craft is… 2024 marketer

Cindy Hoppe

Cindy Hoppe CV March 2022

I was born and raised on a farm west of Saskatoon. I attended the University of Saskatchewan and worked for 3 years on a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree that focused on painting. I was also learning crafts by helping my mother attend craft shows as a teenager in the beginning years of the Saskatchewan Crafts Council organization. I married a farmer north of Biggar, Saskatchewan and continued exploring craft mediums. As my mother’s interest in pottery changed into fibre, I moved from making pottery jewelry into transforming my mother’s weaving into jackets with hand knitting. When mom changed gears again and left weaving to become a felter, our paths diverged and I remained with woven materials.

I have a deep appreciation of the beauty and durability of wool and silk and restrict myself to these materials for my fibre art. Mom and I supported each other artistically, technically and emotionally in our exploration of this medium. I am self taught and would describe what I do as painting with a sewing machine.

I am focusing more on wall hangings and liturgical art these days. My material is hand dyed, machine embroidered and quilted. Much of it is re-purposed, recycled fabric from second hand stores, although these days I am also purchasing new material in order to get the width of skies or yardage for large projects. Fibre as a medium has an earth and air quality to it because it absorbs light rather than reflecting it like paint and photography, and that is part of what inspires me every day.

My work is available at the Saskatchewan Craft Council Boutique, from my Shopify site and from my website. I enjoy commissions. I participate in Wintergreen, the Saskatchewan Craft Council Craft Market based in Regina in November, or virtually in a pandemic. Thank you for your interest.

Where did you learn your craft?

My mother was felt artist Myrna Harris. She and I roved second hand stores together using recycled fabrics in our work. We dyed them and she manipulated them into wall hangings, and I was making coats at the time. I began translating some of the dying into wall hangings in my own style and format and we had a successful 2 person show in Saskatoon at Pacific Gallery in 2008. Visiting Martha Cole for critique and guidance, she helped me move further with my quilting which became more prominent in my work. I eventually took my mother’s advice and moved my work onto canvas stretchers and that is where I am building from today.

How would you describe what craft is?

I would describe Craft is in my case as a long artistic journey getting to know my medium and seeing where I can take it. It is important to me and the community at large because we love seeing some part of our life translated in unusual ways that intrigue and compel us to look again and again. If some of these pieces are used in our everyday life, or looked at through many different parts of our day, they continue to provide wonder and comfort indefinitely.

What is your inspiration?

Walks and drives around where I live. My painter friend, Diane LaRouche Ellard and I have had a show travelling the province that takes our photos and then translates them into our different mediums. Much of the work shows the ditches close to my home and our living skies.