g. roslie’s natural dyed textile + paper collage “things looking up”

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 and 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.

things looking up

natural dyed flax linen, linen gauze, mixed media paper, glue

12 h x 12 w - float hinge matted (set in ultra thin black aluminum frame)

Over the Weather by Naomi Shihab Nye

We forget about the spaciousness
above the clouds

but it's up there.The sun's up there too.

When words we hear don't fit the day,
when we worry
what we did or didn't do,
what if we close our eyes,
say any word we love
that makes us feel calm,
slip it into the atmosphere
and rise?

Creamy miles of quiet.
Giant swoop of blue.

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.