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VISUAL ARTIST



Dawnice Kerchaert



Inspired by nature and collecting natural materials I create unique sculptural forms. When I began working with these delicate and seemingly impermanent materials, I looked to the ancient Native American culture to learn. The process of gathering the pine needles, branches, flower and seed pods and preparing them for use is regenerative and enlightening. This is especially true when the fall weather is beautiful, and I bring a friend who enjoys the hunt as much as I do. The techniques I use for the pine needles is coiling, sewn securely with sinew. Sometimes I use raffia to wrap the coils to make a design, or just use the sinew to wrap. I have used sunflower seeds and cantaloup seeds as well as other natural and glass beads, and shells to embellish. I work to arrange branches and tree bark into wall reliefs held together with sinew. I introduce different materials such as handmade paper made from iris leaves, dried flower pods, yarn, and embroidery floss to discover something new and different.



FEATURED PROJECTS



DUO
coiled pine needles wrapped with natural and dyed raffia, sunflower seeds, sinew, beads



TILLEY
coiled pine needles with pine needle forms, split iris head pods, coconut beads, glass beads, snew, natural raffia



RED BUD BUNCH
branches, handmade iris
leaves paper, red bud tree
seed pods, thread



IRIS
Siberian Iris
flower pods,
branches, yarn



WYSH
tree bark, pine needles, sinew, beads, thread



ALESSANDREA
COILED PINE NEEDLES, branches, SINEW, BEADS



JOURNEY
coiled pine needles and sinew



DUET
coiled pine needle forms, sinew,
raffia, glass beads, cantaloup seeds, branches



CICILEY
shell base,
coiled pine
needles,
various beads
and shells,
sinew,
embroidery floss



CORALEE
coiled pine needles base with beaded branches



REDBLUE BAND WALL CONSTRUCTION
branches, sinew, glass beads and jobes tears (natural beads)



WILLA
branches, sinew, glass beads



Dawnice Kerchaert Visual Artist
Pontac Michigan