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| Whispering Cairns plant dyes on silk, wool, cotton, linen hand stitched 35 x 49 inches 2019 |
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| Chasing the Moon plant dyes on damask, silk, cotton hand stitched 40 x 50 inches 2020 |
Penny's artist statement for this new body of work begins with these words: "For many years now I have taken to heart the words of Peter London in his book ‘Drawing Closer to Nature"
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| Resting Between Tides plant dyes and discharge on silk, wool, cotton, linen hand stitched 43 x 42.5 inches 2019 |
“Find a portion of the world that is close at hand and adopt it. Become acquainted with it. Draw closer to it by staying with it over a long course of time. In all seasons, all times of the day, all weathers, all circumstances of your own life. The more often you return to this chosen portion of Nature, the more finely you will be able to perceive its more delicate features, as well the slow-to-emerge pattern and rhythms.” Peter London
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| Resting Between Night and Day plant dyes and discharge on silk, cotton, linen, wool, hand stitched 2019 43 x 49 inches |
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| Holding Deep Memory hand stitch and shibori on reclaimed denim dress and old table linen 44.5 x 39.5 inches 2021 |
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| Woodland Berries plant dyes on silk, wool, cotton hand stitched 43 x 42 inches 2019 |
My process starts with daily wanderings in the wooded coastal landscape of Nova Scotia, slowly becoming more and more familiar with those seasonal rhythms and changing patterns. Penny Berens
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| from left to right A Stream Runs Through It, The Edge of the Woods, Woodpeckers Live Here Plant dyes on cotton, silk, wool, hand stitched. various sizes, approximately 21 x 15 or 20 inches 2015 |
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| When Autumn Leaves Fall plant dyes on silk, linen, cotton hand stitched, 30 x 24 inches 2017 |
During the warmer months these walks become foraging expeditions for dye stuff with which to colour the fabrics I use. This plant dyed cloth is then hand stitched and embroidered in response to these walks.
Penny Berens
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| Walking on Stoney Ground plant dye and rust on linen, cotton, silk, wool hand stitched 29.9 x 24 inches 2019 |
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| Stoney Island Memories plant dye on linen, cotton, silk, wool hand stitched 42.9 x 31.5 inches 2019 |
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| Beaver Moon Dreaming plant dye and discharge on cotton and linen hand stitched 43.3 x 43.3 inches 2020 |
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| Chasing The Moon hand stitch on silk, cotton, damask 40 x 50 inches 2020 |
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| Dancing In The Wind plant dyes on linen, silk velvet, cotton, wool hand stitched 41.5 x 31 inches 2020 |
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| Walking With Dogs plant dyes on silk, cotton, wool hand stitched 53 x 12 inches x 2 panels, 2021 |
Currently on display until December 18, 2021, the venue for this exhibition is a unique heritage building. The Mississippi Valley Textile Museum used to be a woolen mill, located in the small Ontario town of Almonte and the waterfall that powered the old mill still flows through this town. Please note that the walls behind many of Penny's wall pieces are original to this mill. Like most textile art, it is nice to see details. Please visit oPenny's Tanglewoods Thread blog or instagram to see close ups of Penny's work.
In The Middle Of The World is a two person exhibition with Judy Martin, guest curated by our dedicated young freelance curator, Miranda Bouchard. A post about Judy's work in the exhibition is on Judy's Updates, click here
Posts
it is a wonder to see Penny's cloths here after reading about much of their making on her blog ... how many ways she has of expressing her love of the land ... trees and stones and water ... and the moon
ReplyDeletePenny's work rewards the viewer with detail after detail of loving touch xo
DeleteThank you so much, Liz🙏🏻
DeleteAnd you too Judy!
thoughtful work
ReplyDeletePenny, your work is amazing! With each piece I'm imagining the area you walk in. I get to see the area through your eyes. I too have a special area across the street from my home in Ohio. I visit it often and have so for years. I photograph the area and collect plant life.
ReplyDeleteI have to say I'm hard pressed to pick a favorite but Dancing in the Wind is delightful and brings a smile to my face.
Our local surroundings are so important to each of us and to be able to really see what you live with and bring it into a composition full of interest and as Mary Oliver would say, astonishment, is a gift that Penny shares with us. xo
DeleteThank you so very much Susan.
DeleteDancing in the Wind was started after a hurricane blew it’s way through our part of the world. I wanted to get down in stitch the fragility of trees but also their strength with the tree trunk on the right hand side standing strong against the windy background stitching.
Oh, my goodness, thank you Judy for sharing my contribution to our show! And you took some great photos! I think I need to build an old stone wall in my woods in order to photograph my work against it!
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry I couldn’t be there to take photos of all our work. It would be so much easier to write about it on Tanglewood Threads then. Grrr!
Love to you.
Penny's work went straight to my heart.
ReplyDeleteI especially love the 2 Chasing the Moon.
Thank you Judy for posting these.
Love,
Rikki