I knew I loved to work with needle and thread from a very early age. I loved it. My first memories of stitching include embroidering commercially stamped pillow cases, making my own clothes, and making Barbie clothes that I sold. I would do those things forever. I wanted to. I felt right when I was stitching.
I made my family stitched gifts, a pillow for my older brother, a night dress for my mother. When I gave my little sister a knitted skirt for Christmas one year, she cried so I bought her something else instead. I made my husband’s wedding suit and he wore it.
When I was young I also realized that I had a talent to draw and paint and so I entered poster contests in elementary school. I remember painting a bear for one of those. I was asked to design the cover for the regional music festival and drew a portrait of Beethoven. In high school I was allowed to use the art room at lunch hour and was provided with oil paint and canvas boards. The teachers bought my paintings. I wanted to go to art school after high school, but went to Teacher’s college instead. I was 19, and that was the last year that you could enter teacher's college without a university degree. Also, it was free. I met Ned during that year, taught school two years, and then married him.
I've used
my paintings (our four children gave me such a beautiful and meaningful subject) to explain to others how I came to think of my quilting as art. Painting made me realize that I could communicate what it was like to be me.
" I am here. I was here. I made this. I am alive."
When I was mothering those children my art was about that experience. I loved being a mother. I loved watching my children in sunlight. I learned from them how to have fun. I painted that .
But my SELF, my true self, is with a needle and thread in my hand.
I make paintings (art) with my sewing. I have not stopped.
"I am here. I live here. I have relationships. I observe and dream and think."
Images are of some preparations for the
Perivale gallery season which begins May 22.
