As I sit ironing yards and yards of hand-dyed fabric my mind wanders, over this past few days I have been wondering about the influences that have been most important to my work. My daughter and a good friend of hers noted years ago that I am happiest when "near" water....they loved to tease me whenever we headed south to the Gulf, but they just did not realize how they had hit the nail on the head. They knew me so well. I love the water.....lakes, rivers, oceans...it really doesn't matter, just the peace that comes from being near a body of water is enough for me.
Lake Superior, Duluth, MN.
Frequently, my work depicts water, it just happens. It seems that my hands go to work and before I know it; blues, muddy greens begin to emerge. Sometimes I am surprised by how quickly my hands/mind go there....but over the last several years I have come to realize that it is who "I" am.
Lake in northern Minnesota
As you can see the evergreens of the northern woods also emerge, they are part of my soul. I was brought up to appreciate, respect and love nature. To be a caretaker is as important to me as it is to pass along an appreciation of this beautiful country. I think I am succeeding as my grandson now feels that it is an important part of his summer to make the trip north to the lake and upon arriving runs for the dock, breathes deeply and says "it is so good to be back....I love it here".
Gulf Coast, Sarasota, FL
The seagulls have also begun to surface in my work over the last several years, along with sea oats and the grasses found on the dunes along the Gulf Coast. To feed my soul a trip south to the beach works wonders mid-winter when I begin to notice myself craving the feel of the sand beneath my feet, the warmth of the sun on my skin, the need to fill my mind with all the shades of blue I can see to bank in my "minds eye". That color....referred to as "sky blue" will forever take my breath away, as will what seems like the layers of blues I view across the water's surface.
Carmel and Big Sur, CA
Since returning to the west coast a few years ago for a quilt show, I have found another favorite place to feed my soul. When I was a teen my family took a road trip to California, my memories from then do not match those of a trip we took with our kids when they were in elementary school....I loved the ruggedness of the western coast line. Returning several years ago reinforced my love affair with the central California coast and I have found myself back there many times of late. That feeling I get while there has surfaced in our work, over and over, sometimes quite simply with just a simple branch, but it creates in me a feeling of peacefulness.
Years ago I was asked for an artist statement to accompany my work for an exhibit I had been juried into, at the time I struggled to write those words. Now I realize that the statement about my work being influenced my "nature" was so very true. However, I have come to realize that it is even more specific than that...."water and trees" are at the very core of who I am. In order to survive each day I need to fill the "well" periodically throughout the year with time in my favorite places in order to keep producing work that make me feel at peace within.
I hope that each of you have such a place that is important to you and your work.
Thanks for stopping by.
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