When I run into a wall with something I’m working on, I’m not shy about entertaining the idea of drastic changes. That said, I’ve learned to be careful to think things through, doing my best to avoid any permanent adjustments before I’m pretty certain it’s the right decision. Experience has taught me that often the best solutions come from being willing to completely switch gears and let go of my initial plan.

One of the best tools in my so-called toolbox is critique.
I am lucky to know other artists who have strong opinions I value, and who are open to expressing them constructively. We discuss and question each others’ work, taking the info back to the studio to either build on, or (respectfully) disregard. No question, it is a huge help to get out of the confines of my own mind and listen to a trusted source’s response to the work.

With Ulysses’ Wave I began to think about whether the piece might not work better if I split it in two.

If I were to do that, each section would need to be fleshed out a bit further, so I decided to add more of the painted silk that I had originally inserted as a counterpoint, as well as a blue dupioni silk that reflected the same color as some of the embroidery already in place.

These are the possibilities I was considering:

Create two separate pieces?

One piece with it the extra fabric added on each end?

Or weight the additional fabric on the right?

In the end, this last option seemed best.
Then it was a matter of figuring out how to integrate the added sections so that they didn’t appear to be an afterthought.

By using Shibori techniques to dye the blue fabric, followed by embroidery that connected and pulled all the elements together, the piece fell into place.

In hindsight, this solution turned out to be the key not only to resolving the piece itself, but also to visually expressing the sense of gradual, yet complete change that we have all experienced — whether through a simple or more momentous shift in our lives.

Ulysses’ Wave   19″ x 38″ ©2014 Elizabeth Fram

And lastly, why the title Ulysses’ Wave?
When someone in my critique group asked what I was going to call this piece, I jokingly answered Ulysses’ Wave – referencing the ebbs and flows of the process and the long journey endured in finding a resolution. But in thinking about it seriously afterwards, considering all that went into its construction, combined with the deep red, undulating shapes created by the stitched-resist Shibori patterning, I couldn’t help but think of Homer’s “wine-dark sea”. Read it as you will — a journey through literature, through the creation of an artwork, or making our way through life — all joking aside, it’s a title that seems to hit the nail on the head.

And on a completely different note: as a gift for those of you who have stuck with me through the recounting of this process, I just discovered a really interesting podcast…it’s called Inspirational Creatives.  You can find it on iTunes, or link to it through the website http://www.inspirationalcreatives.com. So far I’ve only listened to the first 2 episodes, but they were both full of interesting ideas and smart suggestions.