Artist Henni Stanley
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Henni Stanley, formerly of Oshawa but born in the Netherlands, has tried and mastered a lot of different art and craft: stained glass, pottery, weaving and painting in several different media and styles. Most of those pursuits have included classes and workshops. “At my age, I don’t want to just sit back,” says Stanley who has an eclectic talent and a hunger for continuous learning.
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Tole painting was Stanley’s first venture into commercial art. Although she still has the special paints, she rarely works in that media now.
As this tray suggests, that is a pity.
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Back in 1995, I got interested in tole painting ─ painting on sheet metal, things like serving trays with painted flowers ─ and I took every class I could find. Toronto, Halifax, Fredericton. Then I was hooked.
In a totally different vein last fall, you were showing some rather stark yet impressive paintings at O’Toole Gallery.
I have never done cutesy. I prefer something more whimsical. What you saw last year was what’s known as decor painting and those pieces were actually based on samples in a book for new painters that I was following at the time. It was appealing because, for me, it was instantly gratifying and not too expensive.
So, in a manner of speaking, some of those oils were practice studies.
Well it’s all a learning process and that work actually helped me develop my style, even influencing my primitive art. I’m always getting ideas and then I need to stop and ask myself, “Where do I really want to go now?”
Where did you go?
I love texture, the feel of things, the “real dimension” as I call it. I found that in potting and I’ve found it again in weaving. When I’m at the loom, I can let the world go by.
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“I wove all winter,” says
Stanley seen here modelling
one of that season’s shawls.
“And I still have lots of questions.”
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Woodstock Weavers displayed their work at a place where I used to waitress and I loved the look and feel of their stuff. And I was always fascinated by the demonstrations at King’s Landing. Then this winter I took online classes given by a weaver from Cape Breton. I already had my loom and so I practiced for months. I also took classes in sewing and spinning ─ turns out that I’m not a spinner but I learned a lot about wool. There’s always been a weaver in me and I’ve finally let her out.
Are you planning to sell this work?
I’m not at that point yet, I give it all away. But it is a labour of love and I enjoy the actual weaving even if dressing the loom (getting the yarn arranged, etc) is very labour intensive. The more I do, the easier it gets and I’m also taking more courses this summer at the N.B. College of Craft and Design. I’ve even developed a loom addiction.
Loom addiction?
Yes, I just bought another one. It’s a small antique table loom that the government used to send to women out West so they wouldn’t get bored. And when I did some research on my first loom, I found out that it had been made near here, in Millville, sometime in the 1940s or 50s. It had been rescued from a craft school in St. Andrews.
Of all the different things you’ve tried, what is your favourite?
Painting is my love. This summer I’ll go back to oil.
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After joining the Woodstock Art Club in 1995, Stanley has painted in a variety of media.
This watercolour work amply demonstrates her talent in that area. |