Seasonal Process

Strongly influenced by a blue-collar work ethic and the southern cotton fields surrounding my youth, I am a textile designer who passionately works towards bringing the Made in America label back. I’m on a quest to live within the boundaries set forth by nature. My exploration of various resources and media is directed toward environmental sustainability, which is an integral part of my creative process. Because I perceive the environment and design as mutually constitutive elements, I tend to work with materials that are close to their primary sources. Indeed, resource provenance is a critical aspect of my work, with regard to both natural and regional sources. To that end, my design choices are informed by tactile interaction. The materials I use range from wool, linen, and cotton, and vegetable dyes. Using materials as my vocabulary, I aspire to produce works of art that tell engaging stories. The way an item finds its way into my hands provides context for what happens when thought and kinetic energy interact symbiotically during the creative process. While I try to establish a destination for every project, I also attend to the interesting ways that things evolve as the process moves from start to finish. My goal is to educate through creating material with meaning, and to initiate skepticism/investigation into the origins and conditions of where our clothing is manufactured.

http://www.pastoraltextiles.com/about/