Weaving with Intention Fiber and Natural Dye Artist Kelsey Brown By Ashley Wahl • Photographs by Bert VanderVeen
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n a rainy evening in late October, tropical storm Zeta steadily gaining momentum in a quiet neighborhood in Winston-Salem, fiber artist Kelsey Brown, 31, is sitting on her covered porch, cradling a mug of hot tea with both hands. She looks bohemian yet casual — stylish round glasses, no makeup, long brown hair in a messy top knot. Even her clothing is unassuming until you realize that the T-shirt she is wearing didn’t come from Target. She made it herself — silk noil hand-dyed golden-yellow with osage shavings she got from a local woodworker. Since discovering weaving at Warren Wilson College in 2009, Brown has explored many ways to create beautiful and functional art using natural, sustainable and recycled materials. It’s the stories behind her creations that most inspire her. Was the fabric salvaged or locally sourced? And how was the dye made? With goldenrod from a sunny hillside? Indigo from the garden? Black walnuts from a neighbor’s backyard? Everything Brown makes is infused with her loving intention. And while her demeanor is gentle and nonchalant, a short conversation reveals something about Brown that then seems obvious. This artist is not separate from her craft — she lives and breathes it. And, naturally, her passion for connecting with the fibers and pigments she uses weaves into almost every aspect of her life. “Part of the beauty of handmade things and textiles is that they might change over time,” says Brown, pausing to take a thoughtful sip of tea. “Will you hang this in the sun? Will you wash it? The purpose affects the intention.” Brown grew up in Kentucky. Her mother, who was always making a quilt “for me or one of my one million cousins,” taught Kelsey to sew well before middle school. In vivid detail, she recalls making “little stuffed cats” and dreaming of someday being an artist. At Warren Wilson, a private liberal arts college near Asheville that focuses on work-learning, Brown enrolled in several art classes — drawing, painting and ceramics — but she didn’t see her first loom until her sophomore year, when the college revived its Fiber Arts Crew, defunct since 1969. Winter 2020
Kelsey Brown in her handmade clothing. Jumpsuit was dyed with madder root. Jacket was made from a thrifted bedspread, dyed with osage and iron. Quilt made of recycled scraps.
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