Wild Rose Weaving
: I feel immensely fortunate to be working with a craft that tethers me to the cyclical nature of life :
March’s artists Discussion with Natural weaver, Rose. from :wild rose weaving:
Rose, thank you so much for wanting to be a part of my artist discussion series! I am so happy to get to chat to you & know more about your gorgeous work.
It would be wonderful if you could start with introducing yourself to us & to share a bit about the stories behind your work...
My name is Rosemary, although I currently go by Rose, I am 22 and have been Weaving for almost 4 years now. The craft found me through two dear souls, who are now treasured sisters, in the Spring of 2018 in a small gallery in Brighton. I came to the Exhibition 'Weaving and the Wild Feminine' having only recently learned about woven fabric during my art and design foundation at Brighton MET. I left there with a sense of enquiry and purpose. I was so intrigued by the alchemical combination of raw creativity and divine femininity, and so I spent the next 2 months of my Final Major project entirely focused on de-constructing the Loom and unravelling my own creative process.
A few months later I returned to Brighton to become Imogen's Apprentice- an opportunity that I am eternally grateful for, and one that will shape my Life. Since those times I have been in a deep and intense relationship with this sacred craft, making textiles that aim to honour the Landscape they were made in, as well as the beauty of natural fibres and lineage of Weavers that I come from. My work is focused on the seen and unseen elements of our existence, shaping the intangible into hand crafted materials that aim to cocoon their wearers in the Powerful presence of their Aliveness, as well as connect them to the Earth and therefore to Themselves.
What a beautiful way to start your weaving path Rose, not only to find a practice you connect with so deeply, but to also find true, meaningful friendships.
Two things which are wonderful gifts in this life & to be forever treasured.
I love that your work is about honouring the land & connecting the wearer to the earth around them. I would love to know more about how you focus your work on the elements & what goes into creating with the changing seasons.
I believe that it is the very nature of natural fibres, that have grown from and been shaped by the elements, that help to tie my work to the landscape. The washing, drying, brushing, warping, spinning, weaving, cutting, tying and wearing of the work is in itself a journey through the energetics of the elements, with the power of the fire, flow of the water, grace of the air and groundedness of the Earth.
The essential essence of Wool is that it has been forged from the sun, rain, wind, plants and warm sheep bellies before it has grown out of skin with freedom and vigor in order to form the protective and entirely unique coat of each animal. The becoming of Wool is reliant on the elements and the cycles of the seasons, and I believe that this cyclical never-ending cycle imbues itself within the textiles, offering a new form of and insight into its beauty and presence in every piece.
I've been lucky enough to live beside/within wild and beautiful places, where the elements are untamed and their raw and vital energy has been omnipresent. My woven road has almost solely taken place during my time on and around Dartmoor, and I have seen most clearly the correlation of my colours, textures and inspirations in connection with the ever shifting seasons of the Landscape whilst living here. From the peat browns of the deep winter, to the warm golds and fresh greens of the summer and to the red rusts of the Autumn fall, I remain eternally inspired by the tapestry of light and beauty that surrounds me.
More practically, it's nice to reflect that Spring tends to be a slower pace in my world of making. Like the tender buds my hands and soul like to rest and recuperate after a long winter, where the making season is often in full swing. I find the pause from commissions and outward making allows my inner creative Well to restock, thus replenishing my flow ready for the dream and glow that is the mighty Summer.
The Summer is such a vibrant season, ripe for exploring natural dyes, holding outdoor workshops under the trees, collecting freshly shawn fleeces and vigorously washing and drying many many bags of wool whilst the Sun is at their most powerful!
My most cherished season in regards to my wheel of woven work, is Autumn. The collective sense of releasing, preparing for winter hibernation, revelling in the bounty of Squash and harvest of the months before coupled with the rusty browns, golds and rich hues fills my hands with the desire to create and draw a sense of conclusion to the year. The start of Winter often feels rich and the season of cold lends itself so beautifully to the warmth giving offerings of woven work. I love to wrap myself in many shawls and blankets, feeling the gift that is Wool- the fibre that has contributed greatly to the survival and thriving of our Human species for millenia.
