Category: The Journey

Make sense of the world

What were you doing on Monday, August 21, 2017? Did you get to see the eclipse?

I felt lucky to live 3 hours from Columbia, SC. This was a site of totality where the moon would cover the sun 100% for several minutes. It didn’t work out for me to be in this path, but I did get to see it as it crossed my neighborhood at about 96%.

Talking with people who witnessed it, some felt that it didn’t live up to the hype. I’m one of those who felt otherwise. I sensed something more in the air Monday afternoon. I cannot describe the vibes I was feeling. I was aware that during the apex the cicada’s became very loud and seemed in synch with their melody. I was, unfortunately, in a place where young children were playing and their sounds drowned out other details I might have detected. It didn’t get too dark here, but everything had this strange color. It seemed like I was wearing cheap brown sunglasses (cue: ZZtop).

Things seemed eerily surreal to me. Having experienced this, I can understand how ancient civilizations could have been confused and even scared. Before scientific study of the planets, we couldn’t predict anything to this level of accuracy. I might never have known the exact time of day I needed to be peering at the sky. This is why I love science and use it for creating my art. It helps me make sense of the world.

Make excuses

There are days when I wish I had more confidence. I’ve come a long way over the past decade, but I still haven’t eliminated self-doubt. I take comfort in knowing that I’m not alone. What I’ve learned is that I should own up to it and work through it. It’s like the book, “The Little Engine That Could.”

On those does that the negative speak takes hold, I remind myself to step back, take a breath and say, “I think I can.” Then I drive forward. “Onward>>” is my new personal catch phrase. Just don’t stop trying.
“I think I can.”

Yesterday was one of those days. I was struggling with some background quilting designs. I wanted to kick it up a notch, but each attempt didn’t give me the joy I was looking for in the quilt’s design. But I didn’t stop. I kept trying. Change the thread, change the pattern, change the attitude … “I know I can.”

By the end of the day, I felt the confidence and said, “I thought I could and I did.” Who knew it was as simple as a pre-school storybook? Always remember, in life we have 2 choices: *Make progress or *Make excuses.

 

SEE MY QUILT “Soar” at the 
Sacred Threads Exhibition
July 7, 2017 – July 23, 2017
Floris United Methodist Church, Herndon, VA
www.sacredthreadsquilts.org

How do you retire from that?

Last week I was given some good news which included a deadline. July is going to be busy month.

My primary mission right now is to keep the creative energy flowing while I continue on this journey. There are days I feel like I’m on fire with excitement; days where I just feel tired; and days where the energy is somewhere in-between. But with everything I feel, there’s always one constant…time.

Time moves quickly, that’s for sure. As I was flipping through photos last week, I was reminded of all that I’ve done and all that I have left to do. My brother and father both retired in their mid-50’s, but I feel like I haven’t even started yet. Actually, I don’t think I ever will retire. How do you retire from something that is your life’s work?

I’ve always had art and creativity in my life and I’ve always had textiles. I dream about it. I crave it. I feel lost when I’ve been away from it for more than a day. It is my life’s blood. How do you retire from that?

Dates on quilts

Right now my quilt “Soar” is in Herndon, Virginia waiting to be hung in the Sacred Threads Exhibit. I’m excited to be part of this biennial exhibit which is designed to convey spirituality, healing and inspirational messages without emphasizing any particular religion or theology. The concept of spirituality lives close to my heart as I travel this Earth looking for meaning.

After living with this quilt for awhile I decided to change it’s name from “Solar Worship” to “Soar.” Soar just fits what I see when I look at it. Because of the name change, I had to change the label before I took it to the shipper. I was also required to supply a formal appraisal of the quilt for insurance purposes. Well, that was a first for me.

We have a licensed quilt appraiser in the area, Jane Hall. Jane is known as the “Pineapple Queen” because she has written numerous books about making pieced quilts using the pineapple block (a variation of the log cabin block). She’s also kind of a rock star legend when it comes to quilting; she’s been on many of quilting tv shows and in many magazines. I’ve met her several times before and she even appraised some of the antique quilts that I own. She is an amazing lady. Very kind, talented, and knowledgeable. I really enjoyed my visit with Jane.

