cereus expectations measures up!

cereus expectations
(~16.5" x 16") wool

Fresh off the loom, with the fibers still relaxing, cereus expectations was accepted for the Night Blooming Cereus exhibit to be held May 3rd - June 12th at Tohono Chul Park's museum, our local botanical garden!!!

I am thrilled for a number of reasons... I love this little park (its name means "desert corner" in the language of the Tohono O'odham Indians who are indigenous to this area of Arizona); Dennis & I have been members since we first moved here 10 years ago; their small gallery & exhibit hall have hosted some exquisite exhibits, & inclusion is by invitation-- they seldom have open calls for entry. When I first began pursuing tapestry weaving seriously after retiring from nursing 2 years ago, it was one of my aspirations to be invited to exhibit at Tohono Chul.

This tapestry's subject is a digital photo I took of a bloom from a cereus cactus we purchased at Tohono Chul's greenhouse a couple years ago. Tohono Chul has an annual celebration surrounding this humble cactus that opens its spectacular blooms at night. The celebration must be timed each year to coincide with the bloom period. Although the original photo was beautiful, I decided to use my graphic design software to "posterize" it-- I wanted to capture the electricity surrounding the festival & it is also how I imagine the moths might "see" the blooms' luminosty as they visit to drink its nectar during the night hours. Another interesting feature of this tapestry-- some of the fibers used in it were dyed with blooms from a sunflower plant we purchased at the park about 5 or so years ago.

Now, I am digging in to the next tapestry, also to be presented to Tohono Chul for consideration for inclusion in another exhibit, Sea of Cortez: A Desert Sea, that will coincide with the Night Blooming Cereus exhibit. So far this year, I have had 3 tapestries accepted for exhibit, & I am hoping the trend will continue...!