The sweetness of completion
Burnt Offerings, work in progress
Over this past productive summer, I completed several long-term projects that have been ongoing for 3 to 5 years. The Marking Time series features 180 collaged and stitched teabags, one for each day between New York State’s shelter-at-home orders during the Covid pandemic in March 2020 and the federal announcement that Covid-19 vaccines would be free of charge.
Reclamation
Burnt Offerings investigates loss, memory and human fragility. It is composed of sheets of skin-like, handmade abaca paper (18"h x 15"w), each with rows of individual burn marks. Started during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is an attempt to visualize the mind-boggling number of deaths reported. Thousands upon thousands of holes were burnt into fragile paper creating an archive of lives lost; each death created a ragged hole in loved ones’ lives. Over 120 abaca sheets, each with 570 to 718 individual burn marks, were necessary to record the over 80,000 New York deaths due to Covid-19 between March 2020 and April 2023.
Lastly, I completed Reclamation; a tea bag quilt comprised of hundreds of hand-dyed stitched tea bags. Symbolizing comfort, the teabags while frail on their own were stitched into a strong quilt of comfort; providing protection, warmth, and holding memories.
Time to play and explore
It is immensely satisfying to see these projects through completion. Afterwards I experience an artistic lull. Part of the cyclic rhythms of taking the world in, incubating, filtering, sifting and settling, until the fragile sprouts of new ideas percolate to the surface and emerge. During this time, I explore, gather creative energy, and experiment with processes and materials.
“I allow my spirit to expand through looking at art, being outside in the natural world, enjoying the sensory delights of summer...”
work in progress
In June, I took an amazing clay and paper sculpture workshop with Rebecca Hutchinson. I took a papermaking workshop with Rebecca years ago and know her to be a knowledgeable and generous teacher. I learned how to use adobe (clay, water, hay and glue) to make large-scale but light sculptures. I made three oversized birds’ nests based on regional birds’ nests in my area: The Baltimore Oriole, Robin Redbreast and Ovenbird. These are large-scale, from 24” across by 8” deep robin’s nest to the 38” tall and 24” wide Oriole nest. I plan to use these as part of an outdoor installation this spring.
In August I took a one-day Shibori dying class with Leni Hoch. I blissfully spent the day elbow-deep in dyes and silk learning different methods to create various patterns, using resist dying, discharging and re-dying, using pvc pipes, string, elastic ties and thread.
Taking it all in
In these workshops, I always enjoy seeing how participants using the same materials, create unique work from one another. They are spaces where I dabble in new processes, materials, and ideas. I try to be patient with the not-knowing, I allow my spirit to expand through looking at art, being outside in the natural world, enjoying the sensory delights of summer, the kaleidoscopic color, rich light of long days, sensual tastes of ripe peaches and tomatoes.
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