Alden Hostetter and Ruby Hostetler:  Paint a Story, Weave a Tangle

The selected works represent stories of personal pivotal life moments. Moments that have formed a world view that seeks diversity of experience, promotes a curious spirit, and celebrates shared values; a safe home, a nurturing family, an equitable community, and the dignity of creative purposeful work.

Just as the sky, the atmosphere, and the clouds change from moment to moment, so do our opportunities to develop, to learn, to respond and gain wisdom from the gifts of each day. To live is to change.

Painful, delightful, contemplative and adventurous, the challenges and potential of each moment, each relationship, each experience informs our personal, private world view. 

In this show I offer a few images of my world view. Each picture tells a story. There are multiple messages in these images, some clear, some hidden or nuanced. 

Our shared stories, woven and tangled together, promote a strong inclusive community.  What stories do you see in these paintings? 

In what ways are you sharing your stories?

Inspired by living in the forest outside of Harrisonburg, Va and my travels, my fiber art is an expression of my personal interactions with the natural world. Representations of nature feature prominently in my work through movement, color, texture, and shape.

Each piece I create is inspired by both my interaction with the earth and the materials it has given me. I utilize natural fiber and foraged wood as the basis of my work and am inspired by their many textures and colors. Cotton cord invokes feelings of warmth and softness, while jute’s organic, unrefined texture grounds each piece in the essence of the earth.

Tangles, are the creations that most reflect what I am currently viewing in nature. Lichen, moss, fungi, and vines, interwoven in the forest at any given time. These Tangles represent the beauty of some of the most basic life forms in the woods.

www.thepaperneststudio.com