Tea Towels Two

And on.... to tea towels!

Lately I have given a few tea towels. I always like a fresh tea towel. So when I was thinking about making a design print of lichens (what else?) instead of printing on paper, making yet another thing for a wall, I decided to try it on fabric, and moreover, fabric with a purpose. Perhaps this is a new big thing?

They all use the same elements, that are arranged a little differently.

Same elements, different colours:

  
And I invite you to check this out.

....still more....

pencil on paper

....and on.....

pastel on black paper

And the Lichens March on

Coloured pencil on paper

Someone Else is Playing

Remember this from last year in March? My telephone pole knit bombing?

Well, it got kind of faded over the course of the year, especially the natural fibres. I was thinking that maybe its time was up. BUT THEN, over night someone added some fresh flowers. Someone is playing this game with me! 

So What's With Lichens?

These things sneak up on me; things that become obsessions. Four years ago I took many photos of moss because we were in a mossy kind of place.

This past fall, on a short trip to the North West Territories, I came across lichens.

And then again, this past February in Reykjavik, Iceland:

This is what captivates me:

1) Lichens and moss look interesting in a peculiar and spectacular way. There is amazing design potential. 

2) They live in a wide range of environmental conditions, including very harsh ones. They are tenacious in an awe inspiring way. 

3) Even given their hardiness, they are sensitive to environmental disturbance, the canary in the mine shaft, so to speak. This offers some hefty significance in the search for a bigger purpose, not that obsessions need purpose. 

From the Sketchbook - Lichen Inspired #9

From the Sketchbook - Lichen Inspired #8

30 and Growing