Unconditional Joy!

Unconditional Joy weaving project.

“Unconditional Joy” is the title of the workshop I presented at the NH Sate Council on the Arts this past weekend. At a lovely lakeside camp artists, teachers, administrators gathered for the 2013 Statewide Arts Education Conference. It has been MANY, far too many years since I have attended this conference, and darn it….I missed my peeps! Thanks to Catherine O’Brien and Frumie Selchen for keeping this annual gathering alive, and so vital to supporting the health of arts and education in the state of NH. In the workshop “Unconditional Joy” we explored what joy means to us, how we encourage and discourage joy in ourselves and others. With two paper weaving projects we explored community, personal stories and how to invite more joy into our lives.We closed our workshop with one of my favorite poems by Rumi: “After all these years, the sun never says to the earth “you owe me.” Look what happens with a love like that, it lights up the whole sky.”

Penobscot Bay, Merchants Row, near Stonington, ME

ABC’s of gratitude

Calm waters near New Castle NH

Lakeside Ossippe NH

Positive thoughts rule.

E is for ever.

I attempt to live with this kind of love, this kind of joy. But like all humans, I am imperfect and get off course. In an attempt to strive towards a better understanding of this lesson of unconditional love and joy, I began a project this summer that is rooted in gratitude. Using small plastic screen flags that are usually found on lobster pot buoys, I am stitching an “Alphabet of Gratitude”. As each letter is completed, I have begun to spell words. I often travel with the letters and invite others to spell something. I’m continually amazed by the words that show up. I am stitching letter O right now, and am excited to see what words will grow from adding a new vowel!

Making “Love Letters”

“Newtown, CT, We are family”

Paralleling this “Alphabet of Gratitude” work is a new community art project called “Love Letters”. Working with individuals or groups of all sizes I invite people to draw the first letter of something/someone they love. On the reverse side they fill in the blank: ____is for_____. As the letters accumulate, a word or string of words is formed. Look what sentence appeared at a recent arts festival in Newtown, CT!I am interested in traveling far and wide with this project. Please let me know if you are interested in inviting me to your community to raise up some “Love Letters”!

Spelling with “Love Letters”

And finally, please be sure to check out both my blogs: “Woven Voices:Messages from the Heart” and “Macomber Looms and Me”. Both blogs have more info and more photos about current