Lost and discovered text

The story of mom's first experience with textiles continues to inspire a series of printed and stitched textiles. These recent pieces are explorations of what happens when memories are stitched over with the massive amounts of data we all compress and store in our brain. Then, something sparks a recollection, and what is exposed is what we see the experience to be now.

Together, 2016. machine stitching on printed cotton

Phenology: time and place

I was invited to show work at Textile Center as a part of their Summer of Natural Dye. I created a diptych that used foraged dye materials to indicate how our world is constantly changing. Every day, the world is a new and different place to observe, understand, and record. Phenology, the study of when specific events happen in nature from year to year in a specific place, includes weather patterns and altitude among others things that effect when plants flower and insects emerge.

Artisans who use natural dyes from commercial sources do so to ensure quality and consistency.  I have chosen to limit myself to foraged dyes these past 2 years in order to understand the function of the various plant parts, and where and when they can be harvested. This allows me the freedom to create work that may not be consistent or colorfast, and connects me to the land and seasons.

Going forward, I will continue to source local materials, and at the same time, expand into commercially produced natural dyes in order to broaden my color palette. Onward!