Ecological Arts by Rebecca Burgess

"The role of Ecological Arts is to create art in order to understand and revitalize natural systems. Founder Rebecca Burgess has been a teacher and artist for many years."

As an environmental educator and textile artist, I am consistently looking for ways to engage students and the public in hands-on textile arts techniques that move us one step closer to living in greater harmony with the planet.

Ecological Arts offers a series of workshops
on using natural dyes and weaving.

I created EcologicalArts in 2004 as a way to house the sustainable textile arts processes that I was both creating and learning from other artisans around the world. Inspired initially by villages like Pejeng, Bali, and Sukhonakon, Thailand, places where women grow and spin organic cotton, raise and ferment indigo, and work cooperatively to produce beautiful finished goods. These villages illuminated sustainable textile production for me. Upon returning home, I felt the calling to start my own tradition.

California Fleuristic Province, home of Ecological Arts.

I live in the California Fleuristic Province, it is among the 25 most bio-diverse places on the planet. I felt there must be species here, in my homeland, that I can use for color- and thus avoid the carbon footprint incurred from ordering all of my dyes from overseas, or even out of state. In the process, I have become a natural dye harvester, restoration gardener, and an unintentional steward. I prune, I weed, I replant, and I seed- it's all a part of the harmonious and reciprocal process. Stewardship and dye work are now hand-in-hand activities for me. My garden is both a restoration site for native and useful dye plants, and an experimentation zone of Indigo, prairie wildflowers, and pokeberry.

From plant life to yarn color, dyes by Ecological Arts.

While there are still dyes such as cochineal, and logwood, whose colors I have not found sustainably harvested substitutes for, I was able to find and create recipes for every color of my hearts desire. And, there is still a lifetime of experimentation left in the fields and hillsides of my homeland.


As a canvas for these natural colors- I connected with the local sheep ranchers, angora producers and organic cotton farmers. These relationships have given me the opportunity to economically support local fiber producers. They create some of the highest quality raw materials in the world, and yet their origins are at most 70 miles from my home!


These processes I undertake are nothing new in history, they are in fact quite ancient, and yet- I feel that every moment of creating with nature’s raw materials is a novel experience. The permutations and possibilities for what a textile artist can do with the resources within his or her community is truly stunning.

Yarns by Ecological Arts.

Rebecca Burgess graduated from UC Davis in Art History, and while in the central valley spent time studying at DQ Native American University. Searching for art outside the academic canon, she found a Native American basket weaver. The artistry, ecology, and function of the native baskets became her inspiration. While traveling throughout the United States, and Asia she found remnants of ecologically focused textile art traditions.
Through each investigation she became increasingly inspired to begin a local tradition within her own bio-region. Ecologicalarts was born in 2004. An organization dedicated to creating, reviving, and teaching, art forms that utilize resources to promote thriving eco-systems.

Rebecca is a member of the Fiber Focus Group, has a blog, website and sells on Etsy.



Find more photos like this on Fiber Focus

Ecological Arts by Rebecca Burgess

Ye Olde Renaissance Faire: A Fun Time Had at Grace Episcopal Church

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Priest Libby Wade of Grace Episcopal Church in Paducah, Kentucky has been sent to the stocks! Here she sits in the hot October sun with her Book of Common Prayer subjecting herself to..... uh, OK, just some fun at Ye Olde Renaissance Faire, put on by her very own Episcopalian members.

Some of them, including the Fair Priest's jailer, took their roles seriously, very seriously... but, whether serious or in jest, the Faire was a joyous occasion on the beautiful grounds of one of Paducah's oldest churches.

Grace Episcopal Church is one of Paducah's oldest and most beautiful churches.

This is the second Renaissance Faire I have attended at Grace. I had a booth with some of my wares and did my henna thing. The Faire has been a small, intimate event in the past, with poor outside attendance which is a shame as it has much to offer. The costumes, of course, announce the theme in full splendor. It's so much fun to see what people come up with! Some rented their attire, while others made their own.


The couple above are veteran Renaissance merchants who have participated in much larger venues in bigger cities. They had the booth next to mine, showcasing their gorgeous garden cement and hand-blown glass ornaments.

Paducah's Lowertown Artists had a tent, represented by some of their colorful characters.

Multi-talented Freda Fairchild, fiber artist, print-maker and jeweler displayed some of her beautiful necklaces.

"Friar" Jay Downs Siska, co-author of Lower Town, Paducah, charmed visitors with stories about the Old Times in Paducah.

Renaissance tunes floated in the air, mixing in with laughter and conversation.

