatnots. She loves colour, texture, pattern, form, and function, and every one of her creations has it all. So these days, maybe she's less MacGyver and more MacGyver's Lovechild.
- Lynda Hutcheson biased, long time co conspirator
The Proof
01 A typical view. Most days involve some twirling, some Ramones, a good book and a flight of fancy.
02 This must be my desk these days. Loaded and ready for action, my sewing machine tricked out for good times.
03 A favourite site. My 3 true loves heading up a mountain for berry picking.
04 The Mighty Tick guarding future art supplies against the forces of evil.
05 This looks familiar. A fleeing model making tracks in one of my new sewing endeavours. She's clearly on the hunt for champagne.
06 Some recent projects. Top and bottoms. Not much of a poker players face.
07 An unexpected self portrait. When I painted this, years ago, it was a metaphor. Now it's a day in the life.
08 I've been making lots of critters these days. It's amazing the social networking that takes place with the stuffed people and the 3 year olds. This guy is a well intentioned criminal master mind.
The Questions
What neighbourhood do you live in?
41st and Arbutus-ish - I wish it had a (debatably) sexy street name like "K-town" or "the Dale", but it shuts down at 8 so the sexy street namers are all napping in sweet Kerrisdale.
What do you do and where?
I'm a painter, and newborn fabric artist burgeoning on crafter. I'm also a newbie blogger, (contain breathless excitement, "oh squeal another blogger"). Since I'm in my breeder phase, I wrangle short people most days and look for art and craft from about 3 feet off the ground. I try and do something creative as a daily practice, sometimes I even groom.
What are you working on?
These days I've moved from the canvas to the thread. I'm often working on multiple things at once: Funky kids clothes, not your Grandma's quilts, my own Franken-stitched stylings and getting up in the morning.
Where can we find your work?
