Many Path Fiber Art
As a cultural anthropologist and craftswoman, I am drawn to craftwork because of my fascination with the way these forms of artistic expression keep cultural values and traditions alive. In colonial times, baskets were made of materials gathered from the local area, as well as grown in the colonists’ kitchen gardens. Natural fibers such as willow, pine needles,sea grasses, sweet grass, nettles, corn husks, straw, day lily or iris leaves, honeysuckle or wisteria vines all could be used to create beautiful and functional containers.
My ancestry is British, Canadian, possibly Scottish, and Pennsylvania Deutsch. The Pennsylvania Deutsch made baskets for daily use, as did the Brits, Irish and Scots. They all used straw, willow, vines, and other natural fibers to make bee-skeps, berry baskets, cheese baskets, harvest and hearth baskets. I draw upon these age-old forms for inspiration.
Weaving baskets allows me to creatively connect with my ancestral heritage, while exploring creative innovations. I have recently begun to weave wool yarn into some of the baskets to integrate my love of weaving reed baskets and spinning wool.
When I make crocheted vests, sweaters, hats, or scarves, I use assorted yarns, primarily from local woolen mills, sometimes handspun as well as wool blend yarns. The wool blend yarn provides softness, while the pure wool provides the textural look that is essential to my work. Because I have been crocheting most of my life, I think primarily about the colors I would like to use for the project and then just begin.
I enjoy being a tradition keeper who honors the past with my craft, yet is able to find my own unique expression of fiber art.
-Dominica Lord-Wood
Find Our Products At:
|