Art Heals

The Textile Arts Blog is a great resource for learning about textiles, but today's post also illustrates the healing power of art: http://http://creativityjourney.blogspot.com/2011/02/1200-stitches-per-square-inch-art

A prison inmate, drug addicted and with no resources, takes apart socks, and using the threads, embroiders them into portraits. Finding solace, inspiration and most importantly, hope, he gets through his prison term and embroidery helps with his healing.

Art has been shown to help heal many hurts, as well as to lower stress. Just cutting up construction paper, or the newspaper, and gluing them to a background can feel like you are a world away from the daily stresses - as long as that critical voice we all hear in our heads is told to stay away! When doodling, or coloring with crayons, our brain stops running all the "have to's and should have's" and we get in touch with a different side of ourselves. This "Art" may not be something to share with anyone else, because it's the process of making it that is valuable, not the result. That voice that says "I'm no good at Art", is what stops us from going to that place of release and renewal. Art needs to be made for the making, not for the showing.

Roy Matterson was able to get through years of prison, and still uses art to deal with his demons.

No Holds Barred!

Grief c.2009  36" H x 22" W.

The opening reception for the SAQA NE Region "No Holds Barred" exhibit was on Saturday. There was a big turnout, with most of the artists attending. The New England Quilt Museum did a professional job of hanging the show. There are some amazing pieces of art in the show. The show will be at the museum until April 9, so if you can get to Lowell, it is well worth the effort.

I was proud to have two pieces juried into the show, but couldn't post a photo of them until after the opening. The one above is "Grief", which I have thought was one of the best pieces I've made, but it hadn't been accepted into a show before. I'm glad it was able to make it's debut in the show. You just never know what the jurors will see in different entries, or what other entries will be. The jurors brought a very cohesive show together.

Before/After  27" W x 22" H

 

The one above is "Before/After". Both are made with my own hand dyed fabrics, which I love making!