a record of the rain that has fallen on our Hill Country land,
measured in one inch patches of blue ...
measured in one inch patches of blue ...
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surrounded by patches of sunlight and sun-baked rock.
It's a far cry from my first arrangement of white linen patches back in August before I added colored linens and over-dyed the patches with Prairie Tea ...
The idea to make the cloth a record of the year's rainfall came early in October ...
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| Bottom third: January - April Middle third: May and the Memorial Day floods Top third: June - September (including 0" in July) |
before the Halloween flood pushed the monthly total to 19 inches ... almost as much as the total rainfall for 2011 in the Austin area.
So the end of the cloth awaits the final rainfall for November and December ...
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| Hopefully not more than 12 inches |
Meanwhile, I'll ponder how to back and stitch the piece while working on Christmas presents.
I have been wondering what would coalesce out of your patch collection....this is beautiful and so characteristic! Graphic and tied to the land. You have a real theme of place going in your work! (Don too.)
ReplyDeleteThank you ... your "terroir" comment really clicked for me! As for Don, well I definitely have some catch-up posting to do.
DeleteFor me, the grounding of your cloth work in the land so echoes what I love and understand from my own way with cloth. One of the first blog entries that I read of yours had to do with a unique rain chain that you created...this patchwork of land, rain and drought, tells not only an important story but also speaks of the noticing that is so important when we hold to the idea that all around us are stories speaking in wind, in water, and in wonder...
ReplyDeleteThank you for understanding this ... your prose echoes the poetry of the land and its water.
Deleteit's Brilliant, Liz....to be able to conceptualize in this way...just brilliant.....i am not such
ReplyDeletea patch person, but this, well could not be more perfect. I await further rainfall
The patches had a story to tell ... I had no idea there would be so many or that I would enjoy making them so much.
DeleteAnd thank you ...
Deletenow that's a long cloth.... and a story
ReplyDeleteI love that I seem to have made just enough patches to get me through ... barring another major flood. And if that happens, then I will just let myself be swept away to wherever the story takes me.
Deletebeautiful colours
ReplyDeleteIt makes me happy that they come from something that grows on our land.
Deleteyou grew the blue too?
DeleteThe yellow and blue started out that way, then I over-dyed them
DeleteWhat a great concept, Liz! You're really connecting to that "sense of place".
ReplyDeleteThank you! Even when I don't plan it, I keep returning to the land as my primary storyline. Guess I'm beginning to realize it's "my thing."
DeleteMe too re: both the underlying concept and your beautiful result. I love that it makes such sense.
ReplyDeletexo
I so appreciate this ... thank you
Delete