One thing she told me was that I need to date my quilts. Since I had to change the label anyway (name change), I decided to heed her advice and include the year made. Dating a quilt is important for historical records. Years from now someone viewing your quilt will wonder about you and the label/date will help them find out who you are.

I have some reservation about dating my quilts, but I do sign them.  Sadly, in today’s throw-away society, things that are “slightly old” aren’t valued as much as things that are “new and fresh.” I think if artwork is 10-20 years old, people view the piece as old fashion or out-dated. Jane knows best, so I added the date. But I wonder what you think about dates on quilts?

 

SEE MY QUILT “Soar” at the 
Sacred Threads Exhibition
July 7, 2017 – July 23, 2017
Floris United Methodist Church, Herndon, VA
www.sacredthreadsquilts.org

Laugh with life whenever possible

I believe we learn lessons about life from situations we’re placed in. We can also learn alot by watching how others handle situations. I’ve been learning a lot the past few weeks as I witness 2 friends battle cancer. They are both amazing women, creative and funny. They make me laugh; I love that about them. Because of their sense of human and strong character, they are both facing their diagnosis with positive and determined ways. They are powerful to watch.

Shortly after receiving her diagnosis, one of my friends made a promise to her husband to clear out her stash before she dies. She didn’t want to leave him with this burden. She held to her promise and organized her things, then invited people to come “adopt” her craft supplies. “Take all that you want and use it,” she told us with a big smile. It gave her great joy to see her things go to people who would love and appreciate what she had. I don’t know that I would be so organized and determined after receiving such news.

I surely don’t need more fabric, but I did go “adobpt” a few things and brought home a mascot. This funky hedgehog is truly special to me. It will remind me of the strong character, grace and humor of my friend. It will also remind me to love what I do, give graciously, and laugh with life whenever possible.

 

 

SEE MY QUILT “Soar” at the 
Sacred Threads Exhibition
July 7, 2017 – July 23, 2017
Floris United Methodist Church, Herndon, VA
www.sacredthreadsquilts.org

This one may take awhile

A part of creating original designs is figuring out how to accomplish them. I always say I have a huge tool box [of ideas and resources] I can use for my art. The ideas don’t always work as planned. Its OK, because sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t.

Right now, I have an idea that’s pretty solid in my head.  I want to create an art quilt using a photo I took at Muir Woods. First I need to make the background. I want it to appear as if the sun is beaming through the trees. I want to use pieced wedges of fabrics. Brilliant idea … I “think.”

Well the bugger is I don’t have a lot of yellow fabric. So, I went shopping at NC Quilt Symposium 2 weeks ago. They usually have some great vendors … not so this year. Sadness.

So, then I decide to use what’s already in my stash and make it work. Yes… Yes… I think I can do this. I spent an entire day cutting, piecing and sewing (remember I’m not using a pattern). I’m confident its looking good … but … not … so … fast. The final outcome failed. More sadness. The piece is not large enough to cut square and get the effect I desired. I don’t have enough yellow fabric to try again. The nearest fabric store is an hour away. With this “trial” run, I’m sure the idea will work, but I’m stuck until I can get out of town and go fabric shopping. Even then, there’s no guarantee that the store’s fabric selection will work with my idea.

I’m not defeated…just feeling challenged at the moment. I will get this one done, but for now its on hold. Sometimes that’s just the way it goes … this one may take awhile.

The force is with you

Several years ago, I took a class given by textile artist, Dottie Moore. I was immediately drawn to her spiritual interpretation of creativity. I noticed as she walked around the classroom meeting students that she would stop and ask them thought provoking questions. Her question to me was “What’s holding you back?”

Recently, I’ve been reminded of this question and it has me thinking. I’m moving forward on my path, setting goals and executing them. But, goodness it seems slow moving some days. What’s going on with that? Every now and then, it’s good to ask yourself questions like this. Do you have a good answer?

Sure, I could answer the question by laying blame on all the outside forces impacting my life. But really? If I wanted it bad enough, wouldn’t I just get to it?  What really is really holding me back? The answer, to be honest, is … me.

