ECO Dying

For a couple of years now I have tried dying with poke root berries and I'm very disappointed in the results. Over the summer I prepped this large piece of cotton by boiling it in salt water as a mordant, hoping that it would be the thing that sets the deep rich magenta color.

I rolled the cloth with maple leaves from the yard and then in the middle plunked the berries and wrapped the bundle.  After the water started to boil and lasted maybe 10-20 minutes.  From there it cooled naturally overnight.

The unveiling started and I was excited...

Rinse cycle left the bright color very faint and almost orangey peach.  

Oh well back to the drawing board.

Contemplation

un.EARTH.ing

collection contemplation...

.

sorting, unearthing...

INSPIRED

by "findings" by ALICE FOX

As an artist most of us collect things.  The natural world makes ME feel good and I want to be reminded of time and place.  Part of my collections are rocks, shells, driftwood, tea bags and so much more that there is not enough time to post them all.  Wanting, no yearning to make art again has led me to my collections.  We are remodeling and I am purging.  There is so much that has been collected !

What do the collections say about us?  

Are we hoarders? Are we afraid of loss? 

Are we saving the world? Are we scavengers? What are we??

What am I?  WHO am I?

Feeling content to explore the making process with what I have.

We as a society are conditioned to buy, buy, buy.

I have bought, bought, bought.

The colder weather is creeping in slowly and the cozy making process has begun.

Tea bags spun into yarn then woven on silk

Seeing layers...