Amy Smith
Blue Feet Studio, Arrowsic, ME
Dimensions: 7 x 74”
Medium Type: Handwoven wearable art.
This is a scarf of her own design, handwoven on an eight-shaft floor loom. It’s made of Tencel yarn – marvelous material, strong and lustrous, made from eucalyptus wood in a closed-loop manufacturing process with very low environmental impact.
Artist: I am a handweaver, designing and weaving fine wearables on an eight-shaft floor loom. I work exclusively in Tencel, a natural cellulose-based yarn that is as lovely to work with as it is to wear. I share my work in a variety of venues – from the prestigious Smithsonian Craft Show to local Maine craft events and summer galleries.
Website: www.bluefeetstudio.com
Creating this piece: In early June of this year I went kayaking off Mere Point. The drive to the public boat launch was very pretty – the range of greens of the late-spring leaves, many shades of lilacs, deeper hues of lupines. And the paddle itself was lovely – especially the facets of sunshine on the frisky surface of the water, as the afternoon wind picked up. Afterwards, we hauled our kayaks out to a big boulder at the public launch, and my companion went to retrieve the car. As I waited, I noticed the plaque on the boulder. It was in memory and in honor of – well, I’m sorry, I don’t recall the name; I do recall the gratitude expressed. The plaque was acknowledging an individual who had worked tirelessly to ensure that the public had access to the ocean. This individual had persevered for years to get the Mere Point public-access boat launch approved, funded, and built. I could not have been on that spot, could not have enjoyed the kayaking, nor taken home the inspiration, without that person’s dedication, perseverance, contribution. I felt the gratitude, indeed! This scarf is the next piece I wove after that kayaking. It has the colors of the day – the many greens of new leaves, island pines, seaweeds, with shots of lilac and lupine. The meandering weave mimics the kayak’s path, in and out of the wind-danced water. The lace structure lets in the light, like the sparkle of that day.