Emotions
Emotions no. 6: Wound
The wound is the place where the Light enters you. - Rumi
Machine pieced, hand quilted.
Cotton fabric, wool batting.
50 x 70”
2021
"The wound is the place where the Light enters you." - Rumi
Inspired by images of nebulas and Yellowstone thermal pools, this quilt is a bit of a study in contradictions - the beauty of the image of light coming in where we’ve allowed ourselves to be most vulnerable and get hurt. And as I was working on this quilt I realized just how many wounds I need to allow to heal. For as much as I love the idea Rumi talks about in his quote, at some point things have to heal.
The stitching lines are also reminiscent of surgical stitches, helping a wound close, an acknowledgment that sometimes we need external help to get perspective on how we’ve been hurt in order to heal.
Emotions no. 3: Depression: anhedonia, dysthymia, melancholia
Machine pieced, hand quilted.
Cotton & linen fabric, wool batting.
47 x 66”
2020
Depression is a void, one that sucks in motivation and joy, and is way more nuanced than just a solid black pit - it changes day to day in how it impacts me both physically and emotionally.
I found through making this quilt, I was able to process my relationship with this aspect of my mental life, and if not exorcise it, at least recognize how it’s shaped me into who I am, and in some unexpected way, come to peace with its presence in my life.
Using the shape of a square, I wanted to recall traditional quilts like a postage stamp quilt, but utilizing color to depict my inner visualization of the emotion, I was able to transform the simplicity into something that represented my inner thoughts.
Emotions no. 4: Anxiety: Consternation, trepidation, perturbation
Machine pieced, hand quilted.
Cotton fabric, wool batting.
52 x 66”
2020
Anxiety is a vibrating ball of nerves, a hyper focus on things that aren’t logical, filling my head with stories that make no sense, thoughts that streak like lightning through my brain, keeping me from seeing anything other than that brilliant flash - the after effects lingering as my brain continues to see things that were never there.
I found through making this quilt, I was able to process my relationship with this aspect of my mental life, and if not exorcise it, at least recognize how it’s shaped me into who I am, and in some unexpected way, come to peace with its presence in my life.
Using the shape of a square, I wanted to recall traditional quilts like a postage stamp quilt, but utilizing color to depict my inner visualization of the emotion, I was able to transform the simplicity into something that represented my inner thoughts.
Emotions no. 5: Sparks
Machine pieced, hand quilted.
Cotton fabric, wool batting.
2021
Emotions no. 2: Shift
Machine pieced, hand quilted.
Linen + cotton fabric, wool batting.
2020
Emotions no. 1: Pixelated
Machine pieced, hand quilted.
Cotton fabric, wool batting.
2019