Seasoned by Pepper - Unpredictability in Art

Seasoned by Pepper - Unpredictability in Art

BY Kelsey Sheppard

For Pepper, tie-dye is more than a craft—it’s a reflection of life itself. Her love of textile arts extends beyond tie-dye to crochet and quilting, which she enjoys alongside her mom. But tie-dye holds a special place in her heart. What began in 2010 as a summer activity during a girls’ weekend at the beach quickly became an annual tradition with childhood friends.

There was a lesson in that unpredictability during those early beach weekends. While Pepper and her friends were still learning the craft, they hung their freshly dyed shirts on her mother’s wooden fence—only to accidentally dye the fence along with them. The fence had to be pressure-washed. “We always have this life planned out, then life happens,” she says. “With tie dye, I love the small imperfections. It doesn’t matter how much you plan, it’s not going to come out exactly as you envisioned it, but it always comes out as art. It’s still beautiful and special.” That philosophy has followed Pepper throughout her life. She embraces the unpredictability of the process, allowing the colors and patterns to develop naturally.

Today, Pepper loves creating pieces for other people and would happily give most of her work away. What matters is having the freedom to create something uniquely suited to the person receiving it. She believes emotions can transfer into fabric, too, and will sometimes walk away from a project if she isn’t in the right headspace. Sense of connection is part of what she hopes to bring to private parties.

Rather than simply offering an activity, she wants people to create something they can take home —a tangible reminder of the day they made it. She hopes to explore ice dyeing, larger projects like tapestries and the history behind textile arts. Above all, she wants to keep sharing the uniqueness of tie-dye.“You can’t copy a tie dye,” she says. “When everything in the world is copy and paste, if you see two identical tie dyes, they’re mass produced.” For Pepper, the beauty is in the unknown. You make a plan, you do it, and whatever happens—happens. Somehow, it becomes art.