Monte Fitz Roy in Patagonia and dramatic images of glaciers melting into lakes were the initial inspiration, followed by the ‘uncharted’ torrential falls of water, landslides, rock falls and crumbling cliffs down the Andes. The Earth’s system (Gaia) will continue to adapt, repair and evolve. A waterfall was chosen as the main image to make use of the long thin format. It employs the Japanese scroll concept, following the uncharted journey of the falling water, from the sky through mountain, glacier, lake, gorges and cliffs, to a gentle pool, before evaporating back up into the atmosphere.
The fabrics used are cotton, sateen, silk, cork, string and net, sandwiched with interfacing, Bondaweb and wadding. Fabric dyes, pen, paints and various threads were used to create the images. A multi-layered approach was taken. Each of the five layers, sky, mountains, cliffs, exposed rocks and waterfall, was appliquéd onto the previous one. The fabrics were hand dyed, with detail and texture added by hand, using pen and paint then quilted by machine. On the back, the main quilted structural lines were enhanced with pen and a colour wash allowed to bleed.
