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Apr 30, 2024

What’s the Connection?

On waking each morning I meditate for 23.5 minutes (a TM practice) as a way to connect with myself before interacting with others. I then take in an uplifting page from my daily reader which helps open up my connection to the world beyond my own thoughts. Then, as a reward for my spiritual perseverance, I dive into solving the NY Times Connections puzzle. I immediately send my results to a fellow puzzler.

I do this:
1) to keep my brain agile and
2) to stay connected with my good friend, Barbara, who usually completes hers later in the day.

The categories can be brilliant, frustrating, ridiculous, or satisfying. It’s the exchange with a BFF that seals the experience.

This practice got me thinking about how connections play a part in my life. When my daughter sent me the obituary notice for Faith Ringgold last month, my heart sank. Even though this artist lived till 93 and had a retrospective in NYC in 2022, I felt a keen loss because I’d had a personal connection to her.

I wrote about our bond in my book, Soul Proprietor, because her interest in my art (Ukrainian Easter eggs at the time) and her inspirational suggestion led me to a product design that launched at the New York Gift Show 18 months later. Even though we hadn’t been in touch for many years, her mentorship was deeply meaningful.


Currently, outside of human beings, my greatest connection is to my art. If I’m going to be 100% honest, it occasionally eclipses my need for people.

I’m in love with what I’m doing. Sometimes, I’d rather sit in my creative space instead of cook, clean, or write this newsletter. I just want to thread a needle with brightly colored Perle cotton, enter a mediative state and stitch wool pieces onto a background of felted wool, and play with designs. I particularly adore seeing how the colors relate to each other. Those connections fill me with satisfaction and delight.

If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you’ve seen that I committed to creating 100 grids using ½” felted wool squares. I chose one hundred because it felt freeing. You know the adage about throwing away the first two pancakes in a batch? Having a goal of 100 pieces takes the pressure off numbers 1 through, I don’t know, 50?! And besides, who’s counting?

I’m learning so much in the process, which is what this self-assignment is about. How can I create visual interest, excitement or calm simply by playing with the arrangement of a palette?

What I took away from the Color Theory class from last year impacts each of my pieces. I learned that the retina does its work if the artist lays out her hues in a particular way. The viewer, unwittingly, will have an experience with the art simply because of the interaction of color and vision.

I made one major alteration in my process thanks to the wisdom of my Homework Club. A member of our group suggested that I use the same method of stitching to enhance the outcome. Above left, I stitched x’s across each square. The other two are stitched similarly in the corners, so the focus is drawn to the radiance of the piece, not the needlework.

In the four pieces below (each 10” x 10” square), the only alteration is the background color which creates its own retinal magic. The application process is consistent – French knots secure each square in the grid.


I made a group of four that relate to each other. They are individually framed and can be hung separately or as a collection.

Like any love relationship, I could stare at these all day with joy in my core.

Connecting with you through my newsletter and hopefully at my exhibit (see announcement below) are what seal the deal for me artistically. The ultimate relationship is the union of my art with you, the viewer. If you want to go right to my heart, tell me you love it. I’ll be yours forever.

BTW, now that I’ve written this newsletter I take back what I said earlier. I truly love writing to you each month. Work on my art is endlessly inviting, but you’ve been with me through it all, and I love you for that.

Want to see what my connection to my art looks like in real time? Watch this clip.

 

 

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