my archelogical dig...in my studio

I have spent hours working on my quilt today with chain stitches and red quilt stitches...I am almost ready to begin the birthing process with my "mother of pearl" embellishments and my Australian woman who I met so many years ago; Kath Walker. I pick up her poetry sometimes when I am ready to switch sitting positions and get up to move around. I also worked in my studio finding just the right Czech rainbow beads to incorporate into Kath's hair flowing into a vibrant red evening sky. After all this hullabaloo, I am able to see my "woman of grace" vibrate in my hand dyed fabrics. I got out my instructions for fiber reactive dyes to work up for the new pieces to accompany Kath Walker's piece. I am a little out of practice because it has been more than a couple of years since I bit off a big job. Little by little I need to set up my make do "wet" studio in the garage and have ready to go in May. I will use my Geo to steam the final products in the trunk of my car...sitting in the hot sun works well to set the colors and then begin making selections for the rain forests and the barrier reef pieces. I still have major moments of despair and fear of the unknown but little victories feed my soul to keep one foot in front of another. When I feel myself getting over stimulated...I find laundry to wash and iron my pristine white shirts to wear as the weather beckons us outdoors. The earth has that warm fragrance as we step outdoors and the birds are coming home to roost and build their nests. I do sneak out to work just a little in the pruning process in the small serenity space outside my backdoor. I am excited to put my woman sculpture together and prepare her to be a guardian from my deer friends who enjoy my salad buffet of lilies and new sprouts. Vicki Noble found me rusty ladybugs on a wire and I have plans to use some of my large glass beads in her wardrobe completed from found rusty objects. Do I know how to do this? Well I have never done this before but it sure has been fun and keeps me looking at the sidewalks and streets as if I am on a dig in Newark, OH.
I have about 10 days to collect and sort my disintegration project photos for the May 1st deadline and then we have the second progression of rituals to perform. There are over 100 artists working in totally different design elements so no one can predict the outcome. This whole experiment is about trust, process and not knowing what will come next... this is a lot like working out solutions in making a Life as an artist. The LCA has a busy week planned with final Friday exhibits in downtown Newark, Arbor Day at Dawes...their 80th celebration, and then a family celebration for Saturday and Sunday. I wish you a week full of surprises! Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart