This artwork reflects the characteristics of many of the freshwater springs in Central Florida. They are know for their crystal clear bright blue, teal, and blue green waters. Because of their clarity, you can easily spot fish swimming when you are standing near the surface. The banks of the springs and rivers have an abundance of herons and egrets standing in the shallows hunting for fish. When you snorkel or swim in the water, you often see rays of sunlight penetrating the depths. They are peaceful and magical places. 

This artwork began by painting thickened dyes and fabric paints onto the white, cotton broadcloth. Then I created thermofax screens from photos of herons and fish and screened on those images using fabric paints. I wanted to emphasize the antiquity of these natural springs by referencing Seminole textile patterns. I created those patterns on silk screens and also screened those on with thickened dyes and fabric paints. The whole cloth was then fused to a felt backing.

To finish it, I used hand stitching to capture the effect of the sun’s rays in the water and as accents here and there and added stitching to the edges. It has a flat aluminum slat (removable) stuck to the upper back of the artwork (with velcro) with hanging wire attached to the slat. It is ready to hang as a traditional tapestry. If you wanted to frame it, you could. Just remove the aluminum slat and frame it however you like. However, I would recommend keeping the edges exposed (not covered by a mat board) and to not cover it in glass or plexiglass to preserve the effect of it being a textile artwork.