I love how you talk about the nature of wool. Its wonderful to think about the life of the fibre & how of great importance it is for both the animal itself & also humans, helping to carry us through the harsh winter months. We owe alot to these gorgeous animals we share this planet with.
It's beautiful that you collect your own fleeces & make use of the long summer days by gathering materials for your work. I would love to hear more about your natural dying, could you tell us about how this looks for you & the process behind this ancient practice.
My Natural dye process is in its very early spring like phase, and its a part of the practise that I have a yearning to explore and develop much more deeply. I have been using dried plants and flowers, but last year started experimenting with growing my own. In the summer months there is such an abundance of plant material to dye with, and I always make sure to never take much of one plant being, a form of micro dying i suppose. It's been fruitful to explore how the medicinal properties of plants can become imbued within the fibre, so as to create a cloth that has energetic healing purposes. I view colour to be immensely healing also, and feel that certain shades can have a direct affect on our energetic and nervous systems. It's a deeply alchemical process, extracting colour from the natural world, and often I am surprised by the colours that arise, for example a strong olive green arrives from the deep burgundy leaves of the copper beech tree.
I very much look forward to seeing where this process leads you & watching your colour exploration evolve through your work Rose, to be able to see your wearable pieces hold the magic & energy of medicinal plants you discover holds me with so much excitement.
Your whole process of bringing art into this world is so in tune with the natural rhythms & cycles of life, what helps to keep you living in the present moment & encourages you to cherish the current season you’re moving through?
I feel immensely fortunate to be working with a craft that tethers me to the cyclical nature of life, and serves as an anchor to each moment. My connection to water serves as a potent way to encourage me to live in the Now. I swim all year round and I have found that feeling the subtle shifts in temperature and weather brings me more closely into the peace of wild things (the poet Wendell berry, and other nature centered poets also serve as medicine for this). On the whole I am very fortunate to live a life that is centered around the natural world, and my goal is to live more and more off grid and simply. I have seen and felt that a life closer to death, birth and community can bring us closer to gratitude, joy and raw creativity as well as bring us closer to the strain and struggle of each day which encourages gratitude towards our ancestors and a greater awareness of the darker sides of life. After all, weaving has taught me that balance is essential.
Every day is a blessing, and every season feels like a reflection of the inner cycles we traverse. As a Pagan and practising Druid I have an intimate relationship to the Celtic Wheel of the Year; a map of 8 festivals spread throughout the seasons of the year, that celebrate and recognise the joys and hardships of our existence in the contexts of ritual, ceremony, solo time, nature time and community.
You fill me with so much joy, your dedication to the way you choose to live this life, your connection to your surroundings, moving through life with deep understanding & respect for the natural world. Every part of your life, flowing with the elements.
Thank you so much for sharing with us so deeply, I am grateful to have been able to get to know more about your creative work, not only that but more about you, & what brings you joy.
I want to round up our discussion firstly with an immense honouring and gratitude to you Jessica; for the time taken to enquire about mine and other artists practices, for the consistently inspiring and positive feedback to my answers and for your genuine love of this Craft and awareness of the importance of these ancient practises. It has been a welcome process during a time of immense personal transition in my life.
I have looked to these questions and email thread as a tether to my practise as I traverse the waters of stopping commissions and collections for a while. In this time I am having to explore the other sides of me, and have come to see that Weaving in all its forms is an omnipresent feature in all of our lives. It’s an act that we can all trust and root ourselves into, the ebb and the flow of the threads that weave us into the fabric of life.
As I reflect on the last 4 years of this practise, I am so grateful for the opportunity to document it and share it in this way. I offer my eternal commitment to stoking the embers of these crafts, and offer deep reverence to All Life.
You can purchase Rose’s work through her website Click Here
Or take a look at Rose’s beautiful images & processes though her Instagram Clink Here
All photos used belong to Wild Rose Weaving & I was kindly given permission to use them.