now _ 2017 Spring Collection 'Woven Paint'
This obsession with the inspiration that paintings give me started last summer.
I use a lot of contrast when I weave - different textures, sizes, shapes of yarns, and even objects like recycled leather. It gives this three-dimensional feel, like there's more to the story than traditional warp and weft. Don't get me wrong, I love traditional weaving, sometimes almost more than modern-day free form weaving, but there's something about what I do that's freeing. Similar to the way seeing certain paintings makes me feel. There can be so much emotion, or nothing at all. It's all up for interpretation.
Emily Jeffords let me weave her 'Silence and Mystery' piece last July and I fell in love with the idea of interpreting paintings through weavings. There are constraints to the way fiber interacts with warp structure but also how fiber can blend together and be malleable all at the same time.
For a makers exchange between a few of my new friends from The Handmade Pop-Up, I wove painter Monika Kralicek's 93rd day piece of 100 days from her 100 days challenge as her gift. There was something so elegant about the way the colors were of a similar hue but contrasted with beautiful golds and whites. See photo below.
So, over the duration of spring 2017, I will unveil many weavings from painters who inspire me. I'll also try to write a blog post about each one of them so as to share the thoughts, feelings and method behind capturing their work in a different medium.