The first book I finished this year was Goodbye Things by the minimalist Fumio Sasaki. While I admire his creativity in eliminating a lot of his extra stuff, there is no way I could achieve the degree of clearing out that he advocates. So while I’ll keep chipping away at my varied accumulations, I’m resigned to settling for “good enough”.

I come by my pack rat genes honestly and my studio is one space where I never regret holding onto something. It may take (literally) decades, but the day invariably comes when something I’ve put aside is exactly what I need. Materials leftover and saved from previous projects have often been the backbone of new pieces, including what I’ve been working on this month.

Leftover from my Covid Houses, willow branches and dried iris stalks, wrapped with embroidery thread, suggest the dichotomy of perilous rising waters with the stability of community.

First: two brick “houses” for “Water Logged, but Red Hot”, a flood relief fundraiser for Studio Place Arts which experienced significant flooding on July 10th. Damaged bricks from the building’s foundation were distributed among artists and the resulting art pieces are now part of a silent auction to benefit SPA in its flood recovery. See below for details.

Back side of above piece

With those pieces under my belt, this week I’ve been working on an invitational textile piece for an upcoming exhibition that is slated to coincide with the total eclipse this spring. Vermont falls along the prime viewing path, so it’s exciting to be a part of this event.

Somehow these beautiful shades were meant to go together, and I think they will beautifully represent the varying degrees of light during the total eclipse.

Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start, but there’s always inspiration to be found looking through what I have right here. Needless to say, having a selection of fabrics (who knows how old) and threads to choose from helps to get the creative juices flowing.

Discharged dye via stitched-resist suggests the corona of light created by the moon obscuring the sun. I’m still figuring out my next steps, but it will likely involve a fair amount of embroidery.

All too often I ask myself — do I keep this or get rid of it? It always depends, but if it’s studio-related, to heck with minimalism.

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FYI: The SPA Flood Relief auction runs from January 24 – February 3. Brick artwork will be displayed at Studio Place Arts and silent auction bids will be taken during this time, both in-person and on-line via the SPA website. Art will be sold and distributed at the conclusion of the SPA Art Social on Saturday, February 3. 100% of the sale will benefit the SPA Flood Recovery Fund.