I am a weaver, working with local plants such as hawthorn, yarrow and weld amongst others to create natural dyes which I use in my woven textiles. I try to work as sustainably as possible, using natural fibres such as linen and wool as well as using solar dyeing and natural mordants to fix the dyes. For my graduate show, I used a former technique called ‘beetling’ to create a subtle sheen on some of the pieces. Dark colours and the use of stitches such as distorted twill, reflect my feelings of despair for a potentially bleak future without the species we enjoy today, while brighter more joyful colours suggest a sense of optimism that we can reverse the current crisis if we act together, now. I hope my work will inspire a greater compassion and interest in our native plants, many of which are disappearing despite their importance for biodiversity and as carbon sinks. I invite the viewer to act now by planting more of them in our gardens and cities as well as rural areas.
