Sometimes there is nothing more inviting than curling up in one of Mr. Forager’s shirts.  He has his favorites and most of the time, the others hang in the closet, just calling out for me to put them on!  They’re so roomy and comfy and wearing them physically connects us.  Pullman, Washington artist Michelle Forsyth has created an entire series centered around the plaid patterns her own husband’s shirts, lovingly titled Letters for Kevin.

The series consists of paintings of the initial plaid patterns, the weaving of the actual material in her Pullman studio, and often the eventual painting of the finished textile crumpled against a stark background.  I’ve often made mention of the importance and influence of the materials we clothe ourselves in.  And, as evidenced in Forsyth’s series, the tale being woven by our choices isn’t one just for our own ears, but a story we are telling to others, as well.

These plaid patterns, with their beginnings in Scottish highlands, were also once the domain of preppy yuppies in the 80s and grunge fashion in the 90s.  So with such a diverse background, what can we infer from these plaids?  Perhaps, due to the grid-like repeating pattern that the person who wears them is stable and the rock for all who know him.  Or maybe the intersecting lines tell us he enjoys connecting with others and for others.  The artist, in the variety of patterns, may be telling us how many very different sides she sees to the person with whom she has chosen to spend her life.

All of my inferences may be true or they may just be what I’m construing on my own.  But this series is obviously a labor of love.  Take it from another wife of a plaid-wearing husband.  To see more of Michelle Forsyth’s work, please visit her website.

All images are via the artist’s website.  Artist found via Two Coats of Paint.