Willow Suspended (Patreon)

Today I thought I would showcase an installation/fiber art piece project that I created in 2013 and 2014 (wow, time flies!) The featured image is the first "willow" that I made, and I proceeded to do another exhibition with three willows in a space together.

These piece(s) consisted of strips of fabric sewn to dowel rods, hung in various angles from the ceiling. A seemingly important detail that would perhaps be difficult to notice is that they were hung with one continuous piece of twine. 

The goal was to create a space of peace, a change in the energy of the room that could capture the imagination of a person entering it. I based this off of my own experience sitting outside underneath a willow tree outside of the art school. This is where I got a lot of my ideas and spent a lot of time reflecting. I would lay in the grass and stare up at the branches - and I wanted to create a feeling like that for others to experience.

I thought I would revisit the willow today and write a bit about the meaning of the tree itself as an esoteric symbol:

The willow symbolizes experiencing and embracing your emotions. It also symbolizes peace within self and also with others.

I feel there's a great connection here - by allowing yourself to fully experience and move through your emotions, you can more quickly and genuinely find a place of peace, and likewise - have peace with others.

There is a feeling, when sitting underneath the willow, of being held and hugged by the Great Mother.

Here is what I wrote about it at the time of first creating it:

I use a forest to serve as a symbol of the subconscious. This imagined forest represents the complexity and mystery of thoughts.

The installations are drawn from the majesty of a willow tree and the feelings of  oneness,  wonderment,  contemplation,  and  peace  that  are  found  upon entering. These pieces form a similar place of sanctuary.

This body of work is raw and experiential, layering complex states of mind.