Dreaming In Blue, 2023
Dreaming In Blue, 2023
Hand-dyed pima cotton, manzanita tree branches
181 x 65 x 19 inches
Dreaming In Blue is a custom installation consisting of crochet-covered branches for the client’s lower guest room of an historic home. Along the designated 181 inch x 65 inch x 19 inch wall, I designed the branch segments were to appear as if weaving in and out of the wall. The composition was determined by the unique shapes of the branches, utilizing a total of 10 branch segments and taking into consideration the bench and cabinetry. I meticulously hand crocheted yarn wrappings around each branch from wide to very narrow, covering an estimated 80% of the branches, leaving just the branch tips unclothed. Upon request, I used lapis blue yarn matching the color sample supplied to me.
Bringing in nature from the outside to create environments inside has been a recurring theme in my work. For this project, I Utilized locally collected manzanita tree branches and a unique hand-dyed blue yarn. As I worked, I stitched directly onto each branch, responding to the natural curves and shapes to create form fitting wrappings around each individual branch, and adjusting the yarn widths to the gradual narrowing of each. Installed against a wallpaper pattern of soft cloud-like gray patches, their branching forms meander along the wall and extend across to the adjacent wall. My intent was to both interrupt the rectangular lines of the living space and to create an environment of quiet enjoyment and contemplation while sitting on the inset bench beneath the tree branches.