A highlight for me was meeting James Whitworth, known as "Bear" a true Renaissance man in the scope of his abilities. He participates regularly in re-enactments, collects period pieces from several different traditions, has taught himself how to make his own costumes, plays several instruments, including the bagpipe, and has a hilarious sense of humor.

James "Bear" Whitworth in Scottish dress,
entertained with stories, music and humor.

Gloria of the Cookies has a faithful following and sells out of her fantastic offerings. Each one is a perfect piece in shape, taste and texture.

Gloria's cookies are glorious!

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! All Praise be Given to the Needle Traditions!
But, what I really treasure from the event are all the needleworkers giving live demonstrations of their skill. I am always so impressed by how much the Paducah area keeps hidden until these events bring out the talent. It seems to me that the City should really capitalize on this more and have a permanent place exhibiting and educating about all the crafts abundant in the area. Ironically, Quilt City USA, as Paducah is known, had no representatives of its quilting tradition at the faire.

Sandra Benne Doing a Tatting Demonstration

There were, however, several live demonstrations of tatting, lace-making, spinning and weaving.

Pam Crouch, Bobbin Lace Demonstration,
President of the Heartland Lace Guild,
(They meet at Grace Epicopal on the 2nd Friday of every month)

Bobbin Lace, a complex needle art, demands
focus, dexterity and patience!

Spinning, the backbone to fiber art
around the world throughout the ages!

Weaving, that which has clothed us and
kept our homes warm for centuries!

A King and Queen are Chosen
The Faire included a Royal Parade where all the costumed ladies and gents displayed their regal attire. A man and a woman, chosen for most authentic attire, were chosen as King and Queen.

The King of the Renaissance Faire

Yes, Paducah is a small city that may lack many of the amenities offered by more popular tourist destinations or the giant metro areas that have so much fame. But, there is always something fun happening here. Small celebrations of life, creativity, and community make this place special to all of us who choose to live here. Thank you, Grace Episcopal, for hosting this event and extending it to all of us who take so much pleasure from a bit of historical fantasy!

Note: If you know the names of the people photographed, leave a comment here and I will add them into the post.

Ye Olde Renaissance Faire: A Fun Time Had at Grace Episcopal Church

Queen Rania and the Jordan River Foundation

Several years ago I had the privilege of attending a USAID conference in Chicago that focused on handicrafts, women and economic development initiatives around the world. A large room showcased different projects with samples of their work and representatives of the groups. Smaller rooms were used for topical seminars. The experience was fascinating and energizing: to see women from so many different places, many dressed in traditional outfits, bringing color and texture into the gathering, all of them engaged in so many wonderful enterprises. The highlight of the conference was an address by keynote speaker, Queen Rania of Jordan.

Yes, she is a queen. A beautiful one. The woman is drop-dead gorgeous! She could easily use her beauty as an unapproachable guise to keep her away from the masses, leading the life of an earthly goddess. Instead, she is down here with the rest of us, more often than not, in simple garbs, one of the people.

When Queen Rania begins to speak, the issue of her beauty fades into the background. The woman is also brilliant. She earned a degree in Business Administration at the University of Cairo and has put that education to use in her role as Queen. She sees her job as a partnership with her husband, King Abdullah II, to lead Jordan into prosperity, modernity, and justice. This interview on ABC News is a good example of the way she engages the people around her to achieve her goals:

ABC News Interview with Queen Rania

Queen Rania sees her role as Queen as a job. She speaks openly about how difficult she finds it to balance her home life with four children, with her "job" and her duties as Queen. Her children are her priority. She reads to them at night, plays with them, and instills in them those values that drive the rest of her life.

Queen Rania with King Abdullah II and their children.

Queen Rania attended the conference in Chicago to speak about her project that she had started to address some of the fundamental needs the people of Jordan have concerning advocacy for children and women's rights along with economic development in rural areas. She established the Jordan River Foundation in 1995 as a non-profit, non-governmental organization that addresses those needs in concrete ways.

The Foundation's profile:

Our Mission
The Jordan River Foundation's mission is to promote, in partnership with stakeholders, the development of a dynamic Jordanian society by initiating and supporting sustainable social, economic and cultural programs that empower communities and individuals based on their needs and priorities.

Our Dedication
At the outset, the Foundation initiated socio-economic projects for women to provide employment opportunities that enhanced their livelihood while developing their knowledge and skills in handicraft production and entrepreneurship. These projects benefited thousands of individuals, directly and indirectly, and continue to generate income for vulnerable communities and families.

