Friday, August 28, 2009

Illustration Friday: Magnify

The Illustration Friday topic this week is magnify. I have actually been thinking about this tapestry, which I wove long, long ago, in a studio far, far away (well, across town, anyway), and I decided it would fit the theme well. "Magnify," according to my computer dictionary, means several things. It means 'to make something appear larger than it is (as with a microscope)'; it also means 'to exaggerate the importance of' something; and also it has been used in spiritual terms to mean to 'extol, praise, or glorify' the Lord.

This tapestry includes all of those definitions. It is titled "The Lion and the Lamb." I was noticing the true beauty of the common dandelion as I walked near our cabin one day, where they are very large, the blooms and seedheads being 3-5 inches across. Then it occurred to me that in that one plant, a 'noxious weed' at that, there appears a lion-type flower along side a lamb-type seedhead; the Lion lying down with the Lamb, as it were. I wondered if that was an intentional thing done by the clever Creator? So, of course, I had to weave it.

The tapestry greatly magnifies the dandelion. It is 36x40". It was woven at a sett of 5 epi, which is quite a loose sett for me. But I used huge bundles of weft yarns together... all kinds of stuff, (rayon, silk, textured yarns) blended with wool. The 'black' background actually has no true black in it; it is purples, dark blues and greens. The seedhead is mohair, as are the seeds floating away.

Even though this piece is an old one, (and who would ever buy a tapestry of a weed?) I still like it a lot. It brings back to me that moment when I saw the lion and the lamb lying down together in this humble plant. And, as I am a pacifist, that concept is a very inspiring one to me.

6 comments:

Teri said...

Oh very cool magnification!

Happy IF!

Valerie Lorimer said...

Very lovely!

Vanessa Brantley Newton said...

this is really very lovely and prefect.

Gai said...

This is beautiful and fantastic to have some textile texture in the take of the theme. Fantastic

isay said...

So pretty and cool take of the topic!

Jennifer said...

I love the interpretation of the dandelion as the lion and lamb. How insightful and the tapestry is beautiful too!

Open Studios Tour: Dining Room

  In the dining room I hung Autumn leaning pieces. This Calendar Series tapestry is ‘November.’ It was inspired by a full moon through the t...