This question of what inspires me goes to the very core of my beliefs about the essence of tapestry weaving and takes me back to my roots in the Bauhaus tradition.   I would like to offer my personal interpretation of the key elements as they relate to my work. For our diploma project, we were required to choose a motif from nature and apply its design to a number of art forms. This is a quintessential Bauhaus way of seeing the world around us because it forced us to observe how we had to change the motif to adapt to the chosen art medium, all while keeping it intact and staying true to the fundamentals of color and form.

below: Sylvia Heyden, Bauhaus ceramic bowl, undated

below: Silvia Heyden, Plumage, 36” x 48”, 1994

below: Silvia Heyden, Banana Plantation, 60” x 120”

below: Silvia Heyden, Drumroll, 60” x 60”, 1990

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