Happiness is Sculptural Weaving

Gloria McRoberts

The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance. ~ Aristotle

As I mentioned in an earlier post and book review of the Happiness Habit, I recently attended the Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival.  It was nice and there was a lot of quality art but one booth absolutely took my breath away.  Gloria McRoberts does something she calls sculptural weaving and it’s absolutely magnificent.  She developed the idea herself after being asked to teach a weaving class, something she’d never done before.  In that process and over time has evolved the works that I’m posting here.  In her own words:

My fiber sculptures are hand woven from natural, undyed wool. By utilizing natural fibers as a sculpting medium, my goal is to offer my interpretation of the wonders of the universe with emphasis on the seasonal transformation of trees, the living sculptures. Nature has the unique ability to layer texture and tone to transform a landscape. Delicate rhythms and patterns form powerful sculptural scenes.

Each piece is unique, one-of-a-kind, and all designs are copyrighted. The concept is my own idea evolving over 33 years. My original technical processes present the viewer with deceptively gentle subject matter. Soft, richly layered landscapes of wool invite quiet contemplation, with appreciation of nature’s linear artistry through the structural element of tree branches. As a fine artist, I strive to present a work of art that will be visually dynamic, conceptually intriguing, and evoke feelings of peace and tranquility.

I was amazed to find out they weren’t dyed at all, she does a masterful job of mixing the different textures and natural structure of the fibers to create absolutely amazing pieces.  When I once again have walls I will be buying one of these pieces, or of course if you were looking to buy me a really nice Christmas present any of these would be great.  I found her work to be the most original and beautiful work I’ve encountered in a really long time and her pieces, with their focus on nature really speak to me, she hits it on the head when she talks about their being a tranquility to these pieces.

I asked Gloria about people buying through the website and she was gracious enough to ask me to tell you that if you contact her and mention this piece and the Gulf Coast Art Fair that she’d give you a better deal than the retail prices on the web.  In addition to being very talented she was also an incredibly nice person and I really enjoyed talking with her.  Also on her website is a full gallery of her work.

If you would like to see these pieces in person there are links on her website to the shows she will be attending and her home gallery is in Watertown, TN.

Enjoy the images below and have a happy day my friends ~ Rev Kane