Bio: Inspired by a weaving exhibit at the American Swedish Institute in 1999, Cathie Mayr learned to weave at Sievers School of Fiber Arts on Washington Island, Wisconsin. It was the beginning of a life-long passion for the fine craft. She learned that her mother had done some weaving in college, but also was surprised when she discovered several ancestors on both her maternal and paternal sides were accomplished weavers. Throughout her 25-year weaving journey, Mayr learned from numerous experts and mentors across the country and in Norway. She began teaching in Central Minnesota in 2023. Mayr’s “home” Guild has always been the Weavers Guild of MN.

Description: Norwegian Spring was inspired by a springtime visit to meet relatives in Meldal, Norway (near Trondheim) for Syttende Mai. As it turns out, most of the town of Meldal are my third cousins – and many are weavers! Spring is such a joyous time in Norway – the sun is warming and flowers are blooming in every color imaginable. I knew I’d have to capture the beauty and joy in a woven piece. Color has always defined much of my long weaving career. I’m endlessly fascinated with the interplay of color as threads intersect in various ways in woven pieces. I’ve woven scarves, blankets, rugs, towels, table runners, and much more, in nearly every type of fiber. But in the end, it’s the color that drives my design process. This piece was no different. It was pure joy to play with the color gradients to represent the four flowers in this piece. The background warp (vertical) threads are a gradient of 6 blues ranging from dark to light. This represents the still chilly / frosty skies to warming days of deepening blue skies. From the top, the four flowers represented are:
1. Bergfrue (Pyramidal Saxifrage) known as “White Mountain Queen.” This beauty has five long white petals with increasingly dense splotches of deep magenta at the center (pistal). It was selected as Norway’s National Flower at the 1935 Botanical Congress in Amsterdam. Heather is now the National Flower since it is found across a wider range of the country.
2. Yellow Coltsfoot (Tussilago Farfara – Daisy family) is a perennial wildflower. I love that it comes in the very early spring fairly shouting in bright yellow! It is often referred to as “Son Before Father” because the flowers come before the leaves.
3. Red Clover (Trifolium Pratense) is seen across many of Norway’s fields and pastures. This versatile green manure crop not only adds organic nitrogen to the soil but also provides flowers that can be harvested for tea. It is often used for menopause symptoms and osteoporosis.
4. Lupine (Lupinus) comes from lupus, Latin for “wolf”, and its related adjective lupinus, “wolfish.” Lupine fields have a highly organized social structure, with clearly distinguished leaders and followers. Although dangerous to livestock, lupines improve soil by adding nitrogen and loosening compacted earth with their strong root systems.

catmayr@yahoo.com