Wendi Trulson, textile artist

We are excited to now have the work of Beechmont artist Wendi Trulson in our gallery. Wendi's focus in her textile work is sustainability - she works with natural dyes which do no harm to the environment, and she is interested in the recycling of fabrics.

What stands out in Wendi's work is the beauty of the colours and patterns created by dyeing with mainly eucalyptus leaves. Using protein-based fabrics, she creates designs for clothing, including scarves and socks. Wendi reveals that, contrary to popular belief, wool is not damaged by high temperatures - it is the movement of water which does the damage.  She finds that the best fabrics for natural dyeing are silk and wool.

Wendi shares her knowledge with many others by doing workshops in the Scenic Rim area. At a recent workshop at Beechmont, participants were delighted at discovering the results of their work, which had been immersed for three hours in a large pot of boiling water. Whilst waiting for the magic to happen, Wendi shared her other passion - stitching small pieces of dyed silk spontaneously onto a background cloth.

Here's how Wendi describes her work:

"I am ecowott, or Wendi Trulson. The "eco" refers to the environmental integrity of my arts practice and the "wott" is an acronym for Wendi of the Treasure, a name from my childhood. I live and work in the surrounds of the Lamington Plateau, foraging in my own backyard for leaves and inspiration.

In my arts practice I am always seeking opportunities to rework and renew fabric and clothing into stitched visual art and wearable art pieces.

Natural dyeing is an art form that dates back in time. Up until the mid-eighteenth century every piece of fabric for clothes, household furnishings and carpets was dyed using natural dyes. Fast forward to the 21st century and our landfills are full, with over 60 million tonnes a year of disregarded clothing, mostly made of non-composting synthetics that pollute not only the landfills but our ocean water too.

I work with a natural dye process that is ecologically sound and keeps the environment and its users safe. I wish to encourage others to think about the fabric they wear and consume. The true magic is in the natural dyeing process I use - it gives a lasting reminder of the beauty of the Australian eucalyptus."