weavings
weaver
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fermentation nerd
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hobby farmer
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weaver • fermentation nerd • hobby farmer •
My goals as textile artist and wool producer are to celebrate interconnectivity, moments of slowness, touch, and the satisfaction I find in the materiality of fibers. Combining my practice as a weaver with my lifestyle as a small-scale shepherd allows me to engage in holistic practice that brings natural and second-hand materials through the entirety of their life cycle. Thoughtful collection of discarded fiber stashes, environmental practices around dyes, and supporting local wool production allows me to invite others into this practice through conversation, workshops, community, and other events. I create woven abstractions of living communities and networks so that people may slow down and reflect on physical processes and material sources to better appreciate what they cannot see. Source imagery that inspires these abstractions often comes from microbial communities that aggregate during the fermentation process; these tiny communities facilitate the recycling of all the basic materials in our world, which I find both inspiring and fascinating. Through playful uses of color, pattern, and textures, I hope to pass my sense of awe on to the viewer while at the same time creating an object that serves as both a metaphor and a stilled enactment of these processes.
feed it
〰️
love it
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shear it
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wash it
〰️
pick it
〰️
card it
〰️
spin it
〰️
ply it
〰️
skein it
〰️
dye it
〰️
ball it
〰️
wind it
〰️
warp it
〰️
weave it
〰️
feed it 〰️ love it 〰️ shear it 〰️ wash it 〰️ pick it 〰️ card it 〰️ spin it 〰️ ply it 〰️ skein it 〰️ dye it 〰️ ball it 〰️ wind it 〰️ warp it 〰️ weave it 〰️
A Note about Titles
You may notice many titles written in chemical language. These titles are constructed, false imitations of realities, made by adapting polypeptide shorthand to spell words. A title is at best, a small, second artwork for those who take the time to look.
Why Polypeptide Chains?
Because theres nothing better than watching an excited scientist in a gallery, decoding the letters in a title to read it.
Handwoven wall hangings
Locally & thoughtfully sourced materials that will bring lasting warmth to your walls
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Coextending
Double Width, Handwoven Jacquard
Jacob’s wool & secondhand cotton, wool
54” x 79”
2025
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Shepherd
Handwoven Jacquard
Jacobs wool & secondhand cotton, wool
29” x 39”
2025
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MI-K5336, Potato
Jacob’s wool & secondhand cotton, wool
39” x 17” x 2”
2025
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Pitch
Handwoven Jacquard
Jacob’s wool & secondhand cotton, wool - Doublewoven
28” x 42”
2025
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Shared Starter
Double Width, Handwoven Jacquard
Jacob’s wool & secondhand cotton, wool
40” x 11” x 2”
2025
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[Wool]
Locally sourced, hand dyed & handspun wool.
102” x 180” x 6”
2024
(Privately comissioned)
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Point. As in: what's the point, point twill, get to the point
Indigo & black walnut on Icelandic wool
28” x 32”
2024
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After the Disco: Isabel's warp
wool & cotton
14” x 16”
2025
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Waiting for Lambs
Merino wool, Mohair
84” x 9”
2025
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Plates 1 - 9
Wool, cotton & polyester mill ends, map tacks, secondhand hardwood frames
Dimensions Vary
2022-23
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Abyant or interphase
Handwoven Jacquards
Cotton, Polyester, Handspun Wool, andRayon Mill Ends
41” x 48”
2021
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[Firma Calva]
Cotton, wool, polyester & mill ends
37″ x 37″
2021, Hand woven
(privately owned)
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Lunch Blanket with Animalcules
Second Hand Wool, mohair & pillow inserts
2022
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[mira(b)elleplum]
42” x 50”
Second hand wool
Hand woven Jacquard
2022
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A Tondo and a Petri Dish
Cotton, Wool and Polyester Mill Ends, Barrel Hoop
28” x 28” x 2″
2020
(Privately owned)
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A Microbe and a Moon
Cotton and Wool Mill Ends, Whiskey Barrel Hoop
23” x 23” x 2″
2020
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Animalcule, Atlas
Handwoven Jacuqrd
Cotton, Wool and Polyester Mill Ends, Wine Barrel Hoop
28” x 28” x 2″
2021
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A Eukaryote and a Ewe
Cotton, Wool and Polyester Mill Ends, Wine Barrel Hoop
28” x 28” x 2″
2020
(Privately Owned)
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A Eukaryote and a Ewe, Two
Cotton, Wool and Polyester Mill Ends, Wine Barrel Hoop
28” x 28” x 2″
2020
(Privately owned)
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Persistant Bodies
Handwoven Jacquard
Cotton, Handspun Wool, Mohair and Polyester Mill Ends, Wine Barrel Hoop
28” x 28” x 2″
2021
(Privately owned)
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Pellicle Cartography
Handwoven Jacquard
Cotton, Hand Spun Wool, Mohair, & Mill Ends
36.5 x 80, 2021
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Animalcule II
Handwoven Jacquard
Cotton, Hand Spun Wool, Mohair, & Mill Ends
36.5 x 56,
2021
(Privately owned)
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Glacier
Handwoven Jacquard
Cotton and Mohair
8"x36.5"
2021
(Privately owned)
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Clone
Handwoven Jacquard
Cotton, Hand Spun Wool, Mohair, & Mill Ends
36.5” x 70”
2021
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Solar Wind
36” x 39”
Handspun wool, Second-Hand wool & Acrylic, Mohair, and Cotton
Hand Woven Jacquard
2021
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Trüb
Handwoven Jacquard
37"x31"
Cotton, wool
2021
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Earth Pellicle
Handwoven Jacquard
Cotton, Hand Spun Wool, Mohair, & Mill Ends
36.5 x 56,
2021
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Animalcule
Handwoven Cotton & nylon
45″ x 36″
2019
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Animalcules
Handwoven Cotton, Wool
40”x 41”
2020
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Propagation Cultures
Quilted Handwoven Jacquards & Commercial cotton fabrics
62” x 43”
2019
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Specimens (sample)
Wool, Cotton, Polyester Mill-Ends,
Size variable (Individuals measure 4” x 4”)
2020
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Self Portrait
33” x 12”
Cotton and Rayon Mill Ends
2019
(Privately owned)
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Growth Pattern II
Indigo dyed Cotton & Mill-Ends
7”x8”
2020
(Privately owned)
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Growth Pattern
Indigo Dyed Cotton, wool
7″ x 7.5″
2020
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Local Cultures
Handwoven, Crochet
Wool, Jute, natural Dyes, salvaged Copper wire
51” x 70” x 10” (size variable)
2019-2021
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[(b)rettanomyces]
59.296, 18.088
Handwoven Jacquard
Cotton, Polyester, Wool, Rayon Mill Ends
42” x 66”
2019
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[Saccaromyces]
Handwoven Jacquard
Cotton, Polyester, Cotton & Wool Mill Ends
83” x 16′ 8”
2020
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[Pichia]
Spontaneous Fermentation in a hollowed Spruce tree.
