Tommye Scanlin
Sticks and Stones, 2018
Natural dyed wool and linen 52" x 12"
In 2018 I devoted the year of the tapestry diary to the phrase "Sticks and Stones...." because of the political and social upheaval in the United States. This was my way of making a positive thing from negative emotions I felt from the state of the world. This is one of my ongoing year-long tapestry diaries with each color change being woven on a different day of the year. The stick and stone images were woven within each ongoing month, beginning at the bottom with January, 2018 and building up to the top to end on December 31, 2018.
Tommye Scanlin
Hope is the Thing With Feathers, 2020
Natural dyed wool and linen 56" x 12"
This is one of my ongoing year-long tapestry diaries. In 2020 I felt that hope was what I needed to face each day of uncertainty. My tapestry diaries are ones in which I weave a small part each day of the year--every color change in the tapestry was done on a different day. Every month I selected a feather to weave within the framework of the changing days. A portion of Emily Dickinson's poem, "Hope," was my inspiration: "'Hope' is the thing with feathers-that perches in the soul-and sings the tune without the words-and never stops-at all."
Tommye Scanlin
Memories of Ferns, 2020
Natural dyed wool 32" x 24"
Memories of Ferns was done at the end of 2020, the first tapestry of larger size that I was able to complete during the first year of the pandemic. I wanted to evoke a sense of loss by making the fern frond transparent. I've used dark/light rectangles in other works to signify departure. By combining these two ideas I expressed a little of my feelings of helplessness about the state of the world's health.
Tommye Scanlin
Gray Dawn, 2014
wool, cotton 50" x 50"
Tommye Scanlin
Five Leaves for Miss Lillian, 2018
tapestry of wool (natural dyes) and cotton 50" x 32"
Tommye Scanlin
Oak Leaves, 2016
tapestry in wool, cotton, linen 60" x 60"
