The Daily Fabric
I embraced the textile medium over two decades ago when I inherited a box of old family photos along with a treasure trove of linens. Through these items I began to contemplate the daily lives of my ancestors. Letters written, photographs taken, ephemera kept–wrapped in yellowed and brittle tissue–were but brief snippets of how they spent their time. A window was opened to have a conversation with my history.
As I continue to dig deeper, I discover more connections with ancestors who expressed their love for nature and the outdoors. I am excited by this—a snapshot taken in front of a now extinct glacier, a note about wearing the right hiking boots and pressed flowers, now dry and devoid of their original color. All these “finds” show me a life lived out of doors, an interest I share, and it gives me permission to continue the series with renewed focus on that which inspires me: Nature and the environment.
My work in the studio occurs in, around and during my day-to-day routines. The daily fabric of my life creeps into the work, informing and inspiring the imagery: My voracious reading habit, bees humming, busy in my garden. Botanical shapes, textures and colors that I see while gardening or out on a daily walk, through urban or wild areas. Although there are stories and concepts that I pursue, I also allow room for the narrative to take its own direction.
Currently, my work explores the natural world, my place in it and my feelings about the continued degradation of our environment from the collapse of bee colonies to the pollution of the very earth that we stand upon. Through the work I create I hope to engage the viewer and encourage the idea that we need to slow down, look and see, the tiny bee, the small leaf, the moist earth, and protect what sustains and nurtures us.
Notes on technique: I have worked with fabric and thread since I was a child, learning to sew and embroider from my mother, Elizabeth. For me, the process of sewing, pulling needle and thread through fabric, is very meditative. I create textile collages using new and vintage fabrics. I apply watercolor to both fabric and paper. I scan photos, ephemera or drawings which are manipulated with various software. The final image is printed on fabric or I use a photo transfer method to apply the imagery to the surfaces. I draw and paint with needle and thread and sometimes incorporate additional found items such as beads, yarn, or organic material.
I embraced the textile medium over two decades ago when I inherited a box of old family photos along with a treasure trove of linens. Through these items I began to contemplate the daily lives of my ancestors. Letters written, photographs taken, ephemera kept–wrapped in yellowed and brittle tissue–were but brief snippets of how they spent their time. A window was opened to have a conversation with my history.
As I continue to dig deeper, I discover more connections with ancestors who expressed their love for nature and the outdoors. I am excited by this—a snapshot taken in front of a now extinct glacier, a note about wearing the right hiking boots and pressed flowers, now dry and devoid of their original color. All these “finds” show me a life lived out of doors, an interest I share, and it gives me permission to continue the series with renewed focus on that which inspires me: Nature and the environment.
My work in the studio occurs in, around and during my day-to-day routines. The daily fabric of my life creeps into the work, informing and inspiring the imagery: My voracious reading habit, bees humming, busy in my garden. Botanical shapes, textures and colors that I see while gardening or out on a daily walk, through urban or wild areas. Although there are stories and concepts that I pursue, I also allow room for the narrative to take its own direction.
Currently, my work explores the natural world, my place in it and my feelings about the continued degradation of our environment from the collapse of bee colonies to the pollution of the very earth that we stand upon. Through the work I create I hope to engage the viewer and encourage the idea that we need to slow down, look and see, the tiny bee, the small leaf, the moist earth, and protect what sustains and nurtures us.
Notes on technique: I have worked with fabric and thread since I was a child, learning to sew and embroider from my mother, Elizabeth. For me, the process of sewing, pulling needle and thread through fabric, is very meditative. I create textile collages using new and vintage fabrics. I apply watercolor to both fabric and paper. I scan photos, ephemera or drawings which are manipulated with various software. The final image is printed on fabric or I use a photo transfer method to apply the imagery to the surfaces. I draw and paint with needle and thread and sometimes incorporate additional found items such as beads, yarn, or organic material.