Helle Jorgensen is a talented fiber artist who works a lot with hemp and driftwood. She is a girl after my own heart with natural weavings, and crochet embellished driftwood.
Helle is a definite inspiration for thinking outside the box in creating.
Driftwood in Fiber Art
There are so many inspired ways to use driftwood in any art form. From sculpture, to painting, to fiber art, the possibilities are endless. Just type “driftwood art” into a google search and look at what comes up. Be warned, however, it is tempting to spend all day looking at what artists are creating with driftwood.
by April Rose
by Carrie Beachey (a sneek peek)
NeSpoon
I first came across this image on the internet a year or more ago. I was instantly inspired by it and used it as a desktop image for a long time. It got my wheels turning, as I thought about ways I could do something similar on our favorite beach.
It only seems fitting that I share some of this artists work with you here as I begin looking at driftwood in the Creating with Nature series.
The artist creating these art installations goes by NeSpoon and is from Warsaw, Poland. Much of her work is street art, but she also enjoys bringing her urban touch to the beach. Her work can be found all over the world. Here is an installation she created in Goa, Indiana.
Mr. Sajid is a homeless man living on the beach in the Sinai. Here, the two of them are working to add some art to his home. More pictures of this installation can be found here.
I am a long time admirer, and avid scouter for street art. I am the only person I know who actually enjoys waiting for a train to cross. When you live in rural America surrounded by small towns, trains are the best place to find awesome street art! Anyway, I am greatly inspired by this artist in her way of combining street art with fiber art.
. . . and this is just awesome. . .
Stone & Hemp
made by Carrie Beachey
Creating With Nature
Do you have things from nature that you like to collect? Maybe pretty stones, pine cones or seashells? I certainly do. I have so many of these little collections that our nature table no longer holds it all. I have pretty stones, and feathers tucked all over the house. I don’t know what draws me to these things or why I feel that I should hold on to them. However, I do know that these little treasures make me smile & that is reason enough for me.
This summer I want to focus some time on discovering ways to bring natural elements into my artwork. I have decided to make a challenge for myself experimenting with nature in fiber art. I’m really excited and my mind is swimming with ideas. To keep myself organized, I am breaking this challenge down into 5 categories. My first thought was to spend 1 week looking at each of the 5 categories, but upon further thought I decided not to put a time a limit on them. It is summer after all, and I really don’t want to feel pressured to squeeze everything into a week. So I’ll be taking as much, or as little time as I need to explore ways of creating with nature.
I’d love to have you join me!
Tibetan Jewel Dream Catcher
The lands of Tibet hold a special place in my heart, that inspire much of my work. This dream catcher is no exception. The silks remind me of the prayer flags found among the Himalayan foothills, and the metal bangle and amber bead reminds me of the traditional adornments the Tibetan women wear to the horse festivals.
For those who are interested, this dream catcher is available in my shop!
Wisteria & Lilacs
Dream catchers are something new for me that I am really enjoying making. What I love most about them, is the combination of textures, fibers, and nature. I love the process of gathering together all the bits and pieces of what I find inspiring at the moment, and using them to create a piece of art. I made this 6″ dream catcher over the weekend. It is inspired by the month of May, the scent of lilacs in the air, and blooming wisteria.
If you are interested, it is available in my shop!
A sweater from 1969
I read a blog post today from Knitish that shared with readers the reasons why this one sweater has become a most prize possession. It reminded me of how textiles can hold such strong memories for us. The feel of the fibers, the smells that are stored there as time keepers, the comfort that is felt. It is stories like these that make me love knitting so much. Hand knit items are not just things that we use or are pretty to look at. Knitting absorbs life like no other medium, and holds the memories there in it’s fibers to be cherished for years to come.
Mandalas
I was looking around on Etsy the other day, when I discovered MandalaArtByCloe. I was immediately drawn in by the bright colors, and contrasting designs of these mandalas.
The artist, Cloe lives in Amsterdam. Her hand woven mandalas are inspired by the ancient mandalas of Tibet and Mexico where mandalas have been used for their calming effects on the mind.
The icing on the cake for me, is the knowledge that a portion of every sale is given for the support of a Tibetan family and their guesthouse in Nepal.
Go check out her website Art by Cloe!
Warp & Weft = Life
My dear friend and mentor, is currently working to complete her master’s degree in social work. It has been her joy to find ways to use the fiber arts in her work.
How setting up the loom parallels to life
By Kim Hanes
Good evening…I was thinking throughout the week, as I was in and out of families lives how our lives are like a weaving. The warp is the “strength” of each weaving. It is the foundation. Just like our families and our community is our foundation. If the foundation is strong, then the weaving is sturdy. It is the same for us. If we have a strong foundation, then we are able to be more resilient.
In contrast, if our ” warp” in weaving is not strong, our weaving will have holes, and is weakened. In life, if our foundation is weak, it easily breaks, and we have gap. Sometimes I experience individuals that break easy.
The weft is like the lives we live. The more colors and texture we have, the more variety we we have in life, the more beautiful the overall weaving becomes. However, if we do not have enough fiber, the weaving is never finish. In this circumstance, it is hard to even visualize a final project. I have found that within families it is quite similar. Without enough resources, such as friends, money, food, etc, it is hard to visualize a goal. Working as a social worker in people’s lives, I can walk with them to seek more resources, teach them how to develop positive friendships, and find mentors. I then see them start to set some goals. The weaving develops into a beautiful piece of fiber art. As we unravel life together, there are many lessons that lie in a ball of yarn.
artbycarriejoy.com 