I
loved weaving from the first moment I walked into the Fashion Institute
of Technology in New York City. I was fascinated by the wall of
yarn with all the vibrant colors and textures and the looms and other
equipment filling the studio. I now have my own studio, a wall of
yarn with three looms, a sewing section and a dying area.
Weaving
is an art form from which one learns continuously. Weave
structures, color, texture and design keep challenging me to build on
the very ancient craft of weaving. It all becomes intertwined as
I create new pieces and new designs. I love the movement of
fabric, its "hand"; fabric has its own kinetic energy and personality.
Although I use modern tools: a computer for design and also to
drive my AVL compudobby loom, fiber reactive dyes for the intensity of
color and for its relatively quick application, I try to not lose track
of weaving's heritage using natural dyes and natural fibers, the same
as has been used for many thousands of years. Fiber makes a
statement regarding the influences that helped create it - voices
moving from the artist onto the cloth itself.
I view my
weaving as part of a wonderful continuum, going back, largely
unchanged, for centuries. The history of this continuum allows me
to move forward exploring new materials and new designs with excitement
and confidence.
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