Elfa Jónsdóttir

Waves

"Ingredients"

Working hard!

Almost there!

This piece is a part of a series where I am attempting to capture many aspects of water and its importance. I have long been fascinated by the ocean, particularly the power and complexity of waves that break as they reach the shore. Capturing the intimidating force and they chaotic dynamics of a breaking wave may not be an obvious topic for a technique imposing as many constraints as weaving does, but I have always liked to push the boundaries of what is possible and I could not resist the temptation to try.

Blue Water

Blue Waters

Detail

More details

Adjustments

Blue Waters. This piece was created for a group show "Living Water, Protecting the Great Lakes Legacy." When I started this woven structure I had no idea how it might go together. I tried several approaches. One of my favorite was strips of fabric just hanging side by side unwoven and long. When the air moved them it was fascinating to see the movement, but that was to simple. But when I started weaving the strips together it was like meditating and I knew what I needed to do. The plane woven structure gives the feeling of soft waves and only revels very little of my background fabric, representing the undeceived elements in our waters. I wanted the piece to present the importance of clean and clear water and an unpolluted environment for the quality of the food we bring to the table. But is the environment clean? The color blue represents water and the recycled tablecloths represent hospitality and plenty.

North Series

North

Norther

More North

Northest

The woven piece "Northest" is a part of a series that I am working on. The inspiration comes from the stark landscape of Iceland, where I was raised. Although the rocky outcrops and barren cliffs suggest a cold and sparse environment, they nevertheless bind me to my roots and evoke feelings of longing. I freely add both color and texture, expressing my passion for this bare landscape. I originally sketched the shapes in watercolor, but my development of the motives did not seem complete until I had created them on my loom. Starting out with an empty canvas, coloring, tearing, and weaving it back together, while adding texture, allowed me to transform the flat surface into a richer semi three-dimensional.

Cut Work

Addendum

Declaration

Proclamation

Contemplations

A show in Iceland, displaying old legal documents, provided the inspiration for the writing pieces. The shape of the documents appealed to me but their purpose, how they bound individuals together as legal agreements, provided an even stronger inspiration. I felt compelled to translate the original form into a modern artistic expression, where the form and the purpose survived an abstraction of the actual content.

Sod Wall

The series "Sod Wall" is a body of work inspired by the repeated herringbone patterns found in the walls of turf huts. As a child I played in the ruins of the homes of my ancestors and I remember the joy of discovering these patterns, formed by grass and plants, following the turf put down so many years ago.

Studio Window

My inspiration!

More inspiration!

I like windows. My studio in the Sprinkler Factory has two large windows. Large sunny windows that lighten up my studio, brighten my workspace and let in the sun to keep me warm in the spring when the heat has been turned off. Thus, when I think of the Sprinkler Factory, I think of my windows. But my windows also let me look out to see b eyond my workspace. The Sprinkler Factory has many windows, each with a unique view that shows a different part of the neighborhood. I experience those different views by going from one window to another but in my mind they are one. In my piece I have attempted to create a collage that integrates the view from the different windows into the one image that I see in my mind. From the windows in my studio I see the street, fences, a gray concrete wall and the sky; going to the upstairs studios I see the highway, the Worcester skyscrapers and treetops; and from the Gallery I see the rooftops, the tall chimney, windows in other parts of building and moss and grass. But as my piece shows, this is all there when you look out through my window. Of course, my window is idealized. It is in my mind, after all, and there it is perfectly perfect. Thus, I added colors and texture, removed the trash and cleaned the glass!

Weed/Vines

Weed/Vines

Weed/Vines

Weed/Vines

Weed/Vines

"Vine" and "Weeds" are inspired by architectural images. All my textiles starts out with all-white fabrics, I dye and layer different techniques and processes to create a spectrum of saturated hand dyed fabrics. Although when working with fiber I often find that the texture and color of the fiber influences and often dominates my progress, I almost always vary from my original design and let the piece take its own path. Not knowing what comes next is part of my creative process

Canton Book

Canton Book

I have lived in Canton Baltimore now for 8 years and love the experience urban living offers. I wanted to create a visual memories of living in Canton, a historic harborside neighborhood. My visual memories are full of beautiful historic brick row homes and traditional architecture, waterfront walking paths and happy people and lots, and lots, of dogs. But being an old and endlessly charming neighborhood it includes narrow streets, endless stop signs, one way signs, and no parking signs, garbage and recycling containers that have no where to go and overloaded electric poles with wires filling the bright sky for unused wires and places for birds to hang out. All of this makes lovely memories and I still love Canton and all its glory.