Sarah Haskell
The Invititation, 2024
Handwoven linen and rayon dyed with indigo, acorns, iron, madder and ceriops. Cotton floss, embroidered. 41" by 31"
This piece reflects my curiosity about collective awakening, the power of community and how a small number of like-minded individuals can create positive change.
Sarah Haskell
The Space Between, 2024
Handwoven linen and rayon dyed with indigo, acorns, iron, madder and ceriops. Cotton floss, embroidered. 41" by 31"
A free falling figure sinking into the crevice between two looming tidal waves. Woven in a brocade technique with two warps, the resist dyed rayon floats on the surface of the grey ground weave. The bits of red, the figures and some of the lines were added by embroidery and applique.
Sarah Haskell
Beyond Gravity, 2024
Linen and rayon dyed with indigo , acorns, clutch and iron. 41" by 31"
Suspended in space, between chaos and order - these figures float without attachment to gravity. Woven in a brocade technique with two warps, the resist dyed rayon floats on the surface of the grey ground weave. Once off the loom, I appliqued/embroidered the figures plus more bits plus of color.
Sarah Haskell
Hold Me Like A Mother:Pink, 2023
Maine beach stones, linen dyed with madder. Crocheted. variable
In the summer of 2021 I began to crochet around Maine beach stones, binding them in a soft covering, held securely as a mother might swaddle her baby. There was something about the solid weight of these tightly wrapped stones that slowly began to ground me, giving me the perception of safety and security.
Sarah Haskell
The Great Unwinding, 2023
Linen, dyed with indigo, handwoven. Then stitched and dyed again with Indigo. Embroidered with hand-spun paper and cotton floss. 28" by 24"
Using naturally dyed and often handspun thread, I weave and embroider, illustrating stories of love, loss and longing. Exploring a personal yet universal narrative, I examine the heartache of the ephemeral, the tender beauty of the natural world and the astonishing gift of being human.
Sarah Haskell
Vanishing Point, 2023
Linen, dyed with indigo, handwoven. Then stitched and dyed again with Indigo. Embroidered with cotton floss. 28" by 24"
Linen, dyed with indigo, handwoven. Then stitched and dyed again with Indigo. Embroidered with cotton floss.
Sarah Haskell
Free Falling Woman, 2023
Handwoven linen and rayon dyed with indigo, acorns and iron. Hand-spun paper and cotton floss, embroidered. 41.5” by 35”
Using naturally dyed and often handspun thread, I weave and embroider, illustrating stories of love, loss and longing. Exploring a personal yet universal narrative, I examine the heartache of the ephemeral, the tender beauty of the natural world and the astonishing gift of being human.
Sarah Haskell
There You Go, 2022
Indigo dyed linen, rayon, metallic and cotton threads 32" by 25"
Rather than weaving a shroud for a dearly departed friend, I wove this farewell image. The lower half of the piece is three dimensional pleats woven with a golden thread. The upper portion highlights the subtle shifts of the indigo dyed threads. This figure is outlined with hand-spun paper thread couched to the linen cloth.
Sarah Haskell
Avian Escape, 2022
Hand dyed (indigo and fiber reactive dyes) linen, rayon and embroidery thread 31" by 25"
In this current political and environmental chaotic world, I often feel small and helpless. I long to escape and fly with the birds who are above it all. Either steadfast or stubborn, I have made art within the same medium for decades. Using thread as my material, I dye linen, paper or cotton with primarily botanical dyes from plants and minerals. I weave, embroider or crochet these threads, seeking to define a personal truth and collective wisdom.
Sarah Haskell
Hold Me Like A Mother:Red, 2022
Madder dyed linen, Maine beach stones 18" by 24" (variable)
As weeks of uncertainty have rolled into months and now years of living with Covid, political unrest and climate insecurity, I find myself in need of an anchor to ground my unsteady nerves. At first I took small natural objects such as a pinecone, a mushroom or a shell and crocheted a little nest or cozy to hold it safe. Then I began to do same for stones that I gathered along Maine’s shoreline. Bound in a soft covering made of crocheted, naturally dyed linen, these stones are held securely as a mother might swaddle her newborn. I have photographed these bound stones in groupings suggestive of partners, families, tribes or collectives. Whether solo or in clusters, the series of stone cozies, “Hold Me Like a Mother” has the gravitas I need to settle my unease.
