Donna Lee Dowdney of Bainbridge Island will be one of the exhibitors at the Gail Harker Creative Studies Center in La Conner.

Her projects present her work in textiles on two themes: “Variations on the Dance of Life” and “Fractals.”

“My designs explode, implode, encircle, spiral, branch and wander through space,” Dowdney said of “Variations on the Dance of Life.”

“They simulate the universe at a microscopic level. DNA strands unfurl as organic growth and cellular images spiral upward from sea beds. Underwater creatures writhe and struggle to break barriers. My invented biological microcosm zooms in on variations of life’s dance,” she said. “I look at the turbulent, irregular, twisting flow patterns and complexity at the cellular level. I use dense stitching, dye, and paint to make the textiles reveal light, shadow, movement, and color in the Dance of Life.”

For “Fractals,” she developed fractal designs on her computers for several years.

“Fractals are complex geometric designs generated through mathematical formulas,” Dowdney explained.

“Nature reveals itself in fractal structures so that the design of an atom looks similar to the design of a galaxy. Fractals capture my imagination as I create the designs on my computer to explode into the infinite universe and implode to microscopic size. Then I print the designs on fabric and use embroidery and beading to enhance the designs.”