Since I was a child I have found that working with my hands, with natural elements, fibers, plants, stones, water as well as gardening, cooking, knotting, weaving brings me the deepest peace and healing. Brooms are essential to one's home. I remember vividly my grandmothers using the besom made of twigs and my mom using large goose or duck wings to sweep the fireplace hearths. When I sit down to make or create something, I become more embodied, and the stresses of trying to just simply be in this modern industrialized world begin to fade away. In these moments I can feel the way my ancestors would sit, pray, sing and laugh together while doing this work. I can see the magic and beauty that can be woven into our everyday tools and materials and how that deeply gives life to our spirits. My two girls, Sophie and Thea, forage for my broom sticks in our forest or on the Catskill aqueduct, which they follow by a session of carving.  

The horsehair that I use for brooms comes from several Native American gatherers. They collect expired animals who have either become victims to roadkill, starvation in the winter months, die of old age or hunted for food. The Native Americans hold all animals high and believe all the parts of the animal are useful for many purposes. 

Broomcorn (Sorghum vulgare) originally comes from Africa, but can be grown here in the States and in South America.  

Ixtle, also known by the trade name Tampico fiber, is a stiff plant fiber obtained from a number of Mexican plants, chiefly species of Agave and Yucca.

Poliana is an educator, broom maker, fiber artist who enjoys living in Hudson River Valley, NY and loves working with whatever the plants gift her, and everyone. Originally from Romania, Poliana watched her parents and grandparents working in the gardens, teaching in school and spinning/weaving rugs with the wool from their sheeps. She has Bachelor’s/Master's degrees in Landscape Design / Horticulture from Romania, Netherlands and New York Botanical Garden  and she has had the privilege to take weaving, broom making, knotting, plant dyeing classes with different well-known, internationalartists at fiber studios: Textile Art Center in Brooklyn / Manhattan, Fiber Craft Studio in Spring Valley and other Art Studios.