Over the past two months, I've been studying Lunéville (Tambour) embroidery under the tutelage of Catherine Sequalino Poitier of CSP Arts Embroidery. She's worked with all the French designer greats: Gauthier, Dior, Givenchy — you name it. It's so flippin' impressive.

This butterfly was the first project she assigned, and it's been the most challenging thing to learn because you're working from the reverse side of the beadwork.

In the photo above, you are looking at the work thread-side up, which is the side I'm working on. The beadwork is beneath the cloth — on the back (as seen below). And so, you have to rely heavily on your other senses — finger dexterity, touch, feel...trust — other than sight alone.

However long it would take Catherine to complete (she said about four hours; I legit LOL'd), for myself, multiply that time by eight (#RealTalk). The incomplete beaded butterfly (above) took over 12 hours across two days. And I still hadn't finished because I frustrated myself.

But I'm committed to impressing her one day. In the meantime, May all beings be happy (below) and May all beings be loved (Take My Tears series) are the first two works I've used the Lunéville technique on.

I have new found respect and appreciation for French haute couture embroiders who average seven years to master the technique.

Around the world, there are similar techniques, but they tend not to work reverse side up, like Zardozi embroidery from Persia and India, which is especially lovely and intricate.

Norwell District Secondary School
Palmerston, Ontario

The Canadian Postcard Project (next to my birthday) is my annual favourite! This year, special needs students from Norwell District chose an artist's image that they liked and created an art postcard in response.

20-year-old Holly chose the image from Providence (Take My Tears series), and when I received it in the mail, it just made me feel so happy. I loved her colours and the piece felt like fun, so I added beadwork and stencils to her postcard to express how her postcard made me feel.

Reckitt's Crown Blue. Laundry bluing. It makes your white's white and is used in ritualistic healing baths. May all beings be protected is the piece it was used in (Take My Tears series).

It took a weekend of sequined and beaded lacemaking, while streaming back-to-back 1950s film noir flicks over double digit hours.

Goddess bless YouTube....

Have been using the Métis technique — haphazard as my approach is — to create beaded appliqués for the door, which is the foundation of my Providence piece (Take My Tears series).

A little rough around the edges, but my first trial is done.

In the Métis tradition, this beadwork is to  be gifted to another woman. After finishing off the back with deerskin and adding a clasp, the beaded brooch was passed onto the mother of a close friend. A woman of the prairies, it reminded her of home.

The Textile Museum of Canada's workshop supported the Walking with Our Sisters installation at the Aboriginal Education Centre. The work consists of over 1,900 beaded moccasin vamps, representing the unfinished lives of the 1,181 plus missing/murdered indigenous women.

Final talent showcase for At the Crossroads Black women's art magazine (1992–97).

A two-person exhibition by
Karen Miranda Augustine & Ilene Sova
Nuit Rose: A Festival of Queer Art & Performance
Artscape Youngplace
180 Shaw Street, 3rd Floor
Toronto

Details on our Tumblr site

Artscape Gilbraltar Point
Toronto Island
6:30–8:00 p.m.
Fireplace Room

Pop-up talk:
"Outsiders: American Photography & Film, 1950s–1980s"
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto

Studio course: Meta-Figure: The Body in Paint
Instructor: Ilene Sova, Faculty of Art

FAC Conference guest artist Q&A
Moderated by Sandra Haar
OCAD University, Toronto 

Panelist: "Exploring Basquiat's Legacy"
with Fab 5 Freddy, Christian Campbell, Karen Miranda Augustine, and Dana Michel
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto

My favourite cousin passed away. He was a fun, sensitive, easygoing free spirit. And I think I always thought he would be around in this realm in the later years of my life.

His copy of Iron Maiden's A Matter of Life and Death sits on my bookshelf (which is ironic; I wanted him to let me keep it, tbh), while a figurine he gifted me several Christmases ago sits on another. His wish for me, he had said, was for me to find love.

'70s Rod Stewart songs remind me of him, as do remembering him dancing in his building's hallway, back and forth to melodies I couldn't hear.

He was a chef, and after hours, he would dress to the nines, choreograph some quick moves to the music in his head, and hum happily to himself while I sat on my aunt's couch, giggling, watching him while side-eying MASH reruns.

