large emptiness, small marks: a portfolio of sketches

 Large Emptiness Small Marks  2016  silk, cotton, rayon, linen damask fabrics stitched with cotton, silk and metallic threads.  36 pages within a hand stitched taffeta folder, each page is 33 cm x 33 cm.

A portfolio of sketches for large-scale (2.5 m or 90" ) square quilts.  Each 33 cm square cloth page is an idea for a larger cloth construction that will be filled with hand stitched marks.  A large square grid is formed when all thirty-six sketches are displayed at one time that measures 200 cm x 200 cm.

The squares are each filled with horizontal lines or large circles and are made from layers of lush, calm fabrics.  Each page is a complete idea and can be displayed singly or within a larger group.  This artwork encourages close physical engagement and considered viewing over time.  The slow actions of undoing buttonholes, opening the folder, and lifting each page encourages contemplation.   Unconscious memories are unlocked by the sense of touch.