Jim Deghand: Daughter Bonnie Bickel remembers weaving dad

An “eccentric” artist who grew up dirt poor in the United States before settling in Tasmania to join a “hippy commune” has died just months after publishing the latest edition of his book.

The daughter of a Tasmanian artist renowned for his weaving of tapestries and rugs says her dad, who died unexpectedly on Saturday aged 79 loved she and his three grandchildren “unconditionally”.

Jackey’s Marsh man James Deghand, who exhibited his unique creations for many years at Deloraine Creative Studios, passed away from a massive stroke despite being in rude health, daughter Bonnie Bickel told the Mercury.

She said her “eccentric” dad, who was born in Kansas in 1942 and grew up dirt poor – he “hated small-town country America” – emigrated to Australia in 1970 after being lured by an advertisement in the newspaper promising a better life down under.

Jim Deghand at his former Jackey’s Marsh residence, the ‘Hermitage’. Picture: File

He attended adult education classes at the Handspinners, Weavers and Dyers Guild in Melbourne, studying basic weaving, rug weaving and an off-loom experimental course, before another advertisement in Earth Garden Magazine brought him to Jackey’s Marsh to join a “hippy commune”.

“He lived here ever since, he called his place the ‘Hermitage’, no running water, no power, no car until he was 65, he was into the frugal life,” Ms Bickel said.

Ms Bickel said Mr Deghand, known to all as ‘Jim the Weaver’, had moved into an independent aged care unit in Deloraine just a month prior to his shock passing.

“He said, ‘It’s like living in a toy, you turn around and there’s these buttons you push them and amazing things happen,’ he was so excited, he’d just bought electric kettle, toaster and vacuum cleaner, we just returned some of them still in their boxes,” Ms Bickel said.

“He was going to three cafes a day, that’s what he liked to do.

“He was happy and relaxed, it would have been so nice to have a few more years.”

Ms Bickel said Mr Deghand shared a special moment with her eldest daughter, who is aged seven, the week before he died.

“He came over last Saturday, he brought (my daughter) a puzzle and I told him to wait for her birthday but he said, ‘No, I’m doing it now,’ and thank God he did,” she said.

“He was a proud dad and grandad.”

Deloraine Creative Studios director Sonja Grodski said Mr Deghand up until recently would take himself off into the mountains to find exotic plants to turn into natural dyes.

“He was quite renowned for what he did, he built it from a grassroots level,” Ms Grodski said.

“He started with traditional patterns but in later years he got quite inventive in that he made rugs with space and mountain themes, with his own huge loom and patterns.

“His work was extraordinary, there won’t be anything like it again.

“It’s a huge loss, the knowledge he had.”

The studio had been planning to launch the latest edition of his book, ‘The Fundamentals of Plant Dyeing’, prior to his death.

It’s understood the launch will now be held in September and act as a celebration of his unique life.

The studio said it would “create a memory wall highlighting his life, together with his extraordinary woven creations, and knowledge”.