Threads in Art

I love to use threads in my artwork, to have them appear as lines of stitching on cloth, and to watch them hang down below the defined border of a canvas. I love when they become another element in a painting as a jumble of tangled strings or simply provide texture on the surface below a layer of paint.

One of my friends on Instagram asked me the following question… Do the threads have meaning for me, do they represent something or symbolize something?

This is my answer… I am so attracted to the look and movement of threads, the way they meander and flow. For me, their meaning shifts depending on the specific piece of artwork.

In general, at the core, they are the threads of our connection to one another, to all life on the planet - past, present, and future, and to the Divine. They are the threads of a prayer shawl and those in the tapestry of life. They are the link that bind us to our collective history, to the pictographs and cave paintings, to the philosophers of ancient Greece and the builders of the pyramids. They are our heart connections and the very threads that pull at our heart strings.

And like the magnificent underground network of mycelium that enables communication between plant life, threads represent the unseen connections between all living things.

New Beginnings

“Opening to the Next Chapter” 18” x 18” Acrylic Mixed Media on Canvas

New Year, New Beginnings

I recently completed a painting for the New Beginnings show at Pajaro Valley Arts. I not only want to share images of the painting and it’s parts, but I’m also here to share the words that have been incorporated into the painting. The concept, words, and construction were all created in tandem. 

When I first heard about the show’s theme, I immediately wanted to incorporate a book into the painting I would create. That’s when I began to ponder the concept that as a new year begins, we are just starting to write the next chapter of our lives. The painting is titled, “Opening to the Next Chapter” and it is built with a cloth folded open to reveal the place to begin writing that new chapter.

As I began to develop the canvas and the pieces that would become part of the whole, I wrote. I wanted to clarify and understand the concept that I was building the painting around. And in the end, I included quite a bit of text into the work… much of it hidden under paint or cloth. I thought I would share some of it here along with images of the whole and it’s parts. 

These are the words that can be found under the piece of cloth on the left side of the painting: 

This is your past. You know what it holds. It no longer exists except for the place you choose to give it in your mind, in your memories. And you may add layers to it from a new perspective, from a different vantage point. You may try to hold onto some of the past with a firm grip while letting others fade away. As you stand in your now, with the new pages before you, can a firm grip on the past impede your ability to write your new chapter? Your new chapter begins today. What lies ahead?

Here are some details images of “Opening to the Next Chapter”

And if you are in the area, visit the show. It is filled with fabulous and fascinating pieces of art from local artists.

Pajaro Valley Arts Annual Membership Show
NEW BEGINNINGS - Exhibit dates: Jan. 18 – Feb. 26, 2023

Opening Reception: Sunday, January 22, 2023
from 2:00PM – 4:00PM

Location: 37 Sudden Street, Watsonville, CA
Gallery Hours: 11.00AM – 4:00PM
Open: Wednesday – Sunday

MASKS ENCOURAGED

Working in a Series

I love to work in a series, to watch an idea or concept develop from one painting to the next as I explore the variations on a theme. It gives me a creative focus in which to grow my artwork and myself.

Not only do I find a theme to develop throughout the series, but I begin with a framework or recipe of elements that becomes the foundation for each of the pieces. As a series evolves, an organic process unfolds, with each painting being a stepping stone to the next as I explore new ways of expressing the blueprint they have in common.

Ancient Wisdom Minis - in process

The chosen focus needs to be something I want to immerse myself in and wish to elevate. In the Transcriptions series, it was ancient books and prayers. The Ancient Wisdom Minis, highlighted the words of Kabir, poet and mystic. The Windowframes series was a reflection of the beauty in aging. And now, the Portals of Joy series allows me to spend my days focused on shape and color as I elevate joy in a world that could use more joyful expressions.

Concertina Sketchbooks

For the past couple of months, and up until last week, I was unable to paint. I continued to feel a strong desire to create… but had absolutely no oomph to continue work on any of my paintings or projects. I found myself in an unfamiliar position… unable to pick up a paintbrush. That’s when I joined the Concertina Retreat, hosted by Suzie Chaney. It was one of the many artist challenges popping up on Instagram as the quarantine days took hold throughout the planet. So, I entered the world of concertina sketchbooks.

