Adrienne Sloane and Alissa Sorenson, Fiber Artists

Adrienne Sloane

Alissa Sorenson

I want to introduce you to these two fabulous fiber artists Adrienne Sloane ( first 2 pictures) and Alissa Sorenson (second 2 pictures)

Adrienne Sloane is one of seven artists from across the country that will present the age-old arts of knitting, weaving, crochet and basketry in unexpectedly unique and eclectic ways during the “Loose Ends: Contemporary Fiber Arts” exhibit to be held in the Lincoln Center Galleries 417 West Magnolia Fort Collins, CO 80521 from Saturday, Sept. 12, through Oct. 23. Whether made from threads, yarns or even modern plastics and wires, rich, colorful fibers form the core of this exhibit. The art pictured here is a very unique and takes a talented artist with a vision to achieve. I have being seeing some fiber artists doing this sculptural knitting using silk-steel yarns and I am very impressed with their efforts, as this yarn is very difficult to work with. Alissa Sorenson (work pictured above) won Juror’s Choice award and a Greater Columbus Arts Council award, the latter for Hungry, at the Ohio State Fair this year. Alissa Sorenson (work pictured above) won Juror’s Choice award and a Greater Columbus Arts Council award, the latter for Hungry, at the Ohio State Fair this year. Alissa also has a number of stunning fiber sculpture on Flickr as well as her site “Three Faces of Fiber Art” check out this talented Ohio artist.

Adrienne Sloane Artist Statement: Knitting shapes have long been defined by the human form. By moving the context of knitting from clothing geometry to sculpture, knitting becomes a medium with a link to a rich and complex fiber tradition that has the power of history behind it. To be able to turn a single strand of yarn into fiber building blocks with form and function, texture and color is also energizingly low tech. Working in what has long been considered a traditional woman’s medium, I aim to an artistic aesthetic informed by traditional craft, art and politics. My work aspires to dissolve the boundaries between craft and art, mindful of the historical context of the medium. I knit to rejoin the frayed and unraveled places around me.

Alissa Sorenson Artist Statement: My work is a conceptual exploration of the psyche, and the dichotomy of the human condition as beings of energy (spirit) and matter. My process is to use knitting as a metaphor for how we live our lives; each stitch represents a choice – an act – and lays the foundation for creating our futures, both individually and collectively. Education: BA Visual Arts – Studio, University of California, San Diego

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Trees are an essential part of nature, both for the oxygen they produce and the habitats they provide to animals. But if you don’t live near a forest you might not think about all that happens within them very much.

The Secret Life of the Forest: Trees, Animals and Fungi, by Klára Holik, Ivi Niesner and Jana Sedlácková explores the inner workings of the forest, from the biggest trees to the smallest parasites, answering questions about the forest and sharing basic information about different kinds of forests, the water cycle, how to visit the forest and more. It’s aimed at kids ages 6 to 9.

It starts at the beginning with information on where seeds come from, how pollination happens and different creatures (and mechanisms like wind) that help move tree seeds and other seeds around in different forests. It talks about photosynthesis, how trees communicate with each other, tree rings, layers of the forest, how tree seeds move and how fungi and trees help each other.

Readers will learn about the oldest known fungus in the world, how ants help other animals to reproduce and what plant and animal parasites make trouble in the forest.

The book also covers decomposition, an overview of forest types from around the world (including the heaviest living organism), how fire affects forests, animals of the rainforest and swamp and ways people use wood.

Information is presented in bite-sized segments, with cartoony illustrations that are somewhat accurate to nature. You can check out some of the pages and watch a flip through on the publisher’s website.

It also includes forest experiments kids can try, such as building bird houses, looking for springs and checking ingredients on snack foods for palm oil, which comes from the rainforest. There’s also information on the best way to visit the forest to be respectful of the organisms that live there.

In the back you’ll find a glossary of some of the important words included in the book, and there’s a QR code teachers or parents can scan to get more information or learning resources.

This book provides a nice overview of life in the forest and how the plants and animals work together to keep it growing the way it needs to. It also covers a little bit of what humans can do to protect the forests we have left.

About the book: 64 pages, hardcover. Published 2024 by Albatross Books. Suggested retail price $18.95

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