That’s the key, you know. When we question what we think is holding us back, we’re likely to realize that its in own power to change the situation. AhHa! So there lies the magic of Dottie’s question. It’s like Star Wars and Luke Skywalker … “Luke, the force is with you.”

Emotions into a quilt

Last week I took a trip to visit my aunt in the San Francisco area. I use to visit a lot when I was younger. As I grew older, I had fewer opportunities to visit. Most of my visits as an adult kept me close to Silicone Valley. If you know the area, you know that it has it’s own distinct beauty, but it is also very congested with humans. Last week I visited Marin County, which, too, is over-populated, but contains some hidden natural gems; namely Muir Woods and Mt. Tamalpais.

Considering all the rain they’ve had the past few months, we were blessed with sunny weather each day. On one of these sun-filled days we took a drive up to Mt. Tamalpais. I was impressed with the vast mountainscapes (or as Californians would call them hillscapes) we discovered so near the urban sprawl. State and National Parks secure the forested lands and it was all breath-taking.

On our way down-hill, we made a side trip to Muir Woods National Monument. I don’t recall ever visiting this magical place before. As we strolled along the trails, I was overcome with awe over the gigantic Sequoia sempervirens. These trees, commonly known as the Redwoods, are massive and endangered specimens.

I don’t often have experiences like this, but I truly felt it was a spiritual encounter. I totally understand how John Muir (the monument’s namesake) viewed nature as a form of religion.

In some respects, the spiritual nature of my experience revolved around my concern over the continual loss of habit. My feelings were also due to the sheer size of these trees, reaching up to 380ft tall and 30ft in diameter; I felt small. It takes time to grow to this size, these trees are known to live 1200 to 1800 (or more) years old. I am very sure that the spirits I felt were greatly due to the age of these trees. They witnessed many evolutions of this coastal region. They emitted an energy and seemed powerfully wise, but I’m afraid few people actually stopped to listen.

Now that I’m home, I’m processing all of this and trying to figure out how I will interpret these emotions into a quilt.

 

The sky’s the limit

Yesterday I had the opportunity to give a lecture at my quilt guild. I’ve given public presentations before, but never a lecture about my art. It was quite an interesting experience.

For this presentation, I focused on my artistic journey. I spoke about how my early interest in natural sciences has revolved back into my life in the form of art quilts. It was fun to reflect, but most importantly it was important for me to relate my story to my audience’s own personal journey.

We’re all on a journey. Each new experience is something we can learn from. I believe, as humans, we are constantly growing and becoming better at whatever we do in our lives. I wonder sometimes how many people realize this. I think the realization comes from self-evaluation. My philosophy is that, in order to see the change, it’s important to reflect on who you were and where you came from.

I’ve found that many people compare themselves with others. I’ve heard many people state that they can never be as good as another. By sharing my story and reflecting on where I came from, they saw that my skills took time to develop. I didn’t suddenly start making art quilts. My reward was … I think they got it! They saw I struggled and got frustrated, but I continued to experiment and learn. That’s all I really hope. When someone says they can’t, I hope to encourage them that they can. The sky’s the limit.

See it

This week I am working on a lecture I’m giving next week. My topic is about my artistic journey, from wildlife biologist to art quilter.

It’s fun to reminisce a little, but it’s also pretty empowering to see how my journey through life led me here. I’ve worn many hats in my life, but there’s always been two things consistent; my love of nature and sewing. Early in life I wanted to be a environmentalist. I studied natural science and wildlife biology in college.

Later in life, I dreamt of being an artist. While following this dream, I pursued many different artistic styles. It was only recently that I had the epiphany that my love of nature was evident in most things that I created. It was my artistic voice and youthful passions demanding to be heard.

My take-home lesson from this journey, is just keep trying. If art is your passion, then keep making art. If the results turn out good or bad, who cares? Just keep doing it! You will learn only by doing and exploring. Your artistic voice/style will eventually appear. Also, be sure to add some personal reflection.  Like me, maybe your voice/passion has always been there, patiently waiting for you to see it.