I’ve always loved handmade quilts - those made by my mid-western grandmother and aunt; those made by friends; those hanging in museums; even those that I’ve made for babies. When my sister from Asheville, North Carolina sent me 60 feet of Unryu rice paper for my birthday, I looked at it for several months, first applying some India ink to a piece, then some watercolor, then liquid acrylics. Finally I just wadded the piece up in a ball. It didn’t tear. Then I ironed it out. And finally, I tried sewing some pieces together, wondering if I could make something with it. And I did - first, a hand painted face mask to protect my younger daughter from Covid-19. And as we often do, I regressed back to what I knew how to do - sewing remnants together to make simple quilts. The quilt squares were inspired by my zoom art teacher from Mira Costa Community Center non-credit classes in Oceanside, CA. Each week, Sally chose themes/topics for us to paint. While most students painted on canvas or on watercolor paper, I used rice paper squares. When you look at the squares through light, you can often see the floating raw fibers in the paper pulp. I love that. They give me peace and hope during our times of strife.
January 2021