Uncharted areas of our oceans include many trenches. One of these is the Mariana Trench, located in the Western Pacific Ocean. At almost seven miles, it is the deepest oceanic trench. The bright colours of the ocean and the nearby islands surrounding the trench were my inspiration.
I started by hand dyeing cotton poplin to create the vibrant blue of the ocean. After studying the variety of hues created by the islands and tides surrounding the trench, I mixed and sampled Procion MX Dyes until I felt comfortable that I could represent the colours. Using the mixed dyes, I prepared silk screens for breakdown printing over the already dyed blue poplin. In places I added acrylic ink, especially to highlight the dark trench. To create texture, movement and add more colour, I machine and hand embroidered the piece. A variety of hand dyed mercerized cotton, Gutterman polyester, Mettler Poly Sheen and silks were used.