Lee Thomson

Mar 1
Originally uploaded by Dancing Crow.

I got in trouble in third grade for being too clever by half. My family had spent 5 months in the Caribbean and I had spent all that time reading various extremely British children’s books. The spelling words the week I got back were colour, harbour, flavour and aeroplane. I got them all wrong. I was utterly outraged, and appealed the ruling. It was ruled correct with a caveat, that being I had to adapt to local practice. Huh.

This is from the beach near my mother’s house. I like the way the sand goes from wet to dry(er) across the page, and I tried to show that with the threads. I had forgotten how aggravating the sulky sliver is to work with. It sticks, snarls and binds, and gets hung up on the bobbin case. It didn’t behave properly until I slapped some heavy bobbin thread in and cranked up the tension, generally not recommended with free motion stuff.

I printed this on silk, but I am not sure it shows. I like the whiteness and stability of the printable cotton, but there is a sheen to silk that is worth it, if it shows.

I got new thread. I am rich in thread, but I realized I had no grays, and as I left I had this in mind so I got some clear as well. My thread box is almost full. I think I can fit 5 more spools in, and then that’s all the colors I get. With any luck, it is all the colors I need.

I need to clear the decks from the the detritus of Jan and Feb. The top  of the cupboard where I set things out is piled high with leftovers too big to throw out, or pre-fusibled, or otherwise valuable. More sorting, more storage, and the top will be revealed, ready to silt in with the next few months’ projects.

I actually spent a happy hour typing up lists of potential themes, and refining the framework for what I am doing in my studio for the next couple of months. I have to finish the Feb Journal page (working well to deadline…) and start the March page. The March page is all about being Aerin’s (Big A – I’m giving up on aliases) mom. Her birthday is March 17, certainly a life-changing experience for the both of us. All the journal pages are All About ME, so I can wrap all the pride and affection I feel for this kid into an 8.5"x11" mess of fabric.

The list of themes continues to expand, through suggestions, logical extensions and leaps of intuition. If I don’t add any, but just work my way through the list as it stands, I’ll be busy at this postcard a day gig for the next couple of years. I realized this is a very good way to get from journeyman to master at something. Practice. A revolutionary thought. Certainly the practice is improving my feel for what I like to do and what I am good at. I think it is improving my work as well. I’ll report back at the end of the year.