Residency at Det Vilde Spinderi

I went into the residency with the intention of creating weavings of abstracted local landscapes. However I found the residency became a reconnection to plants, exploring our interwoven relationship and their gifts of colours.

I love bright bold colours and patterns but also it is important to tune into the subtleties of colours. I realised on a trip to the hebredies that when it’s grey and mizzly you can sometimes see a wider range of colours then a bright sunny day, they are more enhanced by the grey. You look more, so see more. Tuning into this creates a deeper connection, and inwards focus. I wanted my work to evoke this inwards quiet connection which I was also experienceing on the residency.

With my hedgerow piece i discovered it was about letting the plants guide the shape, having no structure or plan but to have the colour as the focus. I also wanted to use scrap wool to reduce waste. It became about using what you have and what mother earth provides. About playing, textures and colours. Nature isn’t neatness and order. About plants, wool, colour, medicine, healing through body and spirit.

The creative space of the residency allowed lots of femanine creative, intuitive energy to flow and for me to go deeper into myself. A time to be in autumn, a time of transition and change. It was a spirit healing process- going for walks and plants jumping out shouting ‘dye me, dye me’! Being free and feeling natures connection and healing.

It was about establishing a relationship. The plants gave me colour and medicine and in a reciprocal relationship I have promised to share the nature of their generosity and teach people to be look after them. The plants give you surprising colours, some you love, some you may initially feel dissapointed by but they usually grow on you and become your favourites. They teach to not have expectations, and be grateful for the gifts you are given.

Samples of colours created by foraged plants

I dont use mordants which means the colours are more subtle and in their pure state.

Rosehips- pink

Sloe berries- purple

Birch leaves- orangy/brown

Privet berries- light beige

Rowan leaves- brown

Burnett rosehips- dark purple

Ivy leaves- light green

Seabuckthron berries- yellow

Yarrow- silvery green

Acorns- dark brown

Hawthorn berries- pinky brown

Alder cones- brown

Works

Hedgerow

A mixture of wool and mohair hand dyed from foraged plants and hand spun

Approx 50 x 90 cm

What is a hedgerow?

An interwoven mess of plants, colours, food, medicine…

The hedgerow is in the season of autumn, a time of harvest, gifts and transition. When the nature of impermanence shows, like a wave it comes and goes but the energy is always continuous.

Tune into the subtleties of the colours. The more you focus, the more you see and the deeper the connection to these plants.

I don’t dye with mordant as I want the plants pure colours to shine through. This piece is also about wool. Using scrap wool and mohair, celebrating it’s texture and lusture and interaction with the plants. Using what you have and what Mother Earth provided.

The plants gave me colour and medicine, in body and spirit. And in a reciprocal relationship, I have promised to share the nature of their generosity through this piece so that others can also show appreciation. They also teach to not have expectations, and be grateful for the gifts you are given.

Felt Experiments

Hand dyed wool

Approx 10 x 10 cm squares

Autumnal plants

and

Moons mist and cobwebs

Larger felted pieces 20 x 20cm Squares

Autumn Walk

Wool and plants

Approx 30 x 30 cm

Experiments from the first week. Using scrap wool to have a play on the table loom. This piece includes plants found on a sunny autumn walk (some found me like the seed balls)

End of Summer

Wool and grass heads

Approx 30 x 20 cm

Experiments from the first week. Using scrap wool to have a play on the table loom. This piece is another experiment with foraged materials and scrap wool, just to play on the loom more.

Hebredies

Wool

Approx 30 x 30 cm

Experiments from the first week. Using scrap wool to have a play on the table loom. This piece is inspired by the colours of the Outer Hebredies, Scotland. (I lost many warps due to a different thread, but we like mistakes)