Trees are long-lived and complex. We have fairly recently learnt that they communicate, nurture, act cooperatively and form long-term relationships with other organisms. I suspect that there is still much that we don’t yet understand or even know to ask – the unknown unknowns. Every day this year, I have taken a photo of a tree and come to really appreciate their huge variety and intricacy. Working in a concertina sketchbook inspired by the trees helped me to find a way to work with the long, narrow shape of this challenge.
The background was created by machine piecing recycled linen, cotton and muslin, tarletan, cotton organdie, and Bondaweb. These fabrics had been variously printed, using Thermofaxes (own design), ecoprinted, painted with acrylic, dyed with Procion dyes or waxed with a beeswax/paraffin wax mixture. After piecing it was overprinted using Thermofax screens and textured layers were added. Finally it was hand quilted using Paint-Box threads.
