Dionne Swift is an English born textile artist and painter who splits her time between England and Abruzzo. Her main source of inspiration comes from her surrounding environment and travelling. Dionne Swift has a habit of showing the harmony of the woods, cliffs, lakes and also alleyways and streets in her works. So basically, anything relating to landscapes in a broader sense. Dionne has a very interesting creative technique: she usually draws the subject first with crayons and pencils, then embroiders it onto fabric or paper using a sewing machine. The energy and speed that goes into each piece is astonishing and the whole creating process is amazing to watch.
After a trip to Morocco, her attention has turned to this magical place in all its former glory. The hustle and bustle of the souks, the amazing colours and smells of the spices, the bright and kaleidoscopic mosques, the traditional riads with their courtyards and secret gardens. Everything has been observed by Dionne Swift’s artistic mind who has then conveyed these memories onto the shawl, made for us, using etamine wool and natural dyestuffs. Which is exactly what Dionne Swift does with her art, she leaves an imprint of her visual experiences onto fabric with the help of threads and dyestuffs.
It’s the first time that Dionne has accepted the challenge of painting with natural dyestuffs and the outcome looks gorgeous, to say the least! Mesmerizing strokes of colour and squiggles that in a way look like automatic writing, as if Dionne Swift had subconsciously painted frenetically something that’s deep-rooted inside of her. This shawl may be small but without a doubt it’s a precious piece of wearable art. It’s also the proof that it’s possible to paint on our etamine wool with our natural dyestuffs and the outcome is stunning.
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