'What Remains' Woven Wall Hanging with Driftwood and Copper Frame

Materials: Oexo Tex certified cotton, wool, Authentic Harris Tweed

Hand Made Natural Paints: Beltane ashes (2021), river rocks, Titanium White Rutile, Burnt Sienna

Crystals: Emerald, Citrine and Pyrite

Dimensions: 20 in x18 in x 2 in

'What Remains' is inspired by a cliff top on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. It is located next to a ruined castle built around 1,000 years ago. While little of the structure remains there is a profound sense of history still standing. On the cliff the gentle breeze caresses your cheeks, the smell of the salt water charges your senses, the sound of the lapping waves soothes your soul and in that space you can feel the energy of the people who lived there over the course of a thousand years. The land holds the energy of the lives lost, the stories told and forgotten and the essence of the communities formed there. 'What Remains' is a beautiful representation of the energy we all leave behind and the space that nature holds for it. It's the reminder that immersion in nature foster connections with the earth and our ancestors. 

'What Remains' is the sister piece to 'Alive.' Both cliffs are side by side on the Isle of Skye, but they each had their own presence. This cliff felt like what remained from the days when the cliff was bustling with activity, whereas 'Alive' felt like stepping through a time portal to when it was active. 

The weaving was designed from the perspective of looking out at both cliffs. Harris Tweed was woven into the piece to capture the essence of the land. Harris Tweed has an extensive history, made by hand (not machine) in the Outer Hebrides. Once the heavily textured weaving was completed, additional depth was added by painting on shadows and highlights with nature made paints. The paints were made by foraging for materials and carefully sourcing fine art pigments to expand on the color palette. The foraged materials underwent an extensive process of grinding, sifting, precipitation, and mulling to create fine art grade pigments. Additional details were added on-top of the layers of natural paint and textured weaving by embroidery. The heather, rocks and waves were hand embroidered to enhance the realistic look of the piece. Much like in nature, the grand picture is not complete without the tiny details. 

The woven wall hanging was then finished off with a custom made driftwood and copper frame. The Harris Tweed is sewn into the back of the piece. 

About the materials: 

All fibers are natural, eco-friendly and were sourced from a woman owned business. The Harris Tweed was purchased from a small woman owned business on the Isle of Lewis and Harris, Scotland. The authentic Harris Tweed tag has been sewn into the back of the weaving. The driftwood frame was foraged on the beach local to the artist's home. 

Natural Paints: the paints used in this piece are made from river rocks (found locally), ashes from Beltane fire, Burnt Sienna and Titanium White Rutile

Harris Tweed: Harris Tweed began as a woman's business and grew to a global brand with the support of other prominent women during a time when the patriarchy was very much alive. 

In 1843 on the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, two sisters, known as "The Paisley Sisters" were creating tweed that attracted the attention of a prominent woman, Lady Catherine Herbert. Lady Catherine Herbert was so impressed with the fine quality of

weaving that she commissioned the sisters to create outfits for members in employ on her estate. The fabric proved to be durable in the Scottish weather and well suited for common practice activities of the time such as hunting and riding. Lady Catherine Herbert was close friends with Queen Victoria and after sharing the luxurious fabric with her the sisters were quickly put to work traveling for addtional training and education and sharing their knowledge with others. As their tweed grew in popularity The Harris Tweed Authority was created to ensure that all Harris Tweed was made to very exacting standards, such as made by hand (not machine powered looms) from pure virgin wool hand or mill spun on the island. After the material is sent to the Harris Tweed Authority it is inspected and stamped if it meets the quality standards. The weaver or store is then given tags that can be used to identify that it is Harris Tweed. 

Shipping: Please allow 5-7 days to prepare for shipping.

Care: Do not hang in direct sunlight. Dust frame with dry rag as needed. Do not use soaps or chemicals to clean. To hang place one nail or screw in each of the top corner of the frame.