Lucy MacDonald

Arra Textiles

Weaver

©Aboyne Photographics

©Lucy MacDonald

True local ties

Lucy uses native plants for natural dying
She combines traditional tapestry techniques and digital methods
She sells an interior collection with her designs

Lucy MacDonald launched her label Arra Textiles in 2016 after studying Design for Textiles in Scotland and Finland. At first, she produced all her pieces by hand and sold them directly to customers at exhibitions. Since 2020 she has developed an interior collection and commissioned a small sustainable mill in Bristol to implement her designs. "I'm delighted to have found a mill with fully acceptable production conditions”. By gaining time and freedom, she can devote herself to the further development of her free work and to creating new masterpieces. In preparation for the Collect Open 2022 exhibition, she has been developing the series Season of the Sea for the past two years, trying out new techniques and even spinning her own wool and dying it. These artworks are inspired by the seascapes and landscapes of her home in Scotland.

Interview

©Lucy MacDonald

©Lucy MacDonald

How is your homeland connected to your work ?: Being near both to the sea and the mountains, this landscape is a great source of inspiration. The colours of the nature around me also determine the palette of my artwork. I have begun to dye my wool with local plants, some of which I have collected from my grandmother's garden.
What is the Session of the Sea collection?: Through the fusion of traditional tapestry techniques and contemporary computerised weaving design, I have created a picture-in-picture effect that appears simple from a distance but becomes increasingly complex upon closer inspection. I also used handcarding and hand spinning of raw fibres and natural dyeing of the yarns.
What is the dyeing process with native plants?: It was my goal to create a colour palette reminiscent of the sea during a storm. Each season, for the past two years, I have collected native plants such as nettles, gorse and alder cones from the local riverbank, as well as lavender, roses, eucalyptus bark and leaves. In this way, I was able to create a relatively large colour palette.
Could you imagine working in a different environment ?: Yes, I could. I gained a great deal of freedom when I reorganised my sales due to the pandemic. I could work anywhere, provided I had my materials. When I finished my studies, I spent some time in Australia. There, too, I was inspired by nature and created a colourful collection.

Lucy MacDonald is a rising star: she began her career in 2016 and she started teaching in 2019