Water-Lily Pond

Inspired by the serene colors of Claude Monet's painting c. 1915-1926, Water-Lily Pond is a pointed twill that has been woven with a dense warp (30 EPI). The warp is 95% Egyptian cotton/5% organic cotton. For the weft, I chose a variety of colors and fibers, including cotton, Egyptian cotton, superwash merino wool, cottolin and hemp. The wrap that was entered in the Fall 2014 Competition of Weavers was made with a purple Egyptian cotton weft. You will see it in the photographs below as v.7.

The theme of the weaving competition was "Work of Art". In thinking back on works of art that have inspired me in the past, a memory surfaced of being 18 and sitting on a bench at the Smithsonian Institution, totally mesmerized by one of Monet's waterlily paintings. I remember it as a pure fascination with his use of color and texture. In recalling this memory, I realized that this painting embodies the characteristics that I strive to create in my weaving. I poured through the series of works and this one in particular pulled me in. When I learned that it is permanently housed in an incredible museum in Japan designed by Tadao Ando, my choice was made! 

Water-Lily Pond, Claude Monet c. 1915-1926

This was such a fun wrap to design. Working on 1" embroidery cards, I created combinations of 3-4 colors that drew from my inspiration piece. I planned the sequence of colors to make smooth transitions between the color groups across the full width of the wrap. When the warp was complete, I experimented with a number of different weave structures. In the end, I chose pointed twill because it provided a little interest without too much distraction. I like the way the appearance of the pointed twill changes over the width of the wrap depending on the warp and weft colors. In places the weave structure is obscured by similar colors, in others it is distinguished by contrasting colors. Working with a variety of wefts gave me further opportunities to play with color and the appearance of the weave structure. The result is a playful wrap, infused with light and love. I hope it will bring the same comfort and tranquility that I feel when viewing Monet's paintings.

final color combinations

weft samples

beaming

color details

Following is is the full collection of wraps:

Water-Lily Pond v. 1 hand-dyed hemp weft 4.55 meters $546 

Water-Lily Pond v. 2 silver blue cotton weft 4.8 meters $504

Water-Lily Pond v.3 lapis superwash merino wool weft 4.9 meters RESERVED

Water-Lily Pond v.4 sapphire superwash merino wool weft 4.9 meters RESERVED

Water-Lily Pond v.5 barely blue cottolin weft 4.3 meters $451.50

Water-Lily Pond v.6 light blue Egyptian cotton weft 3.6 meters SECOND QUALITY - COSMETIC FLAW $321.30

Water-Lily Pond v.7 purple Egyptian cotton weft 4.35 meters $456.75 *Competition of Weavers Entry*

Water-Lily Pond v.7 purple Egyptian cotton weft 3.55 meters $372.75