For those unfamiliar with a concertina sketchbook: all the pages are connected in one long strip that can fold up like an accordion into a book.

We received instructions on making the sketchbook and then one prompt a day for six days. (Some of the prompts were: botanical, the earth, all beings, and more.) Over the course of the week, I filled the pages with papers, printed text, and stitched threads. I was thankful for the new creative experience.

Front cover of Threads, a concertina book

When I began this project, I didn’t consider the idea of creating a visual connection from one page to the next. BUT, as soon as I began to construct page two, I found joy in the idea of a harmonious flow by using machine stitching and the same papers throughout. That’s when I got excited and engaged in the process.

I ended up adding a 7th page with it’s focus on Peace. Then the cover was completed on watercolor paper and sewn onto the front of the book. I love the way the threads look with all the pages hanging down when the book is closed.

First page of the 2nd concertina book, with a focus on Peace and Simplicity.

I was hooked on concertinas and began constructing a second. The last page of the first book became the jumping off point for the second book. Peace and Simplicity was the new theme, which seemed perfect for the times we are living in… and I decided to keep the color palette monochrome.

Our lives are so pared down now with a focus on the basics. It reminds me of camping. When we camp we have whatever we’ve brought with us and our needs and expectations are simple.

Simplicity in a single leaf. A page in the concertina Peace book.

I am grateful to have found joy and creative solace in the paper collage pages of these books. I’ve been collecting (and using) papers since high school with a large stash to choose from. So, they were readily available for this project.

During recent weeks, I could have focused on the uncomfortable feeling of being disconnected from my usual painting flow…. but instead, I found another method of creating, a new format to love, and each day in the studio became a new adventure.

To view all the pages of these books, along with videos, and to follow the progress of daily creative projects, visit my Instagram Page.

A tiny third concertina sketchbook.

Breath and Beyond

“Breath and Beyond” 12" x 12" acrylic, cloth, threads, and paper on canvas.

“Breath and Beyond” was the first painting I worked on and completed after returning from packing up my parent’s home. (We were getting it ready for sale.) Although I returned with several new projects in mind, I decided to get busy with the raw canvas I had prepared before leaving. My first goal was to create a thread filled environment in which to paint.

“Breath and Beyond” in process.

I began by sewing lines of stitches in something of a checkerboard pattern, leaving loose threads at the ends of each line. I had already cut five squares into the cloth before the trip.

“Breath and Beyond” didn’t develop as I had originally envisioned. So, I let go, allowing the process to lead me, and I was able to enjoy every step along the way.

I kept adding color, then some text, and then more color. The background canvas became a deep brownish mauve to peek through the openings in the cloth.

The text in the painting is the mantra, So Hum, meaning: "I Am That." It is used in meditation as one focuses on their breath.

“Breath and Beyond” in process.

I always have a title in mind by the time a painting is complete… but not this time. The painting had journeyed so far from the original idea and I felt like I was just along for the ride, not knowing where we were going. I had to brainstorm ideas for a name.

When the title, “Breath and Beyond” came to mind, I knew it was right. I could see how the painted cloth had become a tapestry OR a tapestry of life. I had chosen a mantra that represents the breath OR breath of life. And the cutouts had become windows to the beyond.

Breath and Beyond is available for purchase, here.

“Breath and Beyond” in process. Sewing the painted cloth to the back canvas.

Asemic Writing

I loved creating this work on paper! When I produced this piece a couple of months ago, I felt like I had stumbled onto a wonderfully exciting creative adventure. I guess I was finally giving myself permission to explore an idea I’ve been wanting to play with for quite awhile. The idea was to include non-specific text in my artwork… to write without words. I’ve wanted to create the illusion of text without any specific meaning and then I learned it had a name: asemic writing.

According to Wikipedia and referenced on a number of other sites, asemic means "having no specific semantic content", or "without the smallest unit of meaning."

The use of asemic writing seems to be a natural progression for me after incorporating ancient languages into my paintings over the past few years. This is my first creative experience with asemic writing but definitively not my last. I am looking forward to exploring this further.

“We are all Connected” 6” x 9” mixed media on paper