Ulrika E Leander

Creating tapestry art is a lifelong passion for me. I find my inspiration in the colors, forms, and perspectives of the natural world in all its manifestations. I never attempt to copy what I see, rather I let my experiences linger until they coalesce and form a unique image in my mind. Sometimes it takes quite a long time for this to happen and sometimes it is right there and ready to be expressed.I explore and further develop my ideas through the medium of watercolor and as I paint, I also think about the transition from the watercolor to the tapestry medium; I need to be thinking about the range of yarn colors and tones that will be needed and also the intensification of colors that occurs when the image is transposed to the much larger surface of the tapestry.I work with the design until it evolves to the point when I feel that I can weave a tapestry which will evoke feelings of joy, beauty, and inspiration in the viewer.

I find my inspiration in the colors, shapes, and movement in the natural world in all its forms, and my work is about expressing and conveying the feelings of joy, peace, and tranquility that come with the contemplation of Nature. Using a traditional tapestry technique, I am constantly striving to extend my ability to capture the nuances of color tone and structure. I work entirely on upright tapestry looms using only the highest quality tapestry yarn.My inspiration and ideas are explored initially through the medium of watercolor. When I reach the point where I feel that I am ready to commit to devoting many months to transforming my concept into a tapestry, the outline of the watercolor design is traced and then digitally enlarged to the full size of the final tapestry. This enlargement provides the map for guiding the hand-weaving process while the watercolor provides the guide for the selection of the yarn colors and tones. During weaving, multiple fine threads of varying thicknesses are blended to capture the delicate variations in the color tones of the watercolor.In my recent work, I have returned to an earlier fascination with the shapes and surfacesof stones on beaches, and in fields and in shallow waters and the challenge of capturing the three-dimensional time-weathered surfaces and the sense of weight. I would like the viewer to feel that they can walk around each stone and see it from the other side.