Faculty of Design

Material Art & Design

Jaclyn Paltanen

Out My Back Gate

Trees Woven with the Colours of Milne Dam Conservation Park, Markham

“This project began as all weaving projects do, with a warp. A warp that decided to be trees. Really though, the inspiration for this project goes back much, much further. I am not, nor will I ever be, a city girl. I grew up outside, in the country, surrounded by trees. I need to be around, and in, nature. Some of my fondest memories involve long walks in certain conservation areas, or along rocky shores, or across rocky islands in the Gulf of Finland.This body of work is an embodiment of those memories, that can be expanded, and adapted to its surroundings, much as nature does. The colour palette is informed by local botany, and climactic conditions, which favour three of the traditional dye plants: Madder, Weld, and Woad, and many other plants that help to create a comprehensive colour range. The tree species are local, but can be found elsewhere; Sumac -Rhus typhina, Birch - Betula papyfera and Black Walnut Juglans nigra.This project was not intended to be autobiographical, but as weaving can be contemplative, it was hard not to wander down the less trodden paths of my memories.”