Two decades ago, while at RISD, I traveled to New Mexico with a group of artists from different majors for a Wintersession semester. Keeping a journal was half our grade, and we were fortunate to be guided by two professors — one from RISD and one a member of the Pueblo Tribe. Under their guidance, we learned about the region’s art, history, and natural beauty in a spirit of education and respect. The experience left a deep and lasting impression on me — a profound appreciation for New Mexico’s landscape, light, and the people whose roots there run back countless generations.
The Desert Light Cowl draws its visual inspiration from the colors of a New Mexican sunset and the endless sketches of rows of cacti I had sketched in my journal during that trip. Worked in the round from the bottom up in stranded colorwork on US 5 and 7 needles, it pairs a gradient with a solid yarn.