[69 inches high by 34 inches wide by two inches deep]
This work grew out of my experimentation with stitch-weaving fibers of various materials, weights, textures, and finishes through jute soil-erosion cloth. I was mesmerized by the meditative nature of the slow, laborious stitching. As I worked, I would periodically hold the fabric up to get a sense of the overall effect, and I became fascinated with its translucency, with the way that light from behind came through to the front of the fabric and the way that light from the front of the fabric came through to the back to cast pale, ethereal shadows.
At some point, I started thinking of the soil-erosion cloth as being like sand on the beach and of the palette of white, yellow, pale blue, and pale teal fibers as reflections of the sun and water of the East China Sea that we enjoyed while living in Okinawa. For me, the weaving captured the essence of those times of quiet repose and Sabbath rest and prompted me to use it to create an exaggerated kimono form. SABBATH REST: Sand, Sun, Sea seemed a fitting title for this work whose meditative creation slowed my heart rate, quieted my mind, and centered my spirit.
