Karen Henry
33 Hollyoake Lane
Dartmouth NS
B2V 1L6
902-433-1671
seequilt@hotmail.com
My first quilting experience came at the age of 16 when my very patient Great Aunt Gertie taught me how to make a nine patch quilt by hand. My next quilt did not follow until another 16 years had passed.
After a move from Dartmouth NS to Saskatchewan in 1993, I became involved with the Prairie Hearts Quilters Guild of Moose Jaw. I was involved with the executive for five years and helped to coordinate the program, organize raffle quilts, donation projects, and assisted with quilt shows. In March 2000 I was co-creator and coordinator of the first quilters’ retreat in Moose Jaw.
Although saddened to be leaving my quilting gals, in 2000 I was happy to return home to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. I joined Mayflower Quilters Guild and became program coordinator from 2001-2003.
In September 2003, I was instrumental in creating a new guild in Dartmouth; the Mariners Quilt Guild. With five others we set up objectives and regulations, and registered as a non-profit society. The first year I was president, vice president, raffle quilt coordinator, and program coordinator. The guild is quite successful and has reached its top objective of 60 members.
In Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia I have taught several workshops and done many short demonstrations. I have taught a Victorian houses technique, a cloth doll, tumbling blocks, several landscape techniques, my own paper pieced roses, a quilt bat, flower pounding, label making, and working with tulle. I have developed a mystery quilt and several patterns.
I consider myself to be a self-taught quilt artist; books have been my source for new techniques. I have taken classes in traditional techniques and applied the same to my pictorial quilts. I prefer the use of commercial prints and try to add a touch of plaid in each of my works. I love to add texture to my pieces, giving them greater feeling of depth. I like strong, vivid colours and remind myself that dull, blah colours can enhance a picture as much as a strong colour. I enjoy going to quilt shows to see how others make use of fabrics and colours. I enjoy teaching the pictorial classes as I have a chance to play with my students fabric, and see what colour arrangements will unfold during the workshop.
Presently I am in a small co-op of quilters at Bell House in Cole Harbour. I am accomplishing more in a studio environment surrounded by fabric and laughter. I have started a website called www.quilttheatlantic.ca in an effort to share quilt resources of the Atlantic Provinces.
Teacher of the Year 2008, Canadian Quilters AssociationSt. Johns, Newfoundland
Solo Shows
2006 - Pictorial Quilts By Karen Henry, Craig Gallery, Dartmouth NS
Juried Shows
2006 - National Juried Show, Quilt Canada in Ottawa
Portrait of Felix Feneon
Walking the Middle Road
2006 - Kitchener/Waterloo Art Gallery, Kitchener
All My Ducks in A Row
2005 - National Juried Show, Quilt Ontario in Waterloo
A Quiet Conversation
2004 – National Juried Show, Quilt Canada in Winnipeg
White Roses
1999 – National Juried Show, Quilt Prince Edward Island, in Charlottetown, PEI
Snowbird Pete Henry, 1 Alpha
Invitational Shows
2008 – Invitational Board Members and Regional Representatives Show, Quilt Canada, St Johns Newfoundland
2006 – Invitational Board Members and Regional Representatives Show, Quilt Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.
2006 – Invitational Quilt Show, Maritime Fall Fair, Halifax, NS
2005 – Invitational Quilt Show, Maritime Fall Fair, Halifax NS
Group Shows
2007 – Quilts From the Bell House, Craig Gallery, Dartmouth NS
Other Shows
2007 - Mariners Quilt Guild Show, St Vincent Du Paul Church, Dartmouth, NS
2001 – Comfort and Joy Quilt Show, QE II Building, Halifax NS
1999 – Prairie Hearts Quilt Guild Show, Moose Jaw, Sk
1998 – Spring Festival of Quilts, Melville, Sk
1997 – Prairie Hearts Quilt Guild Show, Moose Jaw, Sk
1996 – Spring Festival of Quilts, Melville, Sk
1995 – Prairie Hearts Quilt Guild Show, Moose Jaw, Sk
Awards Received
2008 Trend Tex Challenge, First PlaceQuilt Canada 2008, St Johns Newfoundland "Where we are Bound"
2007 - Trend Tex Challenge, First Place, Quilt British Columbia
Kamloops, British Columbia
‘Fabric on My Palette’
2007 – Viewers Choice, First Place, Mariners Quilt Guild Show
Dartmouth, NS
‘Blue Rocks’
2007 – First Place, Mariners Quilt Guild Challenge
Dartmouth, NS
‘Heavenly Bodies, You and I?’
2003 – First Place, Mayflower Quilt Guild Challenge
Dartmouth, NS
‘White Roses’
Publications
Autumn 2005 -The Canadian Newsletter
Spring 2006 - The Canadian Newsletter
Spring 2008 - A Needle Pulling Thread