Canadian textile artist Lucy Poskitt describes herself as a contemporary weaver walking the line between traditional image-based tapestry and yardage weaving. Having studied within the Interdisciplinary Program of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University and the New York Studio Program, Poskitt focused on several disciplines: weaving, art history, printmaking, and installation art – all which inform her tapestry work and teaching philosophy today.
Working with a looser and more experimental hand, Poskitt draws inspiration from local landscapes and lore – all those ambiguous stories and symbols we use to explain our place in this world. “I’m always inspired by my surrounding landscapes,” she relayed in an interview with Textile Artist. “I feel very fortunate to have lived all across this huge country, literally from coast to coast and in between, and I still draw inspiration from my memories of these places.”
When it comes to her creative process, her work is fairly intuitive. “Very rarely do I use a sketchbook, although I often wish it was part of my routine,” she admits. “For prep work, I’ll often start with a simple image in my mind or a photograph which then leads me to a palette. I’ll also do some random shape collages if I’m feeling very stuck for inspiration, basically just shuffling roughly cut scraps of colored paper around on a black background until I come up with a sequence that ‘works’. I also collect different textures, rug and fabric samples, photographs of bark and moss, different yarns… all which inspire and inform a piece.”
Her work has been exhibited and collected internationally and she has taught tapestry workshops across Canada to hundreds of students. But you can also follow her work on Instagram.
