Rosalie Neilson

I have always been fascinated with color. One of my earliest childhood memories is peering into the throats of tulips, marveling at the satin-sheen of red, yellow, and black.. My love of color comes from being raised in Oregon. During the majority of the year, nature appears in shades of green, blue, and gray. In this softly lit environment of neutrals, bright colors stand out in sharp contrast.

What attracted me to weaving was the color I found in weft-faced and warp-faced block weaves. Being part Scandinavian, I gravitated to the Swedish technique of warp rep, and began to explore the geometric designs created by the interchange of two layers of color.

Using a sixteen shaft loom with computer assisted treadling, I enjoy producing a series of different designs within one threading system. One series leads to the next. After weaving rep for twenty-five years, I am still amazed at the limitless possibilities for creating abstract color designs.