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Leaving the desert

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Leaving the desert

I had a marvelous month as artist-in-residence at Petrified Forest National Park. I learned so much about myself and making art, and was reminded again how much I love wandering around the desert. This place was perfect for that. I know many of you can't imagine not having trees, but there just aren't any there except in the bosque. That means you can see forever, and if you're paying attention, you can't get lost. So I walked and walked wherever I wanted and always found my way home again before dark. That also meant that any time I was near the bosque (where the water is when it rains), I scanned the cottonwoods incessantly for sleeping porcupines. One of the biologist interns saw three one day and I was determined. But alas, none were found by me.

Give the gift of weaving!

Give the gift of weaving!

I'm home again from my month of artist residency in Arizona. It was a marvelous time and I'm having some trouble readjusting to the business of being home again. Fortunately it is the holidays and I can spend more time weaving as weaving is what grounds me.

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In celebration of the joy of weaving, I'm offering a little holiday package. Order one for yourself or for someone who needs a little weaving time this season. I have limited numbers of these looms left, so if this sounds good, let me know soon. I will only be selling these looms at workshops after this stock is gone.

I'm offering 20% off the price of...

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Go for a good wander

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Go for a good wander

My experience as artist-in-residence at Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona has been exceptional. There have been moments where I wished I had requested a different month--one which did not include an election which seems to have shaken this country to the core. But perhaps being in this amazing place while dealing with my feelings about the direction of this country and the world is a good thing after all. The many hours a day to hike, sketch, and wander without a goal is healing. My challenge as this residency comes to an end is to carry the spirit of those practices into my daily work.

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The healing power of nature... and some more little tapestries

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The healing power of nature... and some more little tapestries

I have been doing some intentional wandering since I got to the park. A lot of it actually. Usually when I wander, it is with a PLAN. This park has few trails and only a handful of suggested routes they offer people who seem capable of handling them. This is fantastic for the wandering spirit. I am allowed to wander almost anywhere I want to and I am taking advantage of that.

I am a peripatetic soul. I find solace in walking. I have not been a good wanderer. I like to have a plan and a few safety backups in my pocket. This particular place has taught me a lot about letting that go. . . .

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Artist-in-residence, Petrified Forest National Park

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Artist-in-residence, Petrified Forest National Park

I am the current artist-in-residence at Petrified Forest National Park. I earned this spot, but I can’t help but feel intensely grateful for the opportunity to be here. To be able to watch the sunset and the sunrise over the Painted Desert and bask in this quiet place is such a gift.

I have used my hiking superpowers to find places that are only vaguely noted on sketched maps and in printouts you might get a ranger to give you if he or she feels you are up to the challenge of cross-country, off-trail travel in rough terrain. I have sat on the top of remote mesas and watched the sun set while sketching hoodoos and mesas.

One of the things I wanted to do while here was a sort of tapestry diary. But instead of making one larger piece that I wove a little bit of every day, I wanted to make separate pieces. So I have woven a 2 x 2 inch mini-tapestry every day here so far. It has become something I look forward to… how will I translate something I saw into fiber?

 

Where to find perspective? Lessons from geologic time...

Where to find perspective? Lessons from geologic time...

Layers.

Time.

This place is all about unimaginable spans of time.

I am spending the month of November at Petrified Forest National Park as their artist-in-residence.

From a distance, the huge trees look very much like they fell and were cut by a chainsaw quite recently. Up close, they are miracles of color and form in stone. Because, of course, these trees have not been trees for at least 216 million years. All of their tree-ness was replaced by minerals and became hard stone so long ago—just now eroded out of their hiding place in the Chinle formation.