It always feels good to cross the finish line.
While it may seem that I’ve only been sketching, reading, and gardening this summer, behind the face of this blog there have been untold hours of stitching as well. The plain, hard fact is my textile pieces have so many layers and levels of process, mostly hand-done, that sometimes they seem to crawl along at a virtual snail’s pace. The Rio Olympics provide the perfect analogy: sketching is a sprint, textile work is a marathon. Happily, neither impinges upon the other and working at both seems to have reciprocal advantages.
And I’m sure you can appreciate why I need both.
Poseidon’s Garden ©2016 Elizabeth Fram 26″H x 22″W, Stitched Resist, Dye, Discharge, Stitching on Silk If ever there was a piece for which it was particularly satisfying to tie off the last thread, this is it. My previous posts “How Do You Define Success”, “One Note Changes Everything”, & “Share the Wealth” discuss the process and, perhaps more significantly, the struggle of working my way through it.
Last month I finally finished the two pieces shown here, and now need only to tidy up behind them with proper photographs and documentation. Neither of them came together easily, yet they both represent the best type of workhorse. They are rich in lessons learned along the way that, while obvious to no one but me, add measurably to my toolkit for the future.
Capriccio ©2016 Elizabeth Fram 12″ x 12″, Paint & Stitching on Silk Made in response to the prompt “lyrical” for the 2016 Journal Project, an undertaking you can read more about in my previous post “Creative Yoga”
Work begets work, so the door is now open to fully concentrate on the two new pieces that I began a couple of weeks ago. And boy, does it feel good to start fresh and shift my focus! However, there’s something to be said for setting aside a few moments to mark the transition, to make note of and be grateful for the ground covered, and to hope that what was learned can be applied to the challenges that lie ahead.
On Another Note…
I can’t help but share the most important and thoughtful article I’ve read this week. In her blog post Why “good ideas” never happen & WHY YOU CAN’T AVOID DIFFICULT DECISIONS, Nela Dunato discusses why and how maintaining a mindset that includes the capacity for change is both a necessity and a powerful ally in achieving success, especially for the creative professional. Check it out; it’s a valuable reminder that even small steps can reap large rewards.
These works are gorgeous and I hope to see them in person.. I also really like Nela’s blog. Will send that one to my daughter for sure as she develops her design business.
Happy August! xo
Thanks Liz – I really enjoy how often we overlap in our resources! Hope to see you soon.
Gorgeous works, Betsy! They’re both subtle in tone yet texturally dense. I can’t help but be drawn to the complex layering and detail and it took a couple of zooms to clearly see all your well-fought efforts.
Love, love these beauties!
Your words are much appreciated Csilla! Thank you!
You never fail to inspire both with your imagery and process. I love hearing about they whys and hows behind your work. The colors in both pieces are spectacular and truly reflect for me the colors of this summer in particular. Rich, vibrant, deep and layered. Looking forward to catching up with you soon and hearing more about your adventures and evolution.
Can’t tell you how much it means that these pieces struck a chord with you. I’m sure you have creative tales to tell from the summer as well. See you soon.
The pieces are gorgeous. I’m so happy to read all of the posts, and when there are finished works it is the greatest.
Judy
I know there are layers of hours devoted to your beautiful pieces Judy – so you can totally relate.
Thanks for continuing to check in!
Amazing color and movement. Well done!
Thank you so much Margaret!
Hey Elizabeth,
your textile work is gorgeous, and wow seeing all those tiny stitches really makes me appreciate the effort you put into it all the more. I sometimes feel discouraged when starting working on my drawings and paintings that contain a lot of detail because I anticipate they will take so long… Seeing your work helps put this into perspective 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing my post with your readers with your thoughtful commentary. I’m so happy to hear that it’s been useful to you!
Hi Nela,
Thanks for your feedback. I am very grateful for the information you share so generously on your blog, so it’s a pleasure to pass it on. I’ve surely appreciated reading your posts addressing issues that I think must be common to many of us.
Also, many thanks for the kind words about my textile work. Not sure what I would do without a daily sketching practice to balance out the long hours of intensive stitching!