the influence of nature

Nature  has always directed my decision making  in the studio.

The first kimono style jacket I produced in 1981 used raw silk as the 'canvas' and the imagery was reeds and mountain landscape. 

I used environmentally sensitive water based inks and dyes.

In 1987 I built a studio in the redwoods of Humboldt County where nature imposes herself beautifully minute by minute. Not always quiet, not always peaceful yet always vibrant and creative.

There is a focus on nature at the upcoming international shibori conference in Paris this fall. So I decided to explore new groupings of plants and fibers. Unforseen was the 25 yards of unbleached and undyed woven flax from China I received as a gift. I divided it into several different pieces and went to work 'playing' with plants from morning walks with the dog, a few dyes purchased online, black tea, beets and other garden delights. I then made different size squares for a resist dye technique called itajime. I did some over dying and lift off dying. Just exploring and sometimes loving the results. The great joy was being lost within the process...not too 'lost' but just enough to remember the joy of  surprise and unplanned success when working with new techniques or tools.

So after some blocking, dying, screening, lifting off... (all my personal nomenclature), I have several studies done. 

Shown above in the upper left  is one study in process. 

On the upper right is the studio from which I have worked since 1987, save for a few sojourns elsewhere.