Artist Laurie Swim Sews up a Storm

Artist Laurie Swim Sews up a Storm
Surrounded by silk organza, sari silk yarn, and hand-dyed threads, Laurie works in her studio. She offers workshops in her studio, sharing techniques with other artists.

Text by Tovah Martin | Photography by Kindra Clineff

Artist Laurie Swim translates Canadian seascapes into Shimmering textiles.

Laurie Swim knows every subtlety of the seacoast. She learned every ripple of the water growing up in the little fishing town of Lockeport, Nova Scotia. “It’s actually an island, connected to the mainland by a half-mile-long white sand beach,” Laurie says. “My family goes back four or five generations in the town; we’re related to the original Lockes.” From her ancestors she claims to have gained a subliminal connection with the water, knowing its gentle moods as well as its fierce wrath. When Laurie thinks of home, bright seaside shanties and masts come to mind—instead of backyards, she sees boulders and barnacles.