Olowalu Reef Maui, Hawaii
up-cycled fabric and thread, second hand hoop
10” x 10”
hand sewn
Devastating global warming is threatening to eliminate the coral reef, causing it to first lose its color and then die. My recent embroidery work explores this climate tragedy and the coral reef’s transition from spectacular beauty to ghostly skeletal forms. I depict topographical maps of regions under threat with gradations of colored fabric. I use embroidery to symbolize the shapes of the coral reef and its phases of color change. These works use only reclaimed fabric and thread to underline the textile industry’s participation in problematic climate change.
Grooved Brain Coral
up-cycled fabric and thread, second hand hoop
9” x 9”
hand sewn
Tiny Staghorn Coral
up-cycled fabric and thread, second hand hoop
4 1/2” x 4 1/2”
hand sewn
The Great Barrier Reef
up-cycled fabric and thread, second hand hoop
9 1/2” x 9 1/2”
hand sewn
Favia Coral
up-cycled fabric and thread, second hand hoop
6” x 6”
hand sewn
Transitions: Off the Coast of the Philippines
up-cycled fabric and thread, second hand hoop
9 1/2” x 18”
hand sewn
Sun Coral
up-cycled fabric and thread, second hand hoop
4 1/2” x 4 1/2”
hand sewn
Riau Islands of Indonesia
up-cycled fabric and thread, second hand hoop
8” x 8”
hand sewn
Staghorn Coral 2
up-cycled fabric and thread, second hand hoop
5 1/2” x 5 1/2”
hand sewn
current work
I have always been inspired by the rich history of flowers depicted in art, both for their inherent aesthetic value and as symbols of life and renewal. I have often used flowers in my art and this has led me to coral reefs. These animal polyps have similar characteristics to flowers: vibrant colors, repeated shapes and patterns, with an added dimension of fluid movement. Devastating global warming is threatening to eliminate the coral reef, causing it to first lose its color and then die. My recent embroidery work explores this climate tragedy and the coral reef’s transition from spectacular beauty to ghostly skeletal forms. I depict topographical maps of regions under threat with gradations of colored fabric. I use embroidery to symbolize the shapes of the coral reef and its phases of color change. These works use only reclaimed fabric and thread to underline the textile industry’s participation in problematic climate change.