Stacy Tompkins's Page

The act of creating is a necessity for me. The creative process is a way for me to connect directly with the spiritual. I use rhythmic techniques such as weaving and sewing to bring myself into a trance-like state. This space helps me stay centered within myself and entertain ideas I usually contain. The final results are the physical bi-products of my contemplations.
My forms are based loosely on those found in nature. I study the plants and the rocks and envision how these forms might change and transform with our ever-evolving planet. I draw the abstracted forms to get a sense of scale and proportion. Then the work begins. The pieces evolve even as I work to complete them. I become very excited watching the pieces grow and change as if they are deciding how they are to be constructed. The completed forms evolve even from their initial conception.
The surfaces of my forms are skin and bark like, composed many of layers. A little of each layer is left exposed as evidence of each stage of the creative process. The forms themselves are organic in shape. I favor bulbous forms and enjoy tentacles, having them reach toward the viewer, giving the pieces a sense of life. The structures take on the characteristic of being grown or birthed and seem to almost breathe.
This “life” can be attributed to my material choices. A mixture of textures and materials is essential to this implication. Through the use of textiles and associated techniques, repetitive lines draw the eyes around the objects. The soft textures infuse the work with gentleness and call the viewer to touch. My passion for botany and nature drives me to include dried specimens and organic material. To look at these materials evokes tranquility, a sense of waking in the cool morning air on a camping trip. Through this cast of materials and ideas emerges a body of work, like myself, ever-evolving and hopefully ever-improving.