As the Foundation matured, and the context of development evolved in Jordan, the Foundation expanded its approach to one of sustainable community investments, integrating and serving community development needs.
Today, the Foundation is recognized nationally, regionally and internationally as an agent for positive change and as a leading Jordanian institution contributing to the social and economic well-being of citizens. Our activities have become models for emulation receiving accolades by our beneficiaries who are often held up as "success stories".

A large part of their programming is dedicated to serving the needs of underprivileged children and women. They have invested in schools, art programs, legal advice for women and many other programs. This video gives an overview of the foundation:

Queen Rania's Tribute to the Jordan River Foundation

The Jordan River Foundation also has two handicraft initiatives, the Radi Al Rayan Project, which works with women who make mats, furniture and other decorative objects out of banana leaves and cattail reeds, and the Bani Hamida Women's Weaving Project which works with Bedouin women. The samples shown at the conference were stunningly well crafted and easily incorporated into contemporary design. Some samples from their catalog:



The Foundation's approach makes the connection between the production of traditional handicrafts like weaving with local farming and agricultural needs. Although women primarily benefit from the handicrafts initiatives, men also are included through all the work the Foundation does to better their crop yields and market expansion.

These two photos are from a visit Joy May Hilden
made to the Bani Hamida's Weaving Project.
She has a fascinating website on the Beduin.

Queen Rania had "real" jobs before she married the King. She worked for both Apple and Citibank and brought these experiences with her to the throne. She is media savvy and has a series of videos on YouTube where she addresses questions on Islam, the Middle East, relations with Israel, the rights of women and so on. She meets these tough questions with grace, humor, gentleness, and a true desire to connect and educate. In watching how she interacts with Arab men, it is obvious that she has acquired a position of equality and respect. Her beauty, her choice to remain unveiled, and her gender seem unimportant in view of all that she has contributed to Jordan's development.

There is a lesson here for all of us. Queen Rania lives the dictate, "To whom much is given, much is required." But, she does it with joy, enthusiasm and great hope. One person can make a difference and she believes in the domino effect that if you give to someone who is in your neighborhood, then that giving will catch on and spread. May her life continue to be a source of inspiration for you and for me! Thank you, Queen Rania!

Queen Rania and the Jordan River Foundation

"Baa, baa, Etsy... Have you any wool?"

Sheep with Backup Singers, 10x10 matted fine art print

by Nature Mandela

"Yes, Sir! Yes, Sir! Three bags full!" Actually, Etsy wool suppliers have bags and bags of wonderful eye-candy, wool spun in all color palettes, textures, and blends catering to the knitter, felter, weaver, and wild fiber artist. For those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere, August reminds us that the warmth of Summer is coming to an end. We had sweltering summer days last week here in Kentucky with temperatures over 100 degrees. Today has been on the chilly side, reminding me of my stash of wool accessories made by my friend, Diane the Yin Yang Knitter. Soon it will be time to get out her fingerless gloves, hats, and neck warmers.

I am not a knitter, weaver, or spinner. But, I do come from farm stock and long for connections that bring me close to the earth. Last year at around Christmas time, I read a post on Etsy's forum that moved me almost to tears. I don't remember the member's name, but there was a wool supplier thanking everyone for their support. Etsy purchases of their wool had helped them save their farm. How often do we really think about the impact our purchases really have on the lives of the suppliers? Yes, the wool on Etsy is going to be more expensive than the finds you can get on eBay, but if objects did have spirits, you can bet that Etsy wool is happy wool.

There are scores of suppliers on Etsy, but I just picked a few examples to wet your whistle. I happen to migrate towards texture and color. You cannot ask for more texture than Yarnzombie's, also known as Gaslight Dyeworks, offerings:

ABALONE Handspun Supercoiled Yarn - 7.15 ounces
'Abalone' was spun from hand dyed combed roving
that includes wool, mohair, soy silk, and nylon sparkle.

Yarn Zombie's blog will dazzle you with more textured visuals, excellent narratives and stories told by this Ohio artist.

I found that many of these yarn people have a great sense of humor. Muriel of Willow Acre Fibers warns you not to eat her chocolate-covered cherry roving, unless you are a sheep!

CHOCOLATE-COVERED CHERRIES Handpainted Fine Merino Roving, 4.125 This roving, or combed top, will felt nicely and it's excellent for spinning. It's very fine 21 micron merino and spins like a dream.

She states in her profile: "I usually set up shop out under my huge willow tree, with some music, tables, roving, dyes, and my 1950's retro Nesco! Spinning under the willow is a little piece of surreal heaven as well. I hope all those lovely days somehow infuse into the fiber that wings its way to you!" Talk about happy yarn! Sounds like a dream to me...

