Sixty for 60
Last October I reached a pretty cool milestone - sixty years of life. The last several years, in particular, have been a mix of challenges, accomplishments, transitions, and gifts that I, like most of you, could write a short story about. But one thing has remained consistent: the nature surrounding me, feeding my soul, rescuing me when I need a calm embrace, and inspiring my art practice.
After moving to Northern New York in 2019, taking on renovating an 1850s Italianate home was my main focus and creative outlet. All textile production came to a halt, but my study of incorporating nature into my work persisted. I explore and study natural dyeing with the plants from my surroundings.
My home is situated in a charming rural village along Lake Ontario, which I am grateful for; it has allowed me the time to study online and in person with an assortment of truly extraordinary natural dyers over the last several years. Experiments, trials, and errors (lots), giving up, and starting again have now brought me to a place where I am ready to share my work with others.
It is ever-evolving, the process of discovering how the plants native to my area interact with various materials I have collected over the years. The subtle shifts that plants reveal in combination with techniques and materials are always a wonderful moment of discovery. It allows me the freedom to play, and the thrill that something special will come from each composition keeps the intrigue flowing.
My practice is joyful, methodical, at times contemplative, and maybe even a touch spiritual. There is something very special about staying open to what nature shares with you. Each leaf, petal, bark, and berry are unique, and staying present in just that thought alone inspires me to discover their story through the collaboration with nature.
I am happy to say that I hauled a 60-yard bolt of beautiful bamboo hemp knit from storage today! Was it ironic that it also happened to be 60 yards, a sign that the time was right to begin again? Hence – Sixty for 60! I plan to work with this beautiful fabric, along with the silk, linen, hemp, and antique linens I have collected, hauled, packed/unpacked too many times!
It is time to transform them into unique compositions that might spark your interest and hopefully create some wonderment. I will start with small-batch production and custom orders. Once I have a selection of samples, I will send out an update.