Forward, March

 

“Creativity takes courage”   ~Matisse

 

My week at the Studio Center opened a door that won’t close tightly again. And that’s just fine. I approached my time there as a portal for experimentation, and now I realize that there’s no going back; it’s a one-way path.

Big Circles

©2018 Elizabeth Fram, Stitched-resist Dye on Silk, 27 x 27 inches

Big Circles detail

©2018 Elizabeth Fram, detail

While I don’t have any idea where exactly I’m heading, let alone what it is I’m seeking, my goal is to figure out how to “stitch” previously learned lessons into something new. For all I know, I may eventually circle back around to a point very near where I left off. But for now I’m feeling the need to stretch, and it’s equal parts liberating and scary as I jump in with no specific end-point in sight.

Red Cross

©2018 Elizabeth Fram, Stitched-resist Dye on Silk, 29 x 28 inches     Being able to create such cool patterns through a variety of simple stitches doesn’t get old.

Red cross Detail

©2018 Elizabeth Fram, detail

With that in mind, I stumbled across a couple of resources that have been both encouraging and reassuring. Maybe you will find them so as well.

Small Circles, Detail

©2018 Elizabeth Fram, detail, Stitched-resist Dye on Silk, 10 x 25 inches.     What I find most exciting about this process is it seems to be equal parts careful planning and  pure serendipity. The dye acts as both a partner and an opponent, but its unpredictability is the secret that makes the process so rewarding.