meander (2025)
Cotton fabric solar-dyed with golden road, bird's trefoil, sumac, wild carrot, clovers and various plants foraged on Howe's Island, Ontario. Hand embroidered with cotton thread. 42 cm x 58 cm.
- - -
In August, I sat in roadside ditches with wild parsnip on Howe's Island, sketching and listening to the buzz of wildlife, plus the odd car zooming by. These daily walks only had a direction in mind, east or west, towards the river or away, and I would roam until I came across wild parsnip. The first walk took me about 1.5 km away from home base, but throughout the week I learned that I probably only needed to go about 500 feet. Each day I would walk further or in a new direction, and each day starting on the same gravel road I would see more than I did before.
I spotted snakes between the queen anne's lace, and hummingbird clear wings on the loosestrife. I helped move the spiders off of the chicory I foraged and watched the bees dance over fields.
This finished piece is the collection of slow moments which happened while at the Rich Foundation Residency on Howe's Island from August 16 to 23. If I went a week later or a month earlier, this piece would be different as it is shaped by the sunlight, the rain, the winds and all the nature that surrounded me. I didn't truly know what this piece would be when I started but couldn't be happier with what it has become.
- - -
This work was supported and made possible through the Craft Ontario's 2025 Craft Awards and the Rich Foundation.
-
Share