BlueLickHollow

I’m a native of Richmond, KY and a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Art. I have always loved creating and nature, especially horticulture. My loves in college where studio painting and metalsmithing. I have always loved bold colors, that is why I was drawn to painting. I am always reaching for decorative items to wear in my everyday life and wardrobe. My work is wearable art using color and incorporating natural items found or grown on my farm in Berea, KY. This incorporates things that I feel passionate about: color, wearables, and horticulture.

My favorite memories of my childhood was helping my family in our vegetable and flower gardens growing up. It has made me appreciate nature and the beauty and all it offers everyday. Which is why my husband and I have bought a baby farm in Berea, KY. I love having a vegetable garden every season and expanding on flower beds throughout the yard.

I gain inspiration for my work from my time spent in nature, specifically within my home of Eastern Kentucky. Spending time in the yard or around my home gathering plants for my work plays a major role in my process of creation. I when you are on a walk and finding a new tree or plant that you didn’t know about and finding where it resides I am often reminded about the frailty evident in nature when working with plants. The seasons are short and different with each plant making the creation process fast pased. Each Piece is created with native plants and trees arranged and pressed out on a silk scarf. The dye and plant make an imprint on the scarf which is helped by a boiling process. For the dye to take and also for all the pigment to come of the plant material. Each scarf is different due to the color or dye and how it will react with the plant material. So each piece is different and reflects the time spent in the process.

Eco- or botanical contact prints are created by layering prepared natural cloth and with local plants and flowers. The material and leaves are bundled together, tightly bound and steamed. This process creates a permanent transfer of pigment and dye chemicals from the leaves to the cloth. Eco-printing pattern come from the plants themselves! But, mine has a twist to the process. I use dyes made here locally from a shop in our state of Kentucky, giving my scarves more of a vibrant color. So, you get a traditional dye look with still having the plant imprinted on the fabric. All of my scarves are made individually with leaves and flowers collected from my farm located in the foothills of Appalachia. So, they are all unique and one of a kind. Each one is made on a 100% silk scarf