Artist Statement: Diatoms are microscopic, aquatic, single-celled plants that depend on sunlight for their energy. They produce 20 to 50% of the world’s oxygen. When illuminated with a microscope, they are stunning. This piece is inspired by the surface pattern on a diatom seen with a scanning electron microscope.

Materials & Techniques: Hand dyed cotton fabric. The top two layers are fused to ecofelt. Free motion stitching was used to face the openings and stitch the layers together. Several coats of fabric paint were added after stitching.

Dimensions: 28 x 33 x 0

Photographer: Carla Stehr