Another one of my winter activities is the creation of colorful silk scarves that are densely covered with the images of insects,plants and garden related animals. I apply my individually hand cut stencils to white silk satin, which I then dye using a heliographic technique with light-activated dye. The process is repeated on both sides of each scarf with different stencil combinations and colors. Approximately 300 stencils are used on each side of every scarf, which makes the process rather laborious, but also ensures a unique product each time. The scarves are heat set and are hand washable.They are currently available in several of the finest craft galleries in New Hampshire and in Boston, Massachusetts.
In the last few years I've been applying my original WINTERWORKS designs to various mediums. In ongoing collaborations with my husband, William Clarke, we're using them as stencils on furniture that he designs and builds in his shop, The Woodworks, in Portsmouth, NH. The predominant stencil themes include Egyptian motifs, as well as insect, animal and botanical images. In the final product, the curly maple wood that the stencils are applied to appears to be inlaid, with dramatic effect. Our latest collaboration is the creation of two love seat couches that have botanicals, insects and amphibian images stenciled on their side and front rails.
