My exploration of Japanese textile design began at the University of Oregon, where I studied indigo dyeing, kasuri (ikat) weaving, katazome (printing), and shibori (shaped resist dyeing). I continued that study in Japan through a Japan Foundation Individual Artist Grant. Ikat weaving remains my favorite, from designing to weaving the piece. I love the technical challenge, and also the particular aesthetic. I taught ikat weaving at Lane Community College where I was on the art faculty for 13 years, and at University of Oregon as an Adjunct Professor. I continue to teach the subject at Eugene Textile Center.
I have maintained indigo dye vats for more than 30 years. Dyeing with natural dye is a prominent feature of my work. The colors obtained from these dyes are beautiful and complex. A focus of my natural dyework for the past few years has been printing on cloth using stencils and stamps, brushes and blocks. My dye notebooks are full of the colors of nature on samples of silk, linen, cotton, and wool cloth and yarn. These notebooks inspire me to create handsome cloth which respects the earth and pleases the eye.
Website: https://marilynrobert.com