Re-envisioned Canvas, Hexagon

For years, I stretched canvases and longed for a more physical connection to the fabric, which is so easily reduced to a mere surface. I tried painting on cut, sewn, and woven pieces canvas, but I always felt that something was lost with the application of paint. I wanted to the canvas to be the art. During the pandemic, I worked beside an ash tree outside my kitchen window, and when one day the saw came for the tree, I loaded what was left of the being—trunk and branches—into my car and drove it through the tunnel into the city with the hatch wide open and hazards flashing. Finally, I had a way to engage with canvas. I cut the branches for frames, wrestled their natural curves into familiar geometries, and wove and tacked the canvas leaving glimpses of the process and methods for viewers to explore.
 
The hexagonal piece in this series was particularly challenging because the weave was nothing I had done before and even after learning it, I still struggled. If you are so inclined, I recommend experimenting with a hexagonal weave with paper strips. It was a fun journey!
 
canvas, hemp, and ash branches
22" x 26" ready to hang