Fiber Arctic- Becky Stern

Speaking of the Maker Faire, I am also very much looking forward to seeing Becky Stern whom also happens to be our next interview up for our Fiber Arctic show. I love Becky's work. It is always unique, with a bit of irony and a lot of surprise. I honestly cannot believe that this amazing iceberg (see below) will be in my store!



S- You are a woman with many many talents. What are some of your favorites?

BS- I really love combining multiple skills/media together, like MRIs and embroidery, fabric and electronics, or metalwork, woodwork, and fibers as you see in the piece I made for this show. Most of all I love sharing what I've made online through photos, writing, and video. Without those, my projects would never reach the right audience.



S- I love what you have created for Fiber Arctic. Can you explain how it came together and what reaction you hope to receive?

BS- I made a form out of cardboard, then used yarn to knotless net the planes of the iceberg. Then I stiffened it with fabric stiffener, and very carefully removed the cardboard form. I then painted it and made the base out of MDF and the tiny drain by sawing out and sanding a small piece of sterling silver. The ice bear is made from a 5-part silicone mold from a plastic figurine I got at the craft store. I hope
people can glean from the piece a delicate relationship between humans and nature, and hopefully get a small chuckle from the poetic juxtaposition of the plumbing drain, ice polar bear, and netted "cage" of an iceberg around them.



S- As an artist and a writer, what do you do to foster your creativity when you might be feeling less than motivated?

BS- When I'm feeling creatively drained, I try to learn a new skill. I had never knotless netted before beginning work on this piece, and learning the technique really inspired the piece. I try to always spend a little time each day doing something with my hands, even if I don't have a project I'm super psyched about at the time. When I'm
feeling very creative, I make lists of ideas for projects. These lists really come in handy when I'm feeling uninspired!