Denise Bolger Kovnat
In 1998, thinking that I would learn to weave in a week or so, I signed up for a course with Joyce Robards at the Rochester Museum and Science Center — and continued studying with her for more than four years!
Also in 1998, I joined the Weavers’ Guild of Rochester and have served gladly in many volunteer positions since. Other memberships include the Handweavers Guild of America and Complex Weavers, including the Collapse Weave Study Group. My garments have been juried into the Handweavers Guild of America Convergence fashion shows since 2008, with one garment winning the 2016 Seattle Weavers Guild Award for Best Use of Color. I have taught at Convergence, at MAFA conferences and at guilds in the eastern United States.
For me, teaching is learning shared. We humans are meant to discover what we can achieve, what creativity we have inside, what we can build with new materials and techniques. I hope my students will take risks and push themselves beyond the tried and true.
My favorite techniques include collapse weave (encouraged by studies with Liz Williamson of Australia and Ann Richards of Great Britain) and painted warps, combining two different color palettes using extended parallel threadings (with thanks to Bonnie Inouye). My tools are whatever will get me where I want to go: In addition to weaving, these include natural and man-made dyeing, spinning, knitting, and sewing.
I write about the fiber arts on my blog, Random Acts of Color: www.denisekovnat.com
