Textile Art & Fine Craft
Tiny art work in a garden gallery. I long for local art shows when the supporters of the arts dress up to celebrate innovative, creative work. My Board of Directors ( dolls, action figures, inanimate friends collected over decades) encouraged me to prepare work to show in our garden this summer. The abstract collection features … Continue reading Celebrate Small (July 4, 2020)
Three handcrafted wooden stools work in our home. Today they tell me to choose a summer that is a mix of work and rest. I struggle to overcome pandemic inertia; canceled events cleared the calendar of interaction but I have commissions to complete. The white stool was made by my grandfather when I was a … Continue reading Summer Solstice: Three Simple Stools
Inspired by the bounty of garden produce in August and September, I created a stack of dyed and printed fabric on warm sunny days. On rainy days, I trimmed select fabric into squares and finished the edges. I call them furoshiki (Japanese cloths for wrapping and carrying objects). The squares debut this weekend at Oak … Continue reading Furoshiki, Table Cloth, Sewist Stash
What is good art? Let me rephrase that: what is effectual art? I am filled with joy when one of my works evokes touch. Of course, I am filled with horror if the viewer is reaching out with hands that have just touched chocolate. I had lunch with a friend last week at The Village at Orchard … Continue reading Art to Touch
Providence. Not Rhode Island. Divine Providence. I had not intellectually encountered the concept until my friend Susan shared ideas from her seminary training about 15 years ago. And I periodically ruminate on them. This week I heard them in my pastor's sermon. I am preparing food for a church council supper this evening. I could … Continue reading A Bowl of Providence
I entered the aisle for fabric paints and saw a puzzled woman with silk shoes in her hand. I turned to the next aisle, paused, and came back to the woman. "What are you thinking about? You obviously are searching for a solution." Her face questioned me. I piped up, "I am a textile artist. … Continue reading Assisting Cinderella
My walking partner asked me today if I use all the rooms in my small house for studio work. Here is the bathroom three hours later. This is not an unusual scene.
I start most mornings sipping coffee in bed with little light for nearly an hour. I began this practice when I was a single parent of 3 adolescents. It continues to serve me well, although I periodically think I should wean myself off of this luxury of time.Last Wednesday I had a very busy day planned, including … Continue reading Practice: sitting quietly
Today my hands rinse strawberries in a bowl with holes. I know the farmer who raised the berries. I know the potter who fashioned the berry bowl. This is the community I have been seeking. I pop a berry in my mouth. I recall William Morris's Strawberry Thief. I value the decorative arts, creative expressions … Continue reading June Morning
Fresh. Daily. From the Coop. One of my first jobs growing up was to gather eggs. Since that opportunity to become appreciative of the role of the egg on the farm, the egg has evolved into a personal metaphor for creativity. Today I live in a small house that was a chicken coop in … Continue reading How Do You Like Your Eggs?