Lithographers Crayon, Graphite, Ink and thread on Sewing Pattern Paper 57″ x 49″
After scribbling away on upholstery patterns for a while, I began to notice that I always return to the figure. As abstract as I thought the drawings were, I would find something figurative and pull it out of the drawing. Sometimes when I fall asleep at night, images can find their way into my mind. This image of a female figure hugging her knees and looking up and out felt like it needed to be expressed in my work. I did not have any large sewing patterns, having accidentally picked up patterns that had already been cut up. I decided to sew them together, enjoying the idea of stitching something back to being a usable thing. In a way, how we stitch pieces of our lives together, to make it look in a way it was originally not. We embellish our mistakes, we recreate our view, we build and make stronger from pieces that were rearranged and dissembled. By sewing the pieces together, I made the fragile pattern paper stronger, and recreated it into a free form shape, not incumbent upon four straight sides. The freedom from the constrained square or rectangle gives it a subtle power, while maintaining its fragility. For life is fragile, and our memories even more delicate. It’s about rebuilding ourselves, and she is not ashamed, she is assured.