Mountain Scene, No. 4

This landscape is an ambitious piece of fibre art in which the artist “draws” using thread and “paints” using layers of fabric appliqué to build up colours and values. The artist uses subtle, unsaturated colour blocks, contrasted by dark trees silhouetted against the background. This piece shows the influence of Canadian artists Emily Carr and Tom Thompson, as well as other artists belonging to the group of seven – specifically Frederick H. Varley and A.Y Jackson. By creating a relatively large artwork, she challenges the tradition of the landscape genre by representing a nature scene though craft instead of paint. A feminist reading of this artwork would draw attention to the fact that craft is typically seen as women’s work and not commonly accepted as a fine art practice.