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Darcy Love

Dancing Bird Studio is located in rural Dane County, Wisconsin, where much of the inspiration for my work is found. In 1995, I began my exploration of fiber arts after taking a silk painting workshop in Door County, Wisconsin, on Washington Island. Silk painting struck a chord and I continued to expand my vocabulary of surface design techniques in workshops held at the Southwest Center for Art and Craft and Artcloth Studios, both located in San Antonio, Texas. I have included some of the larger pieces here which employ a wide variety of techniques. If you have any questions about these pieces, or anything else you've seen on this site, please email me. Darcy Love Dancing Bird Studio
Friends In 2003, I was fortunate to have been chosen for the Artist-in-Residence program at Rocky Mountain National Park. As part of the residency, I was able to live within the Park for two weeks, in a cabin which was donated to the Park Service specifically for this program. In turn, I created a piece as an interpretation of my stay at Rocky Mountain and donated it to the Park. This elk and his companion, a black billed magpie, converse in front of the Continental Divide. The Big Thompson River flows past them and their fellow residents are embedded in the surrounding habitat, as well as on the elk's body. The piece measures 60"w x 64"h. Friends employs a variety of techniques - hand painting, immersion dying, shibori, discharge, silkscreen, appliqué, and free motion stitching, and media including handmade paper, silk habotai, silk charmeuese, silk taffeta, silk dupioni, cotton sheeting, oil paint sticks, fiber reactive dyes and fabric paints. To see a larger version of the piece, click on the image.
	*Friends* is the property of Rocky Mountain National Park and was created as fulfillment of the Artist-in Residence program sponsored by the National Park Service. It will be on permanent display at the Fall River Visitor's Center.

Dance of Life: Sandhill Crane

This piece, meant to be the first in a series of life-sized bird portraits, was completed in 2003. It is two separate layers of silk organza which are immersion dyed and silk screened with the flora and fauna of the crane's habitat. The bird itself is handpainted on silk habotai, appliquéd to the top layer of organza and silkscreened with the elements that have enabled its existence since prehistoric times. Free motion stitching with clear thread was used between these elements to give the animal structure, texture and create a connection between the elements and the crane. The entire piece measures 45"w x 72"h.

Dance of Life: Sandhill Crane most recently resided at the University of Wisconsin - Madison Arboretum in the Visitor Center. It is now in a private collection.

Click on the image for a larger view.