VALERIE DORAN BASHAW

EMAIL: valerie.wovenwind@gmail.com

BIO: I am a fine arts educator, working with students of all ages and abilities. I have a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts from the Kansas City Art Institute and a Masters in Fine Arts from the University of Michigan, both degrees are in Fiber. I continue to teach, and work as much as possible in my studio, located in the Stockyards District of Kansas City, Missouri.

STATEMENT: “Shibui”, a Japanese term meaning “austere, simple, understated.”  

My work, whatever the medium, is jewel-toned, subtle, flowing, layered. I have most recently worked with cyanotypes/blueprints. I draw and cut stencils, print with the sun and mount fine paper prints on cradle boards, often embellished slightly with sparkly things. I am interested in migrating birds and full moons, changing seasons. 

For many years, I have been fascinated by how fabric accepts dye, what type of binding repels it, and the patterns that result. I first learned to tie-dye in high school and have not stopped since. I research and teach about many Fiber processes, including tie-dye, batik, shibori, and paste resist methods of many cultures. 

I use these techniques in my work with cotton and silk fabrics. I often layer the dyeing and printing, resulting in vivid unexpected patterns. Shibori (Japanese tie dye) effects on cloth produce lovely images reminiscent of shadows in nature, wood grain, water flowing. I am attracted to the accidental results, sometimes predictable, often not. Colors get richer as the dyes and patterns are layered, giving the viewer more information, adding depth. My wall pieces are about landscape and references to weather. I am always watching the sky. We live near the Flint Hills of Kansas, once an ancient sea, beautiful gently rolling grasslands, full of changing colors as the seasons pass. Watching storms roll in and the clouds moving through profoundly affects my work. I am also working with rust printing on fabric, exploring themes of circles, cycles, and mandalas, hand stitching using metallic threads.  

These works embrace my aesthetic of quiet, meditative work, meant to encourage and remind the viewer to sit and relax, unwind and retreat from the hectic world. A soothing work of art on your wall helps to create peace in your environment. My work is collected by chiropractors, doctors, therapists, medical centers, spas, places of healing where one might seek renewal. It’s a way to retreat from the busy world and redirect and refresh the soul!