Ivy Reflections: April 2022
Over the last month I have sat with the ivy and have explored weaving on a small scale to really get a feel for my process and the processing of the materials.
I have started my first sculpture, which is a conversation that I will be having until Summer Solstice. To prepare, I have been splitting the ivy further, as the thinner pieces are more malleable and ideal for me to weave with.
March was a lot of writing, reflecting and sitting with growing ivy for me.
April has turned into being more hands on. I am focusing on cumulative progress, and putting in a sustainable amount work daily to carry on this conversation. Constant contact is key. I have now processed all the winter Ivy I received from Langley Environmental Partners Society (LEPS), which I intend to incorporate in entirety for my first sculpture.
Splitting has been a meditative practice, where I listen to music or a podcast and just repeatedly splitting the vines into thinner and thinner pieces. The thinner the strand is, the more malleable. I realized from the first sculpture attempt with thicker pieces, that for now the type of fibre I wish to work with is thinner strands. Maybe this will change as I gain experience, maybe it won't. It's a learning of how to make the pieces as long as possible. I am getting better at this.
I'm keeping all the parts. I don't know what I am going to use them for quite yet. I organized them into three categories: shorter pieces, longer pieces, and scraps. The shorter and longer pieces are the woodier part of the vine. The scraps are from the new growth, which dries crumblier and a darker colour than the woodier vines. That part splits beautifully.
And that's it. Working with ivy is a time consuming process- it has been taking longer than anticipated to process this plant and begin working with it, but that's what I'm here for. To find my flow within this medium.
Kaitlyn Beugh's mission is to assist you in fostering a soulful connection to self and the natural world through creation and intention. She is an interdisciplinary visual artist. Her art practice plays on the ephemeral, and is intuitively channeled and created in a flow state.
She lives, works, and plays on the unceded land of the Coast Salish First Nations. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Arts with a minor in Social Practice and Community Engagement from Emily Carr University of Art and Design, and has a background in social services.
Kaitlyn is a practicing artist and has some of her artwork for sale in the form of original pieces via her website here. Kaitlyn is currently studying herbalism and connecting deeper with the energies of plants and natures cycles.
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We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
