"Octopod" is made of cords of cotton, nylon, and polyester, as well as acquired baubles of metal, glass, and stone.
Like almost all my work, “Octopod” relies exclusively on the repeated use of the humble double half-hitch and the strength of those knots to retain the form.
I had just read the wonderful book Soul of an Octopus when I began working on “Octopod”; it wasn’t until I had pinned down the perimeter form that I realized there were eight “arms” in this new work. I began with the mounting of cords along the perimeter, with the ensuing courses of knots spiraling inward. All 1mm cord is used in the weft (the part of the knot that is visible); however, the warp (the hidden cord around which the knot is fashioned) fluctuates from primarily 2mm to areas of 1mm, creating a recessed effect. Although I had a pretty clear picture of what I expected, this piece offered many opportunities to be “instructed by the cord,” thus making for a very fun couple of months.
“Octopod” also has appeared in the Marin Society of Artists’ Expressions 2020 (an online gallery) and the Handweavers Guild of America’s Symphony of the Mountains (in HGA’s Shuttle, Spindle & Dyepot, winter 2020 issue).