Veronica Pock | Handwoven textiles

Petrichor

The coming of rain is heralded by ‘petrichor’. From the Greek ‘Petra’ (stone) and ‘ichor’ (the ethereal blood of the gods), this distinctive scent is the smell of oils in rocks and soil being released by moisture from the rain. Science has suggested that humans have an inherent affection for this smell as rainy weather is vital for survival.

Here in The Hague it hadn’t rained properly in weeks, the ground baked hard and the plants dry and weary. Parched earth. But the end of June saw our first rain in many weeks, and it was a welcome relief. My work is influenced by my surroundings and the nature it holds. Following the seasons and the weather patterns, I sense a rhythm in my work that reflects this in colour, pattern and structure. In the recent pieces shown above, I can see landscapes and pathways, and memories translated into weaves.

Jewellery combining wood and weave

My latest collection of wooden jewellery pieces, mainly brooches but also some earrings and pendants, is steadily growing. It had its first outing at the Voorburgse Rondgang, an art fair local to me. It drew a lot of attention, and was met very positively, with comments such as ‘unique’ and ‘contemporary’. Some of the recently finished item are now available in my Etsy shop LiminalWEAVE.

Colour inspiration

A trip to the local garden centre became an unexpected source of inspiration. I was very taken with the stunning colours of the leaves and stems of the house plants – rubber plants whose leaves ranged from lime green, through hot pinks to rich oranges, browns and vibrant viridian greens. Another tropical plant combined delicately variegated leaves, some of which where completely cream in colour (how does it photosynthesise??), with red stems. It was only after I had finished weaving the piece in the bottom photo that I realised where the colour combination had come from. Inspiration really can be found at the most unexpected moments, and often is absorbed subliminally, reappearing at a later time.

On the loom

This month I have been working on some woven art pieces. Using a warp combining jute, linen, cotton/steel mixed yarns, and glimmering gold synthetic threads in extremes of thickness, I now have seven or eight different wallhangings exploring double deflected weave, double weaves and honeycomb weave, using a variety of materials to both enhance the tactility and explore the structure of the weaves. Keep an eye on my Instagram to see more of these.

A beautiful home

One of my paper wallhangings recently found a new home via For The Love of Art. This piece uses vintage Ordnance Survey map of the Peak District National Park (UK) in the weft, and has travelled with me on many of the paths there. I love the photos of it here in its new owner’s home. Such a beautiful home; I feel privileged to have a piece of work in it!

Studio view

Sometimes a bundle of colours carelessly piled together can provide the perfect palette. This collection of viscose, Shantung silk and linen unexpectedly revealed itself on my table, and somehow this ragtag of colours works together for me.

Thank you…

…so much for your support and for joining me on my creative journey through the seasons. Your support and interest really does make a difference. If you’d like to see more of my work and inspirations, I post regularly on Instagram @veronicapock and my work is available online at LiminalWEAVE on Etsy and Saatchi Art. I also have a mailing list; if you would like to keep up to date with latest events and updates you can join by clicking here.

Looking forward to seeing you again in late July,

with warmest wishes, Veronica