Lisa Weisman of Sexy Sheep moved to North Carolina from New York. She's another one who chuckles as she names her wool. She likes to shred ugly sweaters and make gorgeous, chunky wool like this steel grey wad of glory:

Eno River: recycled sweater, marino, yak down, wensleydale sheep locks 104 yards/4.6 ounces, worsted to bulky weight

Lisa writes about her shredding compulsions, of life in North Carolina and shows some of her knitting in her Re-yarn blog. She has a wonderful writing style. Of a hat and booties she made for a friend's baby, she stated, "Knitting this made my ovaries hurt."

A couple of youngsters from Heidelberg, Germany call themselves Weird and Twisted. They spin, knit and crochet because they can't keep their hands still. Has any research ever been done on how crafting keeps people out of jail? Or, maybe from doing hard drugs? They share a blog in which they seem to be perfectly normal. And, look a sample of their weird and twisted beauty!

This lustrous Art Yarn has been hand spun from hand-dyed, poisonous green and yellow merino/silk blend and then plied with a metallic thread. There are lots of tiny green glass beads and many, many coils.

We are so fortunate to live in time when fiber materials have become so innovative and interesting. The above spinners have used alpaca, sheep's wool, silk and other materials to create their gorgeous textures. Now, bamboo has become a resource increasingly available in many forms to fiber artists. As a quilter, I am excited about the bamboo batting that is hitting the market. Traditions Fiber Arts of Linden, Texas has a nice selection of bamboo yarn and roving. They also carry spinning wheels and other accessories. Judy left her newspaper editor job to pursue a passion for all things fiber.

Y0139 hand dyed Hand spun Bamboo Yarn Silver Fern and Lemon Drops

Farmhouse Weavers has a set up similar to the post I mentioned where Etsy sales saved the farm. They have their own sheep and sell raw fleece, spun yarns and finished woven products.

Working the land and animal husbandry are labor intensive occupations with little social recognition. We've lost many of the mentors that would have been around a hundred years ago who knew the tricks of the trade. I think it is interesting how many of these sellers started out with a hobby like knitting or crocheting, got interested in the source, and worked backwards until they finally landed on a plot of land with feet firmly planted where many had walked so long ago. It takes guts and it also takes a supportive community of buyers to keep them in business.

We started with a sheep and ended with another, but I must say a bit more about the opening photo. Nature Mandela's photos caught my eye when I first started selling on Etsy. I have coveted those singing sheep for a long time now and someday hope to own a copy for myself. Allison Trentelman also makes stunning mandalas out of photoshopped nature images. All of these artists contribute towards careful preservation of our land, our heritage, our creativity and our relationship towards the animals and people around us. Visit their shops, support them with your purchases, and spread the word. (While you're at it, come visit my shop, too... heh, heh)

"Mandalas are a beautiful way to bring harmony to a room and the beauty of nature indoors. All of my mandala prints are created from digital photographs of the Maine natural landscape, and manipulated in Photoshop into the mandala shape. I have created over one thousand mandalas over the last several years. Each mandala is constructed with perfect geometry and presented with high quality archival materials." -Allison Trentelman

"Baa, baa, Etsy... Have you any wool?"

A Spinning on Chiengora Dog Hair

Spring has arrived here in Kentucky in all its splendor and glory. Green quickly takes over the muddy browns of winter and with it come all the demands of keeping it in control- mowing, weeding, cleaning and pruning our yards into some semblance of order. And, for my four furry fiber monster friends, it means that shedding season is back in full force. Let me introduce you to the monsters:

Mitchie

Laila

Juba

Sheba

Mitchie was our gallery dog in Chicago. He kept shop lifting to a minimum and had fans that would visit him almost daily. He was even featured in a Sun Times story!

After we closed the gallery, I began working seriously on online sales. He sat next to me, staring at me, letting me know with doggy telepathy that he was in no uncertain terms upset about the change of events. He was bored, missed his fans, and was lonely. I promised him we’d get another dog after we moved out of Chicago. We found Laila, a couple of weeks later- torn up, scarred and pregnant. The vet estimated she was only a year old and had probably been used as bait in dog fighting. Two months later she had seven pups in the living room, Mitchie barking at each birth. Juba, the first born, and Sheba, the runt, stayed on and I placed the others. I didn’t mean to have four dogs- they all just kind of showed up.

