Stitched textile collage
2019
10” X 10”
The first chakra or root chakra is located at the coccyx associated with the earth element. It is where we ground our energy and discover our sense of self. The root is where we come from, deep in the darkness of the earth, it is our foundation and the place from which we decide who we want to become. The willow tree sends its roots into the earth, into riverbanks and holds steady through the seasons. Willows can bend over completely during floods and rise again when the waters recede. They offer us the wisdom of surviving in place, resilience in change and teach us how forgive.
This piece is inspired by my study of the chakra centers and the plants that bring them back into balance so we can live in harmony with ourselves and the world around us. It is an exploration of my root chakra, a willow tree arising from the Williams River in Chester, Vermont where I grew up. The tree is stitched over a printed topographical map of the land of my childhood. The roots and coccyx follow the river, and the branches extend to the arteries of rivers and roads I traveled to become who I am today.
If you are interested in purchasing an archival print of this piece, please email me agavemariadesign@gmail.com. Thank you!
Sitched Textile Collage
2017
16” x 18”
Mutualisms are found everywhere in nature. Two species exchange goods or services and each receives a benefit from the interaction in an evolutionary agreement. That benefit usually comes at a cost, and the partners may not receive equal benefits or incur equal costs. Each species is operating on purely selfish motivations. The benefit is usually an unintended consequence of the interaction. Sacred datura plants and sphinx moths are dance partners throughout their life cycles. They exchange pollination services for protection.
What are the costs and benefits being exchanged between humans and the Earth?
If you are interested in purchasing an archival print of this piece, please email me agavemariadesign@gmail.com. Thank you!
Stitched textile collage
7” X 13”
2016
The Sego Lily sends out its spidery leaves in early spring from a small bulb hidden deep in the ground. I have always been mesmerized by the beauty of this flower, and the number of insects attracted to its delicate cup in the midst of a meadow of grasses and other blooms. This piece is a study the Sego Lily in fabric and thread and is an ode to the lively nature of the various characters living out their days in the summer meadow. I created this for my dear botanist friend, Kristin Harned who at the time was battling stage 4 breast cancer and needed the bright beauty of nature to uplift her spirits.
If you are interested in purchasing an archival print of this piece, please email me agavemariadesign@gmail.com. Thank you!
Mixed media collage
13” X 13”
Yucca moths and yucca plants depend on one another for survival in a delicate balance. Their mutualism is an evolutionary agreement. A female moth collects a pollen spitball from one yucca flower, and then she carries it to a different, unpollinated plant, ovipositing her eggs deep in the ovary of the flower. The yucca moth then stuffs the spitball into the plant’s stigma, in an act of direct pollination. When the eggs hatch, the fertilized flowers will have made seeds and fruit for the caterpillars to eat and the yucca has enough seeds to create new offspring.
One cannot exist without the other.
24” X 36”
2013
Often we experience times in our lives where we can find no map to guide us. How do we get there from here? The answer in this collage is: follow raven and fly.
If you are interested in purchasing an archival print of this piece, please email me agavemariadesign@gmail.com. Thank you!
Stitched textile collage
6" X 13"
2012
Ravens are suspected mate for life and engage in elaborate courtship rituals. Males show off their best flying tricks and bring special treats to impress their potential partner. Once a female decides to accept, the couple spends time getting to know one another in an acrobatic aerial exchanges. They pass each other objects, lock feet, barrel roll and soar together to solidify the partnership.
If you are interested in purchasing an archival print of this piece, please email me agavemariadesign@gmail.com. Thank you!
Stitched Textile Collage
20” X 24”
This piece is an expression of my ongoing fascination between the human anatomy and the plant world.
If you are interested in purchasing an archival print of this piece, please email me agavemariadesign@gmail.com. Thank you!
Stitched textile collage
17” X 9.5”
If you are interested in purchasing an archival print of this piece, please email me agavemariadesign@gmail.com. Thank you!
Stitched textile collage
9” X 9”
Mixed Media Collage
12” X 12”
Stitched textile collage
5” X 8”
2010
I will customize your instrument case. Contact me agavemariadesign@gmail.com if you want your music to stand out with a unique, artful collage design.
