Artist Statement – “Into the Forest I Go”
This piece represents the Douglas fir. I wanted to create a full landscape to emphasize its strength, adaptability, and place within local forest ecosystems. From the beginning of the project, I knew I wanted to work with yarn to crochet, as it is a medium I feel deeply connected to and passionate about. The textured stitches reflect the dense needles and layered growth of the Douglas fir, while the variation in tree size suggests different stages of growth and their roles within the forest. Ecologically, the Douglas fir is a keystone species that provides shelter, stability, and connection for surrounding life, reinforcing the idea that even individual elements are essential to the health of the larger ecosystem.
The process began by laying out the felt base, intentionally leaving space around the edges to allow the quilt to be sewn together as a collaborative class piece. I then cut and sewed the sky and mountains, building the background before attaching the crocheted trees. The trees were sewn on next, followed by the final details of the trunks, which helped ground the landscape visually. I used acrylic yarn crocheted with a 3.5 mm hook for the trees, felt for the background, embroidery thread for the mountains and tree details, and sewing thread for the sky and trunks. While the hand-sewing process was time-consuming and often painful on my fingertips, every poke was worth it to see the piece come together. Within the quilt, this square contributes texture, grounding, and a sense of place, symbolizing how each individual piece, like each Douglas fir, plays a vital role in sustaining the whole ecosystem.
Self Assessment Checklist
- Intentional use of the space (Complete)
- Multiple materials (2+) (Complete: 4 Materials)
- Your element, represented within the context of our local forest ecosystem (Complete)