Shedding is a force on to itself. I work hard at keeping it at bay, brushing the monsters outside, sweeping, vacuuming. I keep my inventory in plastic bins, away from them. The other day I remembered an article I had read several years ago about a woman who spun her dog hair. I googled it and found quite a bit of information. Spun dog hair is called chiengora (chien is the French word for dog). Not only are there people spinning chiengora, but there are also companies that specifically cater to people who want garments or accessories made out of their pet’s hair. Some of it is pretty bizarre. Dog hair bikinis? Ugh.

The UK’s Daily Mail had an article this past March about this exact topic. Here is a photo they had of Beth and Brian Williams wearing sweaters made from their dead dogs' fur:

The white is from a Samoyed and the brown from a Swedish Lapphund. Some hairs work better than others. Spinners often use angora or alpaca to help bind hairs that don’t have good grip. MSNBC also just did a story on chiengora. This short video with Colorado fiber artist Evans explains the technique well:

Dog hair spinning

Then, last night I was in an e-mail conversation with a friend who told me about an NPR story that had just been done on dog hair spinning. It’s a long, strange report with two main story lines of a woman whose great grandmother started a huge dog hair spinning business in Catalonia and an Australian spinner who calls himself the top expert of dog hair in the world. The Catalonian woman dies and her husband sells off her empire, kills all the dogs, and is then himself killed by a guard dog. The Australian expert goes on and on about how you have to be careful about what hair you use, whether it came from a happy dog or a sad dog and that if you want to make a sad dog happy, cover it with a blanket made by hair from a happy dog. Huh? I had a hard time listening to it because there were several sound bites of dogs barking which upset my dogs and both stories were so strange that all my cynicism alert bells started clanging. Draw your own conclusions…

Finally, there is a book out that teaches you everything you need to know about which hairs are best, how to spin chiengora yarn, and products to make.

If spinning, knitting and weaving with dog hair interests you, there is a lot of information out there on the subject. The articles I looked at debated the smell factor, some saying once the hair is clean, there is no smell, others saying, “Just don’t get wet!” Another consideration to look into is the legality of selling chiengora products. All Fiber Arts reported on a law that came into effect in New Jersey in 2000:

Office of the Governor: News Release
The Governor of New Jersey signed Bill S-1815 that prohibits the sale of dog or cat fur and products made from it.

Bill No.S-1815
Bill S1815, approved on January 4, 2000, by Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey.

"Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. (New section) ¹[a. No person may sell or barter or offer] Any person who sells, barters, or offers¹ for sale or barter, at wholesale or retail, the fur or hair of a ¹domestic¹ dog or cat or any product made in whole or in part from the fur or hair of a ¹domestic¹ dog or cat ¹[, except that this prohibition] commits a crime of the fourth degree, provided that the person knew or reasonably should have known that the fur or hair was from a domestic dog or cat or that the product was made in whole or in part from the fur or hair of a domestic dog or cat. This section¹¹, or offering for sale or barter,¹ of the fur or hair of a ¹domestic¹ dog or cat cut at a commercial grooming establishment or at a veterinary office or clinic or for scientific research purposes." shall not apply to the sale or barter

I wonder why the need for such a law came about…

Our relationships with the animals around us, whether good or bad, have profound impacts on nature and the economy. Using a pet’s hair can both fulfill a personal need to bond with the animal and serve as a renewable resource for a material obtained easily. For an artist, the cost of materials is always a factor.

We live in a society where animals receive excessive attention in some circles while in others they live a pitiable existence of criminal abuse and neglect. Let’s not even get into the meat industry and their practices in this country! Instead, let us recognize that the pet industry offers a niche for artists and crafters well worth looking into. In a struggling economy, one bubble of stability that we must not pop comes from those spoiled cats and dogs that can help us make a living. I’ve tried to think of a product I could come up with that would be a “must have!” for the pampered pet, but my heart is not in it. Several Etsy artists have figured out a way they can serve that market.

The highest ticket dog item on Etsy is very clever. For $2,700 ElizabethBonura will make a wedding cake topper of the bride, groom and their pets.

Several painters offer custom portraits. You can get a nice rendition from Artpaw for $440.

Then, there are several talented fiber artists who do needle felted likenesses of your pet on commission. Kaysk9s has a huge selection for $155.

These three are but a sampling of Etsy artists who dedicate their talent to dog art. Do the dogs care? Probably not, but owners are willing to invest considerable sums into their four legged companions.

I love my dogs and do spoil them in some ways. But, they are not pampered. We take walks in the woods, they return my affection and are good guards. I don’t know if I want a sweater of their fur or not, but it’s a thought to consider as I brush out those winter coats of chiengora.

A Spinning on Chiengora Dog Hair