My day of ups and downs....

I made my transfers onto linen with Lesley Riley's TAP transfer art paper today ...onto linen and I have to say I was very pleased with the final results. Thank you Lesley for creating this design element to explore in my fiber explorations. I am going to layer with older vintage fibers and threads and when I am complete with this composition I will share some of the images. The linen fabric is beautiful all by itself and the fabric becomes one when pressed with the TAP images.

We (Ken started and I went out to help) worked on clearing the garage and after two years I began going through my packed office materials and photos and art supplies. I have reorganized the art pencils and wooden trays to move things up to my main studio...I was saddened at times and realize this was the time to totally move on to tomorrow. I reorganized my art papers, specialty handmade papers, collage materials ...all that can be sewn into a dialogue hopefully with my viewer. The gel mediums will be employed in a manner of creating a new paper fabric to use some of my stitches and buttons on top. Hopefully I do want to transfer a few more images and make some small pieces to put into my specialized frames.

I worked with delicate and fragile metallic threads in my Aboriginal woman's aged and wise facials expressions. I forget how difficult these thin light reflective can be to work with...they can tangle easily and break even easier but when all is said and done the final image is very effective and shows expressions from a life living close to the earth for survival. Ken had rented Sherlock Holmes and it helped pass the afternoon while I was working. Movies are often an escape in time when I am performing hand made stitches... yes I do have a very nice sewing machine but after over 25 years I always gravitate back to handwork....slow and steady handwork.

"Ridicule is like a wolf; it only destroys those who fear it." anonymous...I have had days when I have felt ridicule and this seeds my spirit with self doubt. When I am feeling these pangs I try to overcome my fear by throwing myself into a process or studio challenge and with time I am able to gather the power to over look the ridicule I am experiencing. I picked up Paul Naruda 's last book of poetic questions this afternoon and found a place to rest all my uncertainties. I need to get back to work...tomorrow I will pick up my postcards for the exhibit and drop off my evaluation sheet for Days of Creation at St. Francis elementary. The storms are still running rampant here in my county but so far we have missed the worsts. Our damaged tree near the front of the house finally broke clear through so we will have to decide what our next steps will be to possibly save the tree, it will need to be trimmed down closely so I am not sure if it will survive all it has been through this year. Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart