It's been months...

Life goes on with all of its unexpected twists and turns. We never know what is right around the corner, do we? The way I see it, this is the ultimate (and usually unappreciated) gift.

I started this piece some time ago. It was inspired by my son and his "play gym". As I stuck my head under it and  along side him one afternoon, I was struck by the way it was a world within a world. At that time, he was just a few months old. If I took the gym with us, we could do anything. Need to paint in your studio for a couple hours? No problem, take the little world along and the babe will be happy content.

All of this got me thinking about my little world within the larger world. What do I distract or entertain myself with? What do I fixate on? Do these things really matter? What is going on outside that I overlook or miss entirely? It's a simple idea, really, but I think it is important to be aware and keep perspective.

This adult-size play gym is constructed from tent poles, foam tubes, and hand stamped and stained cotton. The quilt squares are around 20" x  20" each. (Overall dimensions coming soon.) This is my first attempt at stamping my own cloth. I used acrylic paint with textile medium in lieu of dyes (It was easier to start and stop over weeks and weeks...and safe to use in a living room next to a baby.)

 

 

Complete with distorting mirror to capture your gaze.



I also used Cleanline Inko Resist for the first time when stamping this cloth. It is awesome! It is a air-dry, water-soluble resist that is easy to use and gives great results for non-immersion dyeing/stamping/painting processes. More on that soon...