Tent Rocks Blocks at The Dairy Center through December 1st

There’s still time to see my “LineScapes” show at The Dairy Center for the Arts in Boulder, CO. This show of 14 of my textile paintings will be on exhibit through this coming Sunday, December 1st. The piece below, LineScape #29 (Tent Rocks Blocks) is included in the show and is my most recently completed piece in the series.

LineScape #29 (Tent Rocks Blocks), 25"x44 (cotton fabrics, hand-dyed by the artist, cotton batting, cotton stitching) ©2013 Ayn Hanna

When I started this textile painting, I didn’t know what it was going to be about. I was intuitively cutting and layering shapes and colors and then decided to add another layer of line drawing with fabric paint as I wanted another different quality of mark.

The forms began to develop within the space and then I added another layer of fabric behind so I could cut into the background and make the patterns there. I also added some hand-stitching to give it greater interest and another different quality of mark.

LineScape #29 (Tent Rocks Blocks) detail, ©2013 Ayn Hanna

Somewhere along the way as I continued working on this, I came to realize that it was about a special place that I visited some years ago: Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument in New Mexico. I began purposefully adding machine stitched imagery, lines, and shapes of my memories of this place, resonating with the feelings of being there, bathed in the sunlight, surrounded by these sacred sentinels, and wandering through the winding pathway.

It was cold, during this late year holiday time, and I was actually pretty sick that day, probably shouldn’t have been out there on a hike. But my memories of that time are all good.

And when I sit quietly and close my eyes – or now, look at this piece – I can feel the sacred quiet embrace, the soft sand, the light wind of Tent Rocks, NM. And in this moment, everything is just right.

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!