Ami at work

See more of Ami's garments and weavings here

In the mid ‘70’s, I traveled to Mexico through the Yucatán and into the villages. While traveling through the mountains and seeing the people and landscapes, I was struck by the colorful shawls and garments worn by the native people, in
contrast to the purple hue of the mountains beyond. During my return some years later, I visited the villages of the Yucatan Peninsula and hiked the mountains.  This beauty of the native people with their colorful wraps accented against the subtle mountain landscapes continued to intrigue me. I watched as women wove effortlessly colorful fibers into functional wraps and fabrics and men dyed raw fibers in huge bats of deep opaque color. This inspired me. Several years and many chapters later, one cold Montana winter, I had a friend teach me the basics of warping a loom. From there, I taught myself through tireless repetitions of warp/weave, warp/ weave until the creaking of the loom became part of the music of my life. I found myself drawn once again to the bright rich colors like those that inspired me in Mexico. Now as then, I continue to experience my weaving as interplay of textures, colors, patterns, and the play of fibers blending together into one.
                       

Aviva Fibers website