Nancy Brunner
Hello. I started gardening years ago, planting myriad flowers and plants. Later, I was invited to be on the Leila Arboretum Society Garden Tour (located in Battle Creek, MI, USA). Twice! I love to create with my hands, so eight years ago, I took up crocheting. I taught myself how to crochet by watching YouTube videos. I got "hooked". I've done everything from hats, blankets, and animals, then was drawn to create vibrant sea life. It’s another way to create a bountiful garden albeit, an underwater one, that thankfully requires no watering or weeding!
In the Fall of 2023, I was one of 50+ artists selected for the inaugural multimedia exhibit of "Be A Water Hero!" at the Art Center of Battle Creek, MI, USA which was co-produced and curated by a mermaid affair - celebration of water LLC. I was invited to display my crocheted coral and marine creatures because they convey the beauty of coral, the bleaching of the reefs as they perish due to changes in our global environment, and the urgent need to help protect and conserve both the coral itself and its ecosystem.
About Me
In keeping with an environmental theme, I typically use leftover yarn or ribbons to make different types of coral, like grooved brain coral or along with a few representatives of the millions of species that call coral reefs “home” like lobsters, jellyfish, seahorses, sponges, and sea turtles. Repeating stitches over and over is calming, and it is a joy to make the marine life "come alive".
Artwork
I appreciate coral reefs and all the life they enable, now more than ever. Realizing that I'm one of thousands of caring people all over the globe, using their talents to bring awareness to the beauty, ecosystem, and plight of coral reefs is inspiring.
Click the link here to see the famous and mind-boggling international crocheted coral reef project initiated by sisters and co-authors, Christine and Margaret Wertheim. called the "Value and Transformation of Corals".
