Carrie Crawford in residency at MacArthur Place

During her Uprise Art x MacArthur Place residency, Carrie Crawford found inspiration in the changing seasons and shifting light of Sonoma. Her hand-dyed and piece-sewn textile works capture the fractured autumn light. Go behind the scenes of her residency below.

These works were inspired by the turn of the fall season and the accompanying light in Sonoma County, California. On my drive to my Uprise Art x MacArthur Place residency, I drove through numerous rolling valleys studded with grapevines. Post-harvest, the vines were rich with fall color, casting long shadows on the surrounding loamy land. With the sky brooding with stormy thoughts and shafts of sunlight breaking through, I stopped the car to take in the saturated colors and unusual patterns of fractured light. This autumn light continued to occur throughout my week at MacArthur Place. The densely landscaped grounds full of rose hips, marigolds, and transitioning trees filtered the autumn light into fascinating shards and patterns.

Carrie Crawford

Having the gift of supported studio time and gracious hosts, it was very grounding to slow down enough to witness the land around me shift so gracefully into the season of rest and contemplation. A reminder that is all too easy to miss - and gratefully received. My wish was to capture the light, and create a visual space that holds both the tension and surrender that accompanies change - to layer hand-dyed textiles such that the last exhale of the season is felt in both color and texture.

Carrie Crawford

Photos by Emma K Creative