New growth

In the space of a couple of weeks, spring has arrived. The woods have changed from bare and wintery to vibrant verdant green – vivid and lush. After the coldest April in The Netherlands for 35 years, May has continued on this chilly theme, but it has taken just a few warmer days for nature to spring into life, the fresh new leaves appearing seemingly overnight. Wood anemones have flowered and gone, and now the bluebells and wild garlic are enjoying their moment in the spotlight before the canopy above becomes too dense and the light levels drop.

This month has seen the culmination of a number of projects, and now it’s time for me to reassess and plan for the future. I’m beginning to think about new work again. An inbetween time.

Featured artist

It’s been a privilege during May to be featured as artist of the month at the Kunstuitleen Voorburg. The team at the gallery has composed a wonderful display of many of my works, both very new handwoven wall hangings and new and old mixed media studies on canvas. These, together with a selection of handwoven cushions, are available there throughout May, and beyond (to rent via the website). The gallery’s website also includes a recent interview I made with Melanie Struik where we chat about how I came to be a weaver, my inspiration and process.

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Just off the loom

Using a neutral base of Shetland type wool in ecru, grey, charcoal and the softest sage green combined with locally grown wool by Grazend Populair, I’ve been weaving fabrics for a limited edition range of cushions. Some will be online in my webshop LiminalWEAVE shortly. The combination of the thicker, coarser Drentse Heide sheep’s wool, combined with finer merino and Shetland type wools in the warp enable me to create striking motifs and contrasting patterns in the design.

New samples

I usually reserve the last section of a warp for experimenting. The warp used for the cushions above forms a lovely neutral base to play with other earth and stone colours. The results are muted; the beauty in the detail.

Collaboration

Continuing with my interior styling collaboration, supplying unique wall hangings and limited edition cushions to by_ten_creations, the very talented team there have worked their magic to produce these beautiful images. Ceramics are by Tess Keramiek and wall hangings are in paper and repurposed tape.

Reducing waste

As well as using more locally produced yarns, I also aim to reduce waste as much as I can. One way to use up woven samples is to make covered buttons, which have proven to be popular with knitters and crafters. They are so satisfying to make and become mini explorations into colour. These are available in my shop now.

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The cusp of summer

On a tranquil evening last week, at dusk, the sky faded to delicate pastels, and the cow parsley frothed over onto the path. The scent of hawthorn hung heavy on the air; summer was almost tangible. A promise of what lies ahead.

Thank you for joining me on my journey through the year. I hope to see you here again for my next blog in June.

With warm May wishes, Veronica