Toward Wholeness

I recently finished up this piece titled "Toward Wholeness". It was an ambitious project for me because I don't really know much about sewing yet. Experience is the best teacher I guess. Anyway, the size is 45" x 90". A major component in the work is made up from the journal entries I kept when I was in Army bootcamp and the months right after it while I was in advanced training studying to be a photojournalist at the Defense Information School in Maryland. My journal entries are written as prayers to God. When I'm writing, I can really just pour it all out...the good, the bad, and the ugly.
As I was transferring the entries onto the fabric, I reread them and was reminded of how faithful God has been to me. The journal is nearly 7 years old and in hindsight, I see how God's hand was holding mine the whole time.

I guess that's what this series is about. Remembering. Trusting in God's faithfulness, surrendering myself, seeking Him. It's not always easy though. Everyone struggles with doubt, fears, and insecurities at times. When those kind of feelings come up inside of me, I'm comforted by a verse in Psalm 91, "He shall cover you with His feathers and under His wings you shall take refuge". There's safety in abiding in the presence of God.

The nest-like image that's screenprinted onto the fabric represents a spiritual source to me. I drew the design over and over again one day while on an airplane. I didn't realize it at the time, but the shape is like a Mandala, a circular pattern that is used as an aid in meditation. The psychoanalyst Carl Jung saw the mandala as a representation of the unconscious self.

Process is a key component to my work. I like the tedious aspects of a project. The little, time consuming things that make up the whole of a piece is meditative to me, it’s a way for me to let my mind go while my body works.




I should get the "mother-of-the-year award" for my abilities in multi-tasking!






One of the things I didn't take into consideration when I started working with fabric is that my dogs would think of my project as another cushy thing for them to curl up in. I could NOT keep them off of my lap the whole time I was stitching. They love this new direction I'm taking in my work.




Lastly, I made a time lapse video while I worked on the piece. I find that this is the best way for me to step back and review the process and the work itself. Enjoy the YouTube video. Adjust your volume as necessary and, if you have a high speed internet connection please watch it in the High Quality (HQ) setting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu6_85j8Hmo