Wednesday, December 04, 2024


24 Hours With Shiela

Tapestry

Wool, silk, cotton, alpaca, mohair, viscose rayon,synthetic fibers

33" x 30"

2005-spring

 

The back story...In spring 2005 I began a tapestry with an idea rather than by a traditional cartoon. I wanted to portray the passage of time as seen in the sky over a twenty-four hour period. Between teaching positions, I began housecleaning for Sheila, a former airline-stewardess turned horse-breeder spinner-weaver. Sheila was one of those charismatic people you wanted to be around. She paid me rather well considering the area. I think she liked having me around as well as how I managed to leave the house cleaner than when I arrived. The unhappy part is that Sheila had been fighting cancer and I met her on the field of her last battle.

An artist never throws anything away. When Sheila called for help cleaning out her fiber’s closet, it was as much about her accepting the loss of stamina, as it was about her treasures going to a good home. Sheila had traveled the world and her materials literally filled my wagon. Weaving my tapestry with her materials I found myself thinking, “I wonder what Sheila has?” I realized I had spent many hours thinking about Sheila’s travels. In 2006 the art world lost an artist and I lost a friend.