‘Of Water’

Busch loves looking at things that others look past. The tints and texture in the marsh grasses, the surreal colors in the water capture her attention and spark her imagination as much as broad vistas. Her artwork is designed to bring your attention to nature’s changes.

Weaving and choosing her materials carefully with an eye to texture allows her to translate fiber into the hues and patterns of our environment.

Selecting particular fibers from her travels, she collects and curates them to embody a sense of place. Wool, raffia, hemp, recycled silk and clothing fabrics are added to what she picks up wandering our shorelines for authenticity.

“Having texture adds another dimension,” she notes.

Busch started in textiles at age 16 with needlepoint, but found it disappointing to work so long on such small areas. After trying several media, in 2016 she found weaving and loved the feeling in her hands.

Her compositions are derived from shapes she sees in the tidal marshes. The sinuous movement of rivulets between the native grasses and sky inform the contours of color, mass and surface of her weavings.

“I’m capturing the Bay’s beauty, but seeing the environment in a different way from the usual painting or photos.”

Her square looms are not the common large floor standing ones. They flex and require her to move with the process, sometimes standing, sometimes sitting.

“I love the mechanical problem-solving in using a loom. It uses both sides of my brain,” she muses.

In her day job Busch is an analyst for San Mateo County with degrees in business and community development. The creative side of her brain and her life balance out that very logical side nicely.

Busch calls her style creative realism. Some pieces are indeed representational, while others drift into abstraction.

“Tributaries” weaves the curves and colors of feeder streams into the design of woven fabrics in deep teal tones on a sienna background.

“Drift” looks like flotsam carried on deep blue waves.

“Sunken” takes you down into the Prussian Blue of Davy Jones’ Locker.

“Rockaway Beach” will be instantly recognizable to those who have been there with the intricacies of waves and sky delicately woven into the fabrics.

Though a few of her weavings are framed, she feels that it’s more traditional to hang them from dowels, even branches. They range from small pieces to as large as 4.5 feet square.

The latter, “Love Letter,” is actually a composition depicting the Bay Area map from above, not just the Bayland flats and the mountains, but also the depth of the waters. It’s woven in wool, cotton, yarn and recycled sari silk. Hint: Look for downtown skyscrapers in the texture.

I would call her artwork rich in contrast between the subtle colors of nature and saturated hues, with a dimensional aspect. You will find a serenity in them.

Feel the peace in her hangings with every fiber of your being.

The show runs from Jan. 10 through Feb. 22, with an artist reception on Sunday, Jan. 11, from 1-4 p.m., and an artist talk on Friday, Feb. 6 at 5 p.m. at the M. Stark Gallery.

You Can Create Too: Busch runs weaving workshops in the North Bay, but is opening opportunities for classes in San Mateo. For information: westbayfiber.com. Atherton Arts Foundation has a “Yarn it” fiber art workshop series twice monthly on Tuesdays: RSVP michele_bollier@yahoo.com.

M. Stark Gallery, 720 Main St., Half Moon Bay, mstarkgallery.com, (415) 407-8743.

Bart Charlow, author and consultant, has been sketching all his life and painting for over 45 years, had a professional photography business, and leads plein air painting groups. Come along as he shares his insights about the local art scene, and bring your sketchbook. His art and story is at: bartsart.weebly.com.