Change, Fear, and Expansion
My work is shifting.
Since the beginning of this year, I’ve felt drawn to exploring ideas that have no real connecting thread, and look a lot different from the landscapes I’ve woven before.
I zoomed in on little objects, like carnelian gems and wood shavings and beetles, practicing shadow, reflection, and light. I bought books on tapestry and painting and educated myself more about how color, value, and intensity work, and how I can apply them more thoughtfully in my weaving. I made swatches, mixing colors across the spectrum, to see how the materials behave.
Allowing myself the time to do this exploration is not easy. I make a large part of my living from my art. What if these ideas fail or are dead ends? What if my supporters, who liked my landscape weavings, don’t like this new direction?
But also, the only way to understand what is calling to me is to weave it out. I have a folder of ideas, images, and concepts that I collect, and these six months have allowed me to put them on the loom and see if they work.
One of the images I’ve wanted to weave for a while is this stunning photo of Jupiter, taken by Nasa’s Juno orbiter mission. I fell in love with the swirling color, the distinct bands, all those terrifying white circular storms.
To make this possible to weave, I printed out the picture, traced the prominent bands, and made choices. How much detail did I want to include? Where did I want to simplify the image to make it more “weaverly”?
As I wove first a small version, and this week a massive version, I read about Jupiter. It’s the largest planet in our solar system, named after a Roman god. Jupiter’s moons are named after the women in Roman legend—Io, Europa, Callisto—who orbited this king of gods.
This highly masculine idea of Jupiter speaks to me less than the association with Jupiter in modern astrology. (I know, I know, but hear me out.) In astrology, Jupiter is the planet of abundance, growth, and expansion. It motivates us to have the courage to explore new horizons, and trust that abundance will come on the other side.
I have no idea if I’ll weave more planets, but as I wove the swirls of Jupiter’s atmosphere this week, it felt fitting to think about how this planet signifies expansion and growth. My own expansion and growth as an artist might not be cohesive or make a lot of sense for a while as I work through ideas, learn, and challenge myself, but I’m channeling the courage of Jupiter to set out in a new direction, and trust that it will lead somewhere good.
This spring, custom orders have helped support me and allowed me to explore these ideas while still making an income. Some of these commissions have come from Substack! Thank you Dan, and David and Sally!
I am always open for commissions. It all starts with an email. Click the button below or just reply to this email to get the conversation started!
Being taken on your artistic journeys is a delight and very rich all at once! Thank you!
I love the astrological interpretation of Jupiter. And I’m encouraged by your bravery in exploring something new. Thank you.