Ann Robinson

After many years of teaching and advising students on campuses including the University of Wisconsin and Stanford, budget cuts left me without a classroom.  Finally, I could focus full time on my inherent artistic interests - dyeing and weaving yarn.

Today I design and weave one-of-a-kind textiles using traditional looms, respecting and preserving an ancient form of art. I have four looms in my home studio and use only natural fibers: cotton, silk, tencel (fiber made from wood), bamboo and soy.  The weaving process is itself an art, and I weave not to create a picture but rather to express a feeling through color and structure. I hand-dye the yarn in a variety of color combinations and then choose a structure of repeating patterns, resulting in a visual rhythm that is evident in each piece.

My teaching continues at Women's Wisdom Art, a program offered through the Sacramento Food Bank. There I work with women who are experiencing difficult times, many having been shattered by poverty or abuse. Weaving helps to rebuild their self-esteem and confidence and, as a result, many are able to get back on their feet.