The layers and the textures found in nature

I recently had the opportunity to travel to Sedona Arizona. Talk about a dramatic climatic difference coming from the lush green environment of Central Florida to the arid desert landscape of Sedona. There is also the matter of the difference in topography! My sisters and I explored and hiked for five days. Of course I have the typical photos of Mesas, Canyons and Buttes that are fascinating but almost impossible to capture in a picture.

As a surface design artist I was drawn into a closer look at the layers and the textures found in nature that may be appearing in future work. Sedona is known for it’s Red Rocks and they dot the landscape in every direction.

Particularly interesting was the texture on this tree on the left. It is known as the Alligator Juniper and we came across it as we were looking for Indian Cave dwellings. The tree was well established and may have been there at the time of the Indians, which was about the same time as the construction of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris (1200’s).

Or the gnarled and twisted nature of this tree (right)  on the rim of the Grand Canyon. It is an example of tenacity in the face of nature.

Many of my art quilts have ties to the natural world. I use Cyanotype by creating photograms of real foliage from my yard. I also use photos from my travels to influence my creative choices. Everything I see becomes a potential source for the next art quilt. This Mojave Yucca (right) with its wispy looking tendrils off of the tightly structured yucca was a study in contrasts and eye-candy for this artist.

The composition above was deliberate. I am married to an Italian and the Pinion pine cones, containing pignoli (pine ) nuts were a delight to find. I am humbled to think of the work involved in harvesting pine nuts and understand the high cost  so much better now. Nonetheless, the various textures and colors in the photo truly excite my imagination. The desertscaping, planting only what is native and can tolerate the low annual rainfall totals was brilliant. There was still both textural and color contrast

And there were surprises like this Peppered Rock Lichen. If only I could devise a way to suggest the  folds and edges of this lichen in fabric. Im not looking to recreate the lichen but to capture the fluency and natural flow of the curves and undulations. Fabric and fiber are wonderful mediums to approximate these wonders without copying them.

If you ever get the opportunity to visit the southwest, Sedona is a worthy destination filled with magical red rocks, buttes, mesas and canyons.

by Gabriele DiTota