loose ends

various fibers, hemp and linen paper

we are connected to others

through a tapestry of place and time.

before us are the ancestors - of all living things

and earth forms.

beside us are family, friends, the global community

and all that grows and exists.

after us is the future we help to (hope to) honor, create and preserve.

mjd - 2013

loose ends are not things left unaccounted for -

at least, they don't have to be.

give them purpose.

like hands reaching out

or a rope thrown to a drowning person,

they are available and willing

to any being who needs them.

creating ties where none existed before. 

finding the thread

i saw pieces of myself strewn about the floor... in some i could identify moments of completeness, but alone they were frail and fleeting... 

somewhere lies a thread to reunite them...

to make me whole again... 

points of departure

'if there were only one truth,
you couldn't paint a hundred canvases on the same theme.'

- pablo picasso

one of the things i find so fascinating is how people can do so many different things with the same components... it is fun to watch from a distance, it can feel like pressure sometimes when it's your toes on the line... because you don't want to overstep... i feel like the abs monthly challenges really highlight this - with theme, not materials as the common denominator... i love to see how each person designs something that really is reflective of their style...

then styles evolve... luckily the glass makers, ceramicists, metal smiths, etc. are changing too - and i find that pushes me... sometimes i intentionally buy pieces that i have no idea what to do with but am drawn to... some of my favorite designs have come from components that made me take my time... sometimes 6 months worth of time, just hovering around in my consciousness, waiting...

over the winter, i purchased a wooden tool called a lucet (the word is latin for 'is shining')... it dates back to the vikings and was used by them to make cord that is four-sided and flat... the effect can be changed by the threads you choose, how many you use, etc... i had also purchased some lampwork beads that i just couldn't work into anything in a way that felt right to me... the lucet arrived, i bought yarn & made a length... but i still couldn't figure out what to do with it... so i put it all away...

recently the lucet started calling to me, reminding me that it was right there patiently awaiting my attention... and those beautiful beads... so yesterday morning i decided to try something... this is a first attempt... i love mixed media & how the threads look with the brown vintaj... things that are woven draw me because that process is eons old...