Gwendolyn Hustvedt – Author

Groundwork: Art Honoring the Aquifers

What lies beneath shapes what we become.

In Groundwork, textile artist and educator Gwendolyn Hustvedt presents a series of fifteen silk banners that illuminate the unseen foundations of life: underground water systems, root networks, and layers of meaning woven through geology, ecology, and myth.

Using the Serti silk painting method, Hustvedt channels the movement of dye much like the flow of water through limestone—revealing vibrant scenes inspired by the Edwards Aquifer, the San Marcos River, and the archetypal landscapes of collective memory. Each banner is paired with a deeply personal and reflective essay, offering insight into the ecological, symbolic, and emotional layers beneath the surface.

This book invites readers into a contemplative journey—across time, through sediment, and into the interior landscapes of both place and psyche.