When I create my works with fiber I am inspired by the rhythms and patterns found in nature... waves of water, the ebb and flow of surf on sand, the flutter of leaves on trees, the swish of clouds, multifaceted buds and flowers, the feathered wings of birds. No matter what materials I use, there is repetition as well as…
During this time of quarantine, we are most lucky as artists to be able to continue the work of making. It may be that if we are forced to stay with our work, and are less distracted by things beckoning us from the outside world, we might find that we can go deeper than we expected.This may take a variety…
Marbled Silk Shawls and Scarves by Trudy Thomson Marbled patterns on silk can be simple: ripples, swirls and shapes, or scintillating: cross currents of different patterns and colors sweeping across the landscape of fabric. I remain fascinated by the many different forms I can create and continue to be informed by the patterns found in nature, as seen in water, in the…
This spring I attended a class in marbling silk at Penland School of Crafts. It's something I had tried many years ago and wanted to swim back into again. I say swim because you start by mixing up a very specific gooey bath. You carefully dissolve methyl cellulose into the bath so that a viscous substance floats on the surface. After…
Selected Pieces from Slow Art at The National Museum in Stockholm I saw a great exhibit in Sweden recently called Slow Art. It was shown at the National Museum in Stockholm and contained not very many pieces, only about 30. But each one was exquisite. The emphasis was on how long it takes, how painstaking the process of creation is if…
Have you ever thought about the idea that a loom is a lot like a piano? Both create patterns and percussive sounds. If you play the piano well, you read a musical score -- the notation of notes on the treble or bass cleft -- to produce a sound that presents itself as melody and chords. With a woven presentation,…