g. roslie’s natural dyed textile + paper collage “clay”

inspiration comes in many forms. an inner or outer lit landscape, a poem that confirms or shifts my perspective, resonant words, symbols or energy felt deeply in this & other dimensions. wherever the muse appears, the use of natural dyes and textiles to create art is a joy making process for me. over the years i have been making textile art in the form of wall hangings and in the process, i have accumulated an abundance of beautiful natural dyed fabric remnants too small to incorporate into my sewn work but too precious to let go. living a natural lifestyle and walking gently on our environment is important to me and minimizing waste by utilizing the small pieces of fabrics and turning them into a collage completes the circle of my sustainable art practice. within the collage work, i find great freedom to experiment with shapes and sizes that sewing does not readily allow and a floodgate of new possibilities open up. i love both processes, clean closed seams and raw cut exposed edges, both metaphors for life… switching back and forth stimulates my creative center evermore.

clay

collage: natural dyed flax linen, paper, glue

11 w x 14 h float hinge matted (set in ultra thin black aluminum frame)

>>>>>>

Clay

Beauty is the vocation of the earth. -William Bryant Logan

God's breath on a compound of silica,

alumina and various oxides--

primarily iron-gave Adam life.

There is a primal, almost mystical

connection between humankind and clay,

from the footed, bellied first receptacles

to frescoed Renaissance cathedral walls.

To Carver's eye, the muddy creek banks say

Here to be dug up, strained and painted on,

is loveliness the poorest can afford:

azures, ochres . . . Scraps of discarded board

are landscapes. Cabins undistinguished brown

bloom like slaves freed to struggle toward self-worth.

Beauty is commonplace, as cheap as dirt.

~Marily Nelson

>>>>>>>>

the beauty of natural dyed textiles is in the variation of colors and natural imperfections that occur during the dyeing process. the perfection of imperfection, akin to the ‘wabi-sabi’ principle is very much a part of my textile art which makes it wholly unique, one-of-a-kind and of nature.

note: please hang collage away from direct exposure to sunlight or harsh artificial light as well as direct heat source or moisture rich area to prevent premature fading and degradation of the naturally dyed textile.