NEW Wee Folk Group Portrait!

Posted on November 29, 2023 by Salley Mavor

A few days before my collection of dolls headed to Vermont to become the Wall of Wee Folk, I had the idea of taking a group portrait that could be used for a jigsaw puzzle. We had to act quickly because they’d soon be out of town for 3 months.

“The Wee Worlds of Salley Mavor” will be on view
at the Southern Vermont Arts Center thru Jan. 7, 2024.

The Wee Worlds of Salley Mavor on view at the Southern Vermont Arts center thru Jan. 7, 2024

I crowded over 100 dolls together, arranging them every which way on my grandmother’s old breadboard. I figured that the more disorganized the better. Rob took a hires photo and the dolls were free to go to Vermont! Now, I’m happy say that Wee Folk puzzles and notebooks are now available in my Etsy Shop. The supply is limited, so if you want them before Christmas, please order now.

Many of the dolls are sample projects from my how-to book, Felt Wee Folk. All manner of young and old characters are nestled together, including multiple fairies, a pirate, Robin-hood, a wizard, a jester, a witch, and several brides and grooms.

I’ve spent my whole life figuring out ways to make little dolls that are true to what I first envisioned and longed for as a child. It just took a while to develop the skills to bring them to life. My aim in writing Felt Wee Folk was to offer others the kind of how-to book that I would have loved to find.

The group photo we took almost 10 years ago for the cover of Felt Wee Folk was a very different setup. For that photo-shoot, the dolls were carefully positioned on ascending steps inside a light box.

Wee Folk puzzles and notebooks are available in my Etsy Shop.

When the first shipment of Wee Folk puzzles arrived, I immediately set up a card table and sat down to put it together. The puzzle was more challenging than I expected, which is a good thing. You’d think that my familiarity with the subject matter would make it easy, but the haphazard nature of the composition threw me for a loop! This puzzle would be fun for both adults and older children. Here’s a short video that shows a condensed version of piecing together the puzzle.

There are now 8 puzzles in my shop, including Summertime,
Birds of Beebe Woods, Rabbitat, Harvest Time, Mossy Glen,
Frosty Morning and Thread Spool Heart.

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Wee Worlds exhibition video

Posted on November 19, 2023 by Salley Mavor

The Wee World of Salley Mavor, Southern Vermont Arts Center, photo by Dave Barnum

It’s so gratifying to hear that visitors are traveling from all directions to see my exhibition at the SOUTHERN VERMONT ARTS CENTER! Carloads of fans are coming south from Canada (crossing the border from both Ontario and Quebec) and north, east and west from many different states. One woman wrote, “I went to the show yesterday. Seeing the work in person gave me shivers.” I wrote back that I hoped it was the good kind of shivers! If you live too far away to make the trip, here’s a short video that gives an overview of the show.

THE WEE WORLDS OF SALLEY MAVOR
On view through January 7, 2024 at the
SOUTHERN VERMONT ARTS CENTER, Manchester, VT

On view are are over 75 shadow boxes and other objects, including original picture book illustrations spanning my career. The show contains BEDTIME STITCHES, the touring exhibition of artwork for my most recent book, MY BED: Enchanting Ways to Fall Asleep around the World. Also on display are a wall full of wee folk dolls and stand alone pieces that explore a range of social narratives, from the everyday to topical subjects.

“My aim is to breathe life and emotion into embroidery, an art form that is often perceived as purely decorative.” Salley Mavor

The main reason I decided to pause or maybe altogether stop selling my original pieces is that I want more people to experience the detail and 3-dimensional quality of my work in person. Lately, I’ve realized that I can’t afford to let go of my recent pieces because their current value lies in being available to show. If I were to sell what I have, it would be difficult to put together an exhibition like this one in Vermont. The logistics and expense of arranging loans with private collectors would be prohibitive. It would take at least 20 years to make a new body of work to fill a gallery of this size! I want to make art for as long as I can, but I also I want to spend the next 20 years enjoying being a grandmother and that might mean making art at a more leisurely pace.

More exhibitions are being planned, which will be added to the exhibitions page when locations and dates are finalized. I’m also pleased to offer reproductions of my artwork in books, posters, cards, puzzles and notebooks in my Etsy Shop.

Summer Tidbits

Posted on July 23, 2023 by Salley Mavor

With so much going on this summer, I decided to list everything in one post. There are current and upcoming exhibitions to see, new Stitch Minute videos to watch, as well as new products and a Sale in my Etsy shop.

But first, a little Barbie nostalgia.

With all of the chatter about the new Barbie movie, I thought I’d show mine from the early 1960’s. She co-mingled with the trolls, who mostly tolerated her. Looking back, I can see why the trolls won my heart. Barbie’s world was conventional and limiting, whereas the trolls opened up possibilities for a kind of magic to happen.

EXHIBITIONS

BEDTIME STITCHES heads south!

The touring exhibition of original artwork for my picture book, My Bed,
is currently on view at the
Southeastern Quilt and Textile Museum
in Carrollton, Georgia thru Sept. 15th.

Since its premiere at the Cahoon Museum of American Art in 2020, Bedtime Stitches has been seen by thousands of visitors at 8 different museums across the country from Maine to Washington State. And it’s not over yet! To find out where Bedtime Stitches will be going into 2025, visit the exhibitions page.

