Crow and the Labyrinth Goes to the Gardens

An image of Crow and the Labyrinth is part of the publicity for the Maine Fiberarts Showcase at the Maine Coastal Botanical Gardens in Boothbay, Maine.

Mushrooms

Recently, I attended a really interesting lecture on edible mushrooms by David Spahr, author of Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms of New England and Eastern Canada. Since then, I've noticed and wondered about a lot of mushrooms. I've collected, sauteed and tasted a puffball. I've looked, in vain, for black trumpets in the woods, but found some for sale by Oyster Creek Mushroom Company at the Bath Farmer's Market.

Most of my mushroom collecting, though, is by photograph. These were in Harpswell, Maine.

Mending in Place

I've been working on a series of small pieces about mending. In many situations, it's really more effective to mend something rather than to start over. The human relationship to planet earth comes to mind. My meditations on mending are small and portable so they have been going places with me. I mark time, in place, with stitch.

These pieces incorporate a cotton plaid from a shirt I picked out for my husband a long time ago. I carried them on a walk one late summer day at Thalheimer Farm on Orr's Island in Harpswell, Maine.

Barnacle Stone Circle

River Mending

In 2010, flying over South America, I took this photo of a river.

I used the line of the river in this piece, which is about mending.

Boro Cloth

I just took an on-line class called Contemporary Woven Boro, with Jude Hill, the Cloth Whisperer. I think she is a really fine teacher. Some of my most recent work includes new cloth woven from old cloth, as taught in her workshop.

In the class material, Jude Hill wrote, "Although Boro has become a bit of a trend these days, the raggedy edges and patching and primitive approach to cloth making... there is always a subtle reminder that this was not an intended art form. Or a fashion trend. This was life, mending, thrift, and respect for cloth. This is the result of living small with consciousness of means. The need to stay warm, the patience to repair, restore and to keep going... and the resulting beauty in that."

You can find Jude Hill here:

http://spiritcloth.typepad.com

Saltwater Fiber

I've always been enamored of found fiber and there was some lovely stuff near Fort Popham the other day. I like the inherent energy of this rope that's been in and out of the saltwater, tied, winched, hauled, buffeted and finally tossed ashore.