And always with a quick step, spin, and excited smile anticipating the night, he'd be off....

Patriothall Gallery
1D Patriothall
Edinburgh, Scotland
Curated by Sandra Alland

Artists: Karen Miranda Augustine, Ariadna Battich, Alec Herbert, mihee-nathalie lemoine, Tiu Makkonen, Li Moran, Chris Red, Sad Little Man, M. Sage, Alison Smith, Steadfast, Mary Trodden, Del LaGrace Volcano

Reception: 20 June 2014, 7 to 9 PM
Artist's Talk: 05 July 2014, 2 to 4 PM

A Space Gallery
401 Richmond Sreet West, Suite 110
Toronto
(416) 979-9633

The State of Blackness Conference brought together artists, critics, and curators to develop art education practices as a way of rectifying the invisibility of Blackness in Canadian art curriculum.

Participants: Karen Miranda Augustine, Deanna Bowen, Sandra Brewster, Charles Campbell, Mark V. Campbell, Wayde Compton, Julie Crooks, Erika DeFreitas, Pamela Edmonds, Dominique Fontaine, Honor Ford-Smith, Richard Fung, Sylvia Hamilton, Jérôme Havre, Ebony L. Haynes, Johanna Householder, Camille A. Isaacs, Michelle Jacques, Alice Ming Wai Jim, Betty Julian, Olivia McGilchrist, Anna Jane McIntyre, Megan Morgan, Charmaine Nelson, Abdi Osman, Michèle Pearson Clarke, AboubakarSanogo, Adrienne Shadd, Dionne Simpson, Rema Tavares, Camille Turner, Gaëtane Verna, Rinaldo Walcott, Genevieve Wallen, Syrus Marcus Ware, and Natalie Wood.

Pan Am Toronto chose me to do the Commonwealth of Dominica piano, which was set up in the Yorkville Parkette this summer in the city of Toronto.

Here's a first-hand look at the development of this commission.

A full description of my participation can be found on The Three Erzulies Web page.

Participating artists: A*bout a book • Allison Rowe •Anderson Family • Anna Bruisma • Candice Lin, Phillip Mayles & Racine Polycarpe • Cary Cronenwett • Cat Barich • Charlotte Hammond • Crystal Nelson • Erin Durban & Shannon Randall • Floris Schonfeld • Frau Fiber & Jonas Labaze • Fungus Collective • Ghetto Architects • Gina Cunningham & Emmy Cunningham • Jakmel Eksperyans: Ivy McClelland • Jana Braziel • Jason Metcalf • John Cussans & Alex Louis • Jurate Jarulyte • Karen Miranda Augustine & Marie Ketty Paul • Kendra Frorup • Kwynne Johnson & Paul Klein • Laura Hayman • Liz Woodroffe • Maureen Tovey & Arcade Fire • Militza Jean-Felix • Michael Massenburg • Natalia Matta • OKIPASYON: Joyce Ip, Jason Metcalf & Roberto Peyre • Pascal Giacomini • Piroska É Kiss • Rebecca Dirksen • Robert Gomez & Romel Jean Pierre • Sarah Delaney • Sasha Huber & Petri Saarikko • Schallum Pierre • Toni Sanon • Tracey Moberly

Made You Look.
Manifesto: Festival of Community & Culture
99 Sudbury, Toronto

Participating artists: Ernie Paniccioli, Cubeworks, RT!, Omen, Adrian Hayles, Alexis Finch, Ato Seitu, Camille Lauren, Che Kothari, Derian McCrea, Dubelyoo, Dunkees, EGR, Elicser, Eklipz, Esmond Lee, Eric Quebral, Fiveeight, Hans Poppe, Jalani Morgan, Javid, Ashley McKenzie-Barnes, Mark "Kurupt" Stoddart, Karen Miranda Augustine, Janet Rose Manning, Marc Andre Debruyne, Mike Portoghese, Francesca Nocera Sun, Gabrielle Lasporte, Kalkidan Assefa, Kwame Delfish, Logan Miller, Lindsay Bess, Melissa Doldron, Paul Aloisi, Paul Leli, Ryan Mackeen, Shannon Lewis, Shirley Mpagi, Cazhmere, Charles Officer, Dave F. Mewa