Hearing reactions from people who’ve seen my artwork in person makes me feel that organizing this show was worth all of the effort. I especially enjoyed this comment written earlier this year in the guest book at the Pacific Northwest Quilt & Fiber Arts Museum:

“It makes you think that everything is possible!”
~ Eleanor, Seattle, WA

2023 WOODS HOLE ART SHOW
July 24 – 29, 10 AM to 8 PM
Woods Hole Community Hall, Water St., Woods Hole, MA

This delightfully eclectic annual community art show is made up of artwork from people who live, work or lurk in Woods Hole. It’s been a long time since I had anything available during the summer to put in, but this year, 2 pieces from my seasonal landscape series, Harvest Time and Mossy Glen, will be included. Please note that the show is up for one week only (July 24 – 29).

If you’re heading down to the village of Woods Hole and manage to find a place to park, you can also see my Self Portrait: A Personal History of Fashion, which is on semi-permanent display at the Woods Hole Public Library.

Self Portrait: A Personal History of Fashion at the Woods Hole Public Library

THE WEE WORLDS OF SALLEY MAVOR

SOUTHERN VERMONT ARTS CENTER, Manchester, VT
September 30, 2023 – January 7, 2024
OPENING RECEPTION: Saturday, September 30 from 2 to 4 P.M.
GALLERY TOUR with the artist at 3 P.M.

This will be a large retrospective exhibition in the Art Center’s main gallery. It will include a wide array of original picture book illustrations spanning my career, including Bedtime Stitches, the touring exhibition of artwork for my most recent book, MY BED. Also on display will be recent pieces that explore cultural diversity, migration, fashion, the natural world, and a range of social narratives, from the everyday to topical subjects.

Southeastern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester, VT

New STITCH MINUTE Videos

SUMMER SCENE PREVIEW
The summer scene is slowly taking shape and I hope to finish it in time for my exhibit in Vermont this fall. When the piece is complete, I’ll write a series of posts that go into more detail, with commentary and photos that document my process. It’s the 4th in my seasonal landscape series. You can learn about how I made the other three, Frosty Morning, Mossy Glen and Harvest Time, in earlier posts on this blog. The images are printed as cards and jigsaw puzzles (20% off sale July 23 – 31), which are available in my Etsy Shop.

ETSY SHOP NEWS

NEW CARDS in my Etsy shop.

George’s Chair features a child nestled in an upholstered armchair, engrossed in a storybook, surrounded by imaginary characters, including St. George and the Dragon. There are also four new cards with images from Mary Had a Little Lamb. They include Mary and her lamb in the garden, in the barn, in the kitchen and in an apple orchard. The different scenes are available separately or in a sampler.

JIGSAW PUZZLES

Enter my Etsy Shop here.

What’s NEW in my shop?

Posted on March 4, 2023 by Salley Mavor

With Spring presumably right around the corner and Easter coming on April 9th, it seems like a good time to let you know about some new items in my Etsy Shop. I’ve added 3 more jigsaw puzzles, including Rabbitat, a bunny filled puzzle for children, made with 2″ x 3″ sized pieces. I’m also offering CDs of the award-winning Maestro Classics version of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, which features my artwork on the case and 20-page activity booklet.

RABBITAT, the 20-piece 9″ x 12″ jigsaw puzzle for children and other new items are available in my Etsy Shop here.

When setting out to make Rabbitat in 2011, I had just two things in mind – a driftwood house and a rabbit shaped topiary. As I built up the scene, an imagined scenario unfolded. Over time, a family of rabbits came to live in the house and a whole landscape grew around the topiary.

RABBITAT is the focus in this short documentary film about my work.

For a long time, fans have suggested that my artwork would translate well into puzzle form. I thought so, too, but was too busy stitching to do anything about it. After years of searching, I finally found a high quality and economically feasible manufacturing arrangement. So, last fall I tested the market with two puzzle designs: Birds of Beebe Woods and Harvest Time, the fall scene in my seasons series. The response was so positive, that I was encouraged to add the Spool Heart puzzle for Valentine’s Day.

Jigsaw Puzzles: Birds of Beebe Woods, Harvest Time, Spool Heart

Along with the children’s puzzle, Rabbitat, I’ve added two more scenes from my series of seasonal landscapes to the jigsaw puzzle collection: Frosty Morning (winter) and Mossy Glen (spring). So, when will all 4 seasons be completed? The summer scene is coming along slowly but surely and I hope to have it finished, photographed, and made into a puzzle and cards by the fall. You can follow its progress on Facebook and Instagram.

NEW Jigsaw Puzzles: Frosty Morning and Mossy Glen

Mossy Glen jigsaw puzzle

Peter and the Wolf CD
I just loved creating the artwork to go along with the Maestro Classics CD of Peter and the Wolf. The Russian story and my folk art style were a perfect match it was a joy to bring Peter and the animals to life.

In addition to designing the cover illustration with Peter and the cat in the tree, with the bird taunting the wolf, I made a scene with Peter, his grandfather, and the duck to be used inside the case.

I also made individual characters from the story, including the hunters, to be used in a little activity booklet of games and information that comes with the CD. After 10 years in print, the Maestro Classics production of Peter and the Wolf continues to be a best seller!