What I'm Loving About Weaving

Section of a long purely playful piece.

RECORDING MOMENTS THRU WEAVING

Perhaps one of the oldest human crafts, weaving has found its way into my heart. Tapestry and floor loom weaving have become my way of expressing thoughts and recording moments. Wool, cotton and beyond hold a sense of accessibility and familiarity.

Unfettered Expression

Never ending exploration and play… just what the doctor ordered.

Having been a jeweler for over 10 years, several years ago, painting brought a freedom of movement and expression to my art practice. When I finally dove into the world of fiber and weaving, I found a marriage of these elements. The detailed work of a metalsmith mixed with the excitement of color and design of painting bring life to these woven expressions of time, place and material. These three practices influence each other, and I wouldn’t be who I am without each one.

A NEW FREEDOM

Playing with color, proportion and constructing something from nothing has always been fascinating to me. This new medium is allowing my ideas to expand, and I am visualizing pieces faster than my hands can work.

Hand weaving has been in the back of my mind for years, and it found me when the time was right.

The community is warm and welcoming. The more the merrier. So much to experiment with, but for the moment plain weave and all the design possibilities is enough to hold my interest. Let’s see where this goes.

Warping the Loom

Sole concentration… no room for distraction. A meditative and satisfying process.

This is where the precision and forethought that goes into handcrafting jewelry has come in handy. The calculations and planning make the time-consuming process of warping the loom so rewarding. It’s like paying homage to this ancient craft before you get to the fun freeing part of creation.

WATCHING THE FABRIC GROW

This is where the magic lies. Whether it’s throwing the shuttle back and forth on my floor loom, or hand weaving on one of my tapestry looms, this is when the picture grows. The perfect imperfections showcase the human hand as the color type of fiber creates the mood and story of the piece.

EXPLORING MATERIALS

When I came across this beautiful fine silk blended with stainless steel I fell in love. It was the most interesting material to play with for someone who has worked with metals before. It surprised me how much I loved the delicacy of this fine fiber. I have always had a strong interest in the balance of positive and negative space. This fiber gave me this great way to explore this in weaving.

 THE FUTURE

I have so many plans for working with woven fabric. As we are traveling at the moment, not all of these projects can be fully realized right away. That is giving me time to practice, explore and learn more about my new passion. I look forward to realizing some of my dream pieces and sharing them with you. Below are a few pieces I loved working on.