Jane Brunning – Scorched Earth

“In the depths of conflict’s despair, Where suffering pierces the earth’s fragile sphere,

A tale unfolds, untold and grim, Of scars that mar our landscapes, limb by limb.” Dalia Fox

The average temperature of the Earth’s surface is 1.1 °c warmer than in the 1800’s and in this last decade 2011 – 2020 it was the warmest on record.

In this tapestry Jane evokes the effect of climate change on the landscape with the heat of the sun, the lack of rain drying and cracking the land’s surface. She has woven this tapestry on a scaffolding loom with a double warp, one blue linen thread and one black mohair thread measuring 120cm wide. The weft is a mixture of bast fibres; that is, nettle, hemp and flax and to these yarns she adds wool and silk. The cracks in the earth are woven with nettle and chenille. Jane has dyed her nettle yarns so she can get the subtle gradation of colour.

In her studio she weaves large and small scale tapestries and enjoys experimenting with a wide variety of different yarns but bast yarns are her favourite. When she weaves, she likes to work on a series of tapestries as it makes a cohesive visual group. She has exhibited nationally and internationally.

Travel is a big part of Jane’s inspirational journey, taking her sketchbook, water colours, mini-frame and limited yarns on her travels. She has been fortunate to have travelled widely to Peru, Mongolia, Egypt, Italy and other countries. Her favourite place is to sit and be still in her local landscape, whether that’s the river, sea, downs or woods observing the scenery. There is so much to learn, play and experiment with and through the medium of tapestry that enables her to do this.