MARY NEWBOLD BROWN
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT | WEAVERS GUILD OF RHODE ISLAND
BIOGRAPHY
Mary Newbold Brown is a lifelong Rhode Islander who grew up in Cranston and Narragansett. She and her husband, Joel, raised their family in South Kingstown and now reside in Saunderstown. Over the years, Mary has explored various artistic pursuits and began weaving at the Saunderstown Weaving School in 2021. In addition to her artistic endeavors, she works as a Clinical Research Scientist in Boston. In her free time, Mary enjoys cooking, spending time outdoors, hiking, sailing, and traveling with family and friends.
VISION
Mary Newbold Brown’s woven pieces feature an overshot structure with a pattern called “Ferns and Flowers,” designed by Rhode Island weaver, Bertha Gray Hayes, who created many miniature overshot patterns in the late 1930s and 1940s. The warp consists of 2/8 Cotolin, a blend of 40% linen and 60% cotton, in a natural color. The overall color scheme of the cotton and wool weft is intended to evoke the early morning sand, sea, and sky, capturing the true blue of the sea and the lightness of dawn. An overlap between the gray and brown sand and denim sea features alternating colors, reminiscent of the ocean washing over the shore. A few shots of lilac lambswool are interspersed with the denim, creating a transition to the sky that delineates the horizon line.
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