tapestries
sum parts
when i started working in felt, a dear friend—kb—generously commissioned a piece from me. after some discussion about what she wanted—a little of this and a little of that—this series was born. in the original piece i used scraps from old pieces that had already been stitched. this gave each panel its own personality. when it all came together, the tap-estry felt eclectic, playful and balanced.
when kb saw the final product, her therapist's mind saw the myriad parts of a self, stitched together to create a whole being. this concept continues to inspire me to create more wholes that are made up of unique parts.
sum parts, deconstructed
pods
i stole the pod from quilter sherri lynn wood. (my daughter tells me i should say i was inspired by wood, but who would i be kidding?) i found it in a book of modern quilts and knew i needed to make it.
for woods, it's a pedal, for me, it's a seed pod.
i have a thing for pods. i still remember a shiny dark brown pod shaped like a dollar size pancake that i found and pocketed on a west african beach in the last millennium.
when i started to put these pods together, i imagined the seed being my truth, my authenticity. i imagined all the layers of the pod protecting my truth from the outside world.
then i started to wonder why the truth needs so much protection.
remnants
about 90% of the felt i buy is either remnant or end-of-bolt. i am worried about waste, so making my pieces out of someone else's dregs appeals to me.
as i create and experiment, i end up with a lot of scraps which i collect to use in future projects. as i said, i worry about waste.
the remnants series was born of this concern. i found myself with lots of same-colored circles in my scrap bin. as i pieced them together, i found the the products to be both ele-gant and quirky. the ele-gance in their monochro-matic and clean nature and quirky in the shapes that came out of the fitted circles.
i felt that my successful attempts occurred when the pieces achieved a sense of balance.
cracked open
there are times when i walk through this world feeling like i am wearing impenetrable armor. feelings don't come in or go out. i lose connection to community, friends and family and feel very much alone.
when this happens i crave connection and belonging. I want to see and be seen. i want to shed my armor. i want to be cracked open.
during one of these moments, i created this series. i photographed sidewalk cracks for inspiration. bits of green emerging through concrete to receive light, water and air. small cracks spider webbing and growing larger.
