Sarah Haskell

Indigo Nights, 2021

Handwoven linen with rayon brocade. Rust printed, indigo dyed with wax resist. Embroidered, couched paper and metallic threads. 45” H by 22.5” by .5”

Over the past year I have been moving away from fiber reactive dyes - and using natural dyes and processes with my handwoven linens. This transition reflects my desire to live a life in alignment with the patterns and rhythms of the environment. In creating this piece, I hope to capture the quiet and contemplative space that observing nature affords me. On a deep winter’s night the full moon and the majestic bare oaks, urge me from bed. In those wee hours of the morning while the household slumbers, I find an opening to insight and wisdom. This space, close to lunar perception is the inspiration for Indigo Nights.

Sarah Haskell

Indigo Nights, 2021

Sarah Haskell

Live Your Truth, 2021

Handwoven linen with rayon brocade. Indigo and ceriops (mangrove bark) dyed. Embroidered, couched hand-spun paper and metallic threads. 44.5” by 22.5” by .5”

This tree grows in two directions, an independent and venerable witness to time. Reaching upward with confidence and strength – this tree feels akin to a self-portrait. Underground, tenacious roots dig deep giving a grounding and spiritual depth. As I enter a new decade of life, Living my Own Truth becomes a precious mantra. Above the horizon the colors are derived from an indigo bath, while the rusty orange below is from ceriops/mangrove bark. Creating art using organic materials such as linen and plant based dyes feels aligned with my principle of living a life of respect for the interdependent web of life.

Sarah Haskell

Live Your Truth, 2021

Sarah Haskell

Dissolving Boundaries, 2020

Handwoven linen, dyed with indigo and ceriops (mangrove bark).Embroidered with cotton and linen. Turmeric dyed appliqué. 40" by 37"

In the center of this piece is a floating body suspended in a cathedral-like arch of embroidery stitches and a sea of indigo blues. Almost daily I swim to a small island in the protected waters of a local cove. Before I return to shore I roll onto my back to float. Fully supported by the salty water, held and cradled, I feel suspended as if in zero gravity. There is no perceptible sound save for my breath. This experience is as close to merging with oneness, or “Dissolving Boundaries” as I have experienced. Through my work I address universal and timeless themes such as longing, love, regret and grief by employing traditional textile techniques such as weaving, spinning and dyeing. Here the ground fabric is my handwoven linen which has been dipped in indigo and ceriops dyes. It has been bleached, rusted,painted and embroidered. I choose to work with organic materials such as paper, linen and cotton that are especially susceptible to change. Pushing this characteristic, I intentionally subject my textiles and threads to humidity, rust, abrasion, soil and sunlight. I find that this deliberate abuse of my “precious” fabrics confronts my own attachment to permanence and my futile attempts to halt the aging process in my own body. Change and metamorphosis, the common denominator for all life, are at the core of my artistic exploration. If there is one lesson to learn from Covid-19, it is that we are all vulnerable and mortal. I suggest that when we develop an awareness of our common vulnerability and our mortality, perhaps we will adopt a wider compassion for all – dissolving boundaries.

Sarah Haskell

Dissolving Boundaries, 2020

Sarah Haskell

All This Time, 2020

Handwoven and dyed linen, rayon, with cotton embroidery thread. Rust printed and indigo dipped. 62" by 36"

The rust print made from the large masonry saw blade and the small objects that radiate outward, are suggestive of the sun. I was reminded of the Hafiz poem –"Even After All this time The Sun never says to the Earth, 'You owe me.' Look What happens With a love like that, It lights the whole sky.”