time

So many times I have been disappointed by a piece I just finished only to find years later that I like it again. Conversely, sometimes I love a piece when I first finish it and then years later I am not so enchanted. 

I like to finish things - good thing for bank consulting, housework, and daily chores. Not so good for art. I often have to leave a piece for months at a time to see what the next step should be. It doesn’t want to be rushed.

Some artists are able to conceive the entire piece before they begin. That was true for me when I worked on the North Dakota ceramic pieces. I knew what they were to be ahead of time. But I’ve always thought my Dad was there helping me to make those pieces. 

Usually, I have an intuitive feel for what I want the piece to be but I have to find my way through the fog to get to the point when I know I got it right. This is particularly true with my textile and stitch work. 

Perhaps this is why artists are sometimes considered flakey. Honoring the process and the time that a piece deserves is tricky in the real world of schedules and timelines.

This is a eco dyed fabric and parchment paper with some other hand dyed fabrics collaged and stitch.