Common Ground

“Common Ground” is a striking vertical landscape framed within a cathedral-style arch, inviting the viewer to look both outward and inward at once. The composition unfolds in layered bands of color and texture—deep blues and mineral greens anchor the lower half, evoking water, stone, and earth, while above, fields of warm gold, rose, and moss rise into a horizon that feels both distant and intimately familiar. The sky, alive with swirling violets, soft blues, and luminous pinks, moves with a sense of energy and transition, as if capturing a moment just before or after light breaks. The architectural framing divides the scene into panels, echoing stained glass, yet the organic flow of fiber softens the structure, suggesting that despite divisions, the land remains whole and connected.
This piece begins with a wet felting process, in which fibers are carefully laid in multiple directions and transformed, through olive soap, warm water, and steady friction, into a cohesive textile. That handmade surface becomes the canvas itself—organic, irregular, and alive, with subtle variations that guide the composition rather than constrain it. The foundation holds a quiet energy, formed through both intention and the natural movement of the fibers as they bind together.
From there, the landscape emerges through needle felting, as layers of natural and hand-dyed alpaca and sheep fibers are built up, blended, and shaped to create depth, movement, and rich, painterly texture. Each section is developed through careful placement and repeated refinement, allowing colors to merge and separate in ways that mimic the rhythms of the natural world. The interplay between control and spontaneity is central to the process, giving the piece its sense of motion and life.
“Common Ground” speaks to the shared foundation beneath our differences—the land, the elements, and the quiet continuity that connects all things. It is both a visual landscape and a reflection on unity, reminding us that even when divided by lines or perspectives, we are ultimately shaped and held by the same earth.