Carol McLean

The same member, another account of her: A Fellow's Memoir — written in her own words as the Society closed

The Society's newsletter ran a column, "Who's Who in Leathercraft", profiling one member at a time. This is the profile of Carol McLean, printed in Spring 1983 and transcribed here from the original.

Carol McLean started taking leathercraft in night school in 1964,

She was one of the Woodstock group that joined London Branch of CSCL. When the Woodstock Branch was formed, Carol was one of the hardest working members when Woodstock Branch was formed, and has continued in that capacity ever since.

She has attended numerous courses on leather and design, and colour, and has had private instruction in the craft as well. Carol began entering competitions in 1965, and has won numerous awards- the Chatelaine award for Best in Show at the C.N.E. three times, the O.C.C. award for original design on a handbag, the Irva Ford Memorial Award for molded, sculptured leather, as well as Salon and Craftsman ribbons with C.S.C.L.

After gaining her Associate standing in 1970, she went on to win her Fellow standing in 1975. Service on the C.S.C.L.

Executive Council has included work as Publicity Chairman, Recording Secretary, a member of the Exhibition Committee, and at present Carol has taken on the position of Archivist for the C.S.C.L.

Carol enjoys the teaching aspect of her craft immensely, and has taught night school leathercraft for 14 years, at Fanshawe College in Aylmer, Ont., as well as helping with volunteer leathercraft in both public and high schools in Woodstock during student elective programmes. She enjoys conducting workshops with C.S.C.L. (Editor's Note: See back page of this issue for upcoming workshop with Carol in June ), and puts in hours of preparation to make sure that her programme is in order. She is a very thorough, patient, and efficient teacher. As well as teaching, Carol is a firm believer in studying at workshops whenever possible even if the article being created is one with which she is quite familiar, as she is of the opinion that you can always learn something new. Her chief aim with our Society is to try to promote creativity, something that she also stresses in other crafts in which she is involved.

Carol McLean was the charter president of the Oxford: Quilters Guild in Ingersoll, and is currently teaching quilting at the Canadian Embroiderers Guild in London. She has also taught Japanese embroidery, crocheting, crewel embroidery, assorted arts and crafts for the Oxford Board of Education, and for the Creative Arts Centre in Ingersoll, as well as conducting quilting workshops at quilting supply stores, and at the Quilters Guild.

She was a participant at the World Craft Conference in Toronto in 1974, and at Oaxtepec, Mexico in 1976. Last year Carol attended the Pacific Friendship Fibre Arts Conference in Hawaii, coming home with 450 slides, which, since she is truly a design artist, have been a source of design material; she can point out how to take a design from a picture of a flower, a rock, or even tracks in the sand. (She tells of her friends at the Hawaii conference pretending that they didn't know who she was when she suddenly lay down on her back on a grassy lawn in order to capture the shapes created by palm fronds towering overhead. )

During this conference, all participants were asked to design a "theme" pattern to commemorate the event. Carol's pattern was chosen as a "memory" pattern to be given to all delegates at the farewell banquet and so has now been taken throughout the world.

As Carol had received a Wintario grant in order to be a participant at this special event, she is already following the Wintario rules for recipients, that is, to share knowledge gained with others, and has shown her slides to a number of groups, with information given on design creation from these visual "records". She has been unstinting with her time, tailoring the presentation to meet the criteria and interests of the groups involved. For example, the quilters were shown work in their craft, travel groups were Shown the slides of points of interest of Hawaii, while those in the design fields received a showing of the special close-ups of flower shapes etc., suitable for their media experiments.

All this craft activity is made possible by the support and active co-operation of her family. Angus, a very supportive husband, is manager of an automotive parts store. A few years ago Carol and her husband built a lovely cottage on their lot at Toad Lake, after learning how to construct cottages and homes at a night school course. Carol's two daughters, Janet in London, who is working with young people with problems, and Bonnie, a grade 12 student who is busy with her music studies, as well as taking time to teach her pet guinea pig to solve simple math questions, are a source of pride to Carol and Gus. The last member of the family is Mac, their big, black Newfoundland dog. Mac, a Canadian Champion, takes part in a programme for children with cerebral palsy that is held every February in Toronto, at Sunnyview School. Mac, along with other well-trained dogs, pullscarts or sleds to give the children rides, then stands patiently to be hugged and patted by the children, many of whom have never even touched a dog, let alone a 150 lb. giant one! Mac also takes part in the Christmas tree "drag" at Caledonia, with funds raised during this event going to a special charity, "The Sleeping Children of the World".

Carol claims that to have all the energy for this she needs time at the cottage - it's a revitalizing experience, and she can indulge in her pet hobbies of canoeing or cross-country skiing.

Submitted by Beula Reynolds, Woodstock Barnch CSCL.

This page prints "Oxford: Quilters Guild" and "Woodstock Barnch" exactly so — the second a typing slip for "Branch" that recurs elsewhere in the Society's own newsletters — both kept as printed. It also prints "their Dig, black Newfoundland dog" for "their big, black Newfoundland dog", a single misread letter corrected here, and "pullscarts" for "pulls carts", kept as printed.

At Leather 2013 — Creative Versatility

Thirty years after the profile above, Carol McLean exhibited at the Society’s 2013 show at the Woodstock Art Gallery, and the brochure carried this biography and statement. From the exhibition brochure for Leather 2013 — Creative Versatility.

Carol McLean is a Woodstock resident. She is an honorary life member of CSCL and "Fellow." She participated in the judging for Leather 2013. Carol recently received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Award Medal for her years in Leathercraft and quilting. A truly gifted artist.

For about 25 years, Carol taught in Continuing Education in leather, quilting and other assorted hand arts. Not having a favourite technique or leather to work with, Carol likes to let the leather be the main feature of the piece and let decoration or dye complement it. She finds inspiration in the leather itself, workshops and experimentation.

I love the feel and response of the leather as it is worked upon. It sometimes leads you down a different road than you had planned. Although I can no longer do leatherwork, it has brought me a great deal of pleasure over the years. I continue to assist the Society with judging and wherever I can.

From the "Who's Who in Leathercraft" column in Canadian Leathercraft, Spring 1983.