Good morning! Two weekends ago I found myself at Nathan Phillips Square on a hot and sunny Sunday afternoon. I'd completely forgotten that the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition was on, so I was a bit bemused as I wandered into the maze of booths, stepping carefully to avoid the big mud puddles, relics of Saturday's thunderstorm. [caption id="attachment_220" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Photo courtesy Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition"] [/caption] With more than 500 exhibitors, there was a lot to look at: paintings, photography, sculpture, mixed-media art (not to mention the ice-cream vendors, hot-dog carts and beer garden...ahem). But the booths that caught my eye were the ones occupied by textile artists. From screen-prints to subversive embroidery/fabric collage to baby bonnets knit from fine-gauge wire to rip-stop nylon, reinterpreted, there was plenty to admire and be inspired by. [caption id="attachment_221" align="aligncenter" width="239" caption="Photo courtesy Kate Busby"] [/caption] The booth that I enjoyed the most was that of Kate Busby, a Toronto-based textile artist whose work was absolutely beautiful (that's one of her quilts, above). It takes a lot to get me excited about a quilt or a wool blanket on a hot summer's day, but the work Kate had on display had me wishing for a cold winter's night (and a spare $500 or so, but that's another matter). I particularly appreciated the interplay of colour and texture in her meticulous work, and her designs made me think of both Denyse Schmidt and the quilts of Gee's Bend. I'm looking forward to seeing where Kate's work takes her. Did you make it to the exhibition? What caught your eye? Does your community do something similar? Have a great day. (And don't forget to enter this week's contest!)