9/11/17

What we leave behind...

The Marks We Leave, Tacha Reed, 2017
This September and October The Flying Apron Inn & Cookery is showcasing a collection of my recent feltscapes.


What we leave behind... continues to explore my attachment, respect, and sense of responsibility towards the Avon River, those who call it home, and the powerful salt water that pours in twice daily from the Bay of Fundy.

I found this past winter to be a difficult period of time, a dear friend passed away after a surgery gone wrong and I found myself greatly affected by several claimed natural disasters that took place throughout the province. 

These events compelled me to work through my emotions via a sequence of finely detailed needle felted pieces, starting with FORCE, a response to the massive herring kills in November and December of 2016. 



Clogged Artery, Tacha Reed, 2017

As winter continued on I found myself not wanting to dwell on any events beyond my control, there were simply too many terrible things going on on our planet, so I threw myself into my work, challenging myself to lighten up, both in my mind and in my process.

Getting ready to frame Thinking of You, for Kristie Sheehy
Kristie Sheehy had always wanted me to felt her a poppy, but in the past I had only done so for memorials, so it had never felt appropriate.  
Thinking of You led me down a less serious road in terms of subject matter and I made the decision to really challenge myself technically, so I began a botanical series. These bright and cheerful pieces helped to carry me over until the daffodils and other signs of spring were beginning to emerge.

Daffodils, Tacha Reed, 2017

As we entered a new season I felt the need to give myself a reprieve from incorporating such fine detail into all of my pieces, so I began experimenting. I began at first layering wool under glass, but then explorations with wet felting promptly ensued. Personally I feel that this current collection truly reflects my evolution towards a new method for creating that is uniquely my own. 
Fingers of the Fundy, Tacha Reed, 2017

Wet felting has brought a new freedom to my creative process, and as a result my work has become more relaxed and expressive. I'm no longer so caught up with the fine details and this new process provides me with the security that my finished artwork is durable and will stand the test of time.
Detail of A Window Through, Tacha Reed, 2017

The majority of my more recent pieces share a dreamy softness, even those exploring the harsh realities of environmental disasters that constantly face us. As we all wait for decisions to be made on our behalf about the installation of multiple turbines in the Bay of Fundy and the addition of another causeway across the Avon River, the ruddy silt continues to persevere and new land slowly forms before our eyes. Wave patterns change as new habitats are created, and others are destroyed.


Guillotined Glooscap, Tacha Reed, 2017


Life goes on, I choose not to dwell in anger and frustration, I can only acknowledge my emotions, felting them out, eventually offering them to the world for your consideration.

As mankind continues to influence change, we all learn to adapt, yesterday becomes a memory and the future is something that always has the potential to improve.



Shifting Current, Tacha Reed, 2017

A Change of Perspective, Tacha Reed, 2017
Shakey Graves/Electric Feel, Tacha Reed, 2017
Taste for Poultry, Tacha Reed, 2017
What we leave behind... on display now at the Flying Apron Inn and Cookery in Summerville, Hants County


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