Culture overtaken by Penicillium
Cotton, Polyester, Cotton & Wool Mill Ends
65” x 80”
2019, Hand woven Jacquard
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[Honeycom(b)]
Handwoven Jacquard
Cotton, Polyester Mill Ends
83” x 41”
2019
(Privately owned)
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[Dekkera] II
Handwoven Jacquard
Cotton, Polyester & Rayon Mill Ends
41.25” x 56”
2019
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[(b)rettanomyces]
Handwoven Jacquard
Cotton, Polyester Mill Ends
41”x48”
2018
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[dekkera] II
Handwoven Jacquard
Cotton, Wool
42” x 54”
2019
BiTS & BOBS:
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Super Squish Shawl
100% handwoven wool & chaos
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Framed Fragments
Shadowbox framed sample textile from a larger woven work
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Hair Fancies
Over the top handwoven scrunchies for big vibes
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![Red Tshirt with handwoven chest pocket]()
Candy Apple (S) Woven Pocket T-shirt
Thrifted t-shirt with hand woven square stitched on as a pocket!
Please note that because each shirt is second-hand, it will include minimal signs of wear.
All Shirts include GPG (Great Pyrenees Glitter) — aka: if dog hair freaks you out, wash immediately. We do our best, but our four legged studio assistants always out-do us.
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Kiwi (M) Woven Pocket T-shirt
Thrifted t-shirt with hand woven square stitched on as a pocket!
Please note that because each shirt is second-hand, it will include minimal signs of wear.
All Shirts include GPG (Great Pyrenees Glitter) — aka: if dog hair freaks you out, wash immediately. We do our best, but our four legged studio assistants always out-do us.
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![Bright Blue Tshirt with hand woven pocket]()
Sapphire (M) Woven Pocket T-shirt
Thrifted t-shirt with hand woven square stitched on as a pocket!
Please note that because each shirt is second-hand, it will include minimal signs of wear.
All Shirts include GPG (Great Pyrenees Glitter) — aka: if dog hair freaks you out, wash immediately. We do our best, but our four legged studio assistants always out-do us.
who the hell is
RACHEL-BEAN.
Rachel received her Bachelors of Fine Arts from The Penny W. Stamps School of Art and Design at The University of Michigan in 2013 and her Masters in Studio Arts from the Fibers and Materials Studies Department at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2020. She is a co-founding member of Abstract Lunch Gallery since 2019 and a Co-Owner of Fiber Fleet since 2021. Rachel and Mr. Rachel (aka Nick) own five acres together which is lovingly named Fluffybutt Homestead. Since 2014 they have had a goal of growing 50% of their food, Natural Dye plants - an indigo vat named Bert, as well as raising Pygora Goats, Jacob Sheep, Icelandic Sheep, Chickens, Ducks, Turkeys, Bees, Rabbits, and no shortage of fluffy dogs.
Rachel Elizabeth Meyers Bean Hefferan. Thats me!
In Summer of 1991, a tiny Rachel was born during the festival of the arts in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Soon after her parents lovingly deemed her “Rachel-Bean-the-Drama-Queen” - which in the decades followed was shortened to Bean, a nickname used by loved ones, colleagues, and even a few regulars at the bar Bean slings beer at part time.
Rachel is an organized, avid, maximalist with a love for bright color. She is an overflowing cup, or some days just a puddle, of empathy.
Curious about Abstract Lunch Gallery? Want to buy some sustainable wool goods or check out a little environmental & textile based education from Fiber Fleet? Maybe you are on the hunt for some Duck eggs from Fluffybutt Homestead? Links Galore, Below!
Links to the other stuff Rachel Does
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ABSTRACT LUNCH
GIMME ARTIST RUN SPACE
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FiBER FLEET
GIMME WOOLY GOODS
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FLUFFYBUTT HOMESTEAD
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FEED FUND