Cheryl Ward

My husband and I developed this concept in 2000. We were looking for a lightweight, three dimensional material to make an abstract art piece. The leaves of a cattail reed provide an excellent surface for painting and allow for an interesting flow because of the bends and twists of each individual reed. The art is seasonal in that we can only collect usable reeds in the late fall. Reeds must dry naturally in the field in order for the process to work. Once painted and glued into a wooden framework, all the artwork is varnished to help preserve the reeds and then each piece is matted and framed in a shadowbox frame.