After my mom died, my husband and I decided that it was time to make a long-time dream into a reality.
For years, we had talked about buying a little piece of land, away from the city. We had imagined fences and crops and chickens and goats. We coveted the simplicity or rural life and the peace of the people who live in harmony with the earth.
In July, 2023, we decided to look for a house. We had friends who, having fled Illinois years ago, were working in real estate in Indiana. We solicited their help.
The first house they showed us had a bird nesting behind a stained glass window. It had a tree frog hanging out on the front door. It sat in the middle of seventy-two acres of corn. It was perfect.
We put in an offer.
The offer was accepted. By September, we left the city. We moved to a town that we had never heard of before. Everything was new.
As it turned out, we moved to a very artsy place. Rensselaer has a vintage movie theater, artists’ studios, a gallery and forty-four murals. Northwest Indiana is the home to an active group of artists, artisans, homesteaders and farmers. It is a magical place.
A few months after arriving, I met an amazing artist. Among other things, she makes jewelry out of copper wire, using a fiber technique. I found this fascinating, as I make jewelry out of yarn, using a fiber technique. We use different fiber techniques, but similarity was undeniable.
For a couple of months, in my brain, I stored away this bit of information. Then, suddenly, out of the blue, a friend from high school, whom I had not seen in over thirty years, sent me a message, asking if I had ever tried wire crochet.
I couldn’t ignore the signs.
During her illness, my mom taught me a lesson about faith. My mom believed that she would continue in the right direction, by following the signs that God had placed in her path. Even when she suffered, she had faith in God and in his mysterious reasons.
It seemed to me that the signs were pointing toward wire.
I started experimenting.
And experimenting:
And now I find myself moving in a whole new creative direction.
It is exciting. I enjoy working with new materials, learning new skills, and expanding my perception of my abilities.
For a while, I have been stuck on circles. For me, the circle has represented a portal to truth. I have viewed circles as spotlights, highlighting what is important and pushing out the lies.
Also, using a metal ring has allowed me to give form and stability to my yarn.
Wire, however, has its own form and stability. Wire does not require a frame.
With a newfound sense of freedom, I am welcoming a flurry of ideas. I am imagining wearable crochet pieces with the built-in structure of wire.
My skills are far from perfect. I have a lot to learn. I need to practice. I need to experiment. I need to design. I need to create.
There is much to do, but I am very pleased with where I am in the process.
I am interested in finding out what’s next for me. I remind myself to be patient. For now, I’ll just keep going, and looking for signs along the way.
My life as an artist was birthed from tragedy. To know the story, start at the beginning:
To purchase my art, visit my shop:
Inspiring!
Beautiful work!🤩