Mary Downe

ABOUT Mary

The glorious range of colours and textures in the natural world are the inspiration for both my textiles and paintings.

My travels in Japan and India awakened my love of slow fashion ~ rooted in centuries of traditional craftsmanship ~ using natural fabrics and dyes which have a minimal impact on the environment. My scarves are one of a kind pieces, created using 100% natural fabrics ~ Silk, Merino Wool, Linen, Cotton. The natural dyes I use are a sustainable way of creating colours on cloth. Indigo, Madder, Logwood, Weld, Lac, Persimmon, Cochineal, Myrobalan. Watching colours change and emerge from a dye bath is a magical experience. Natural dyes, in combination with various Japanese Shibori printing techniques, seem particularly well suited to capture fleeting impressions of light and movement in nature. I approach each of my fabric pieces as I would an abstract painting. To create the patterns on my scarves I use various Shibori resist techniques that I learned while studying in Japan. I love the surprise and wonder each time I unfold a piece of Shibori, whether it has been folded, stitched or clamped.

I’m a passionate gardener, entranced by watching the light in my garden shift and change during the various seasons of the year and times of day. My paintings are a record of the many colours, patterns and textures of my garden as it evolves throughout the year.

I have an Advanced Certificate in Textile Arts from Capilano University, a Diploma in Interdisciplinary Studies from Emily Carr College of Art and I spent six years teaching drawing and colour in several industrial design schools in Paris, France including L’Ecole Superieure de Design Industriel.

Logwood natural dye

2024, 78x22", merino wool dyed with logwood natural dye

The Waters Edge

2024, 16”x12", oil on wood

Hydrangea

2023, 24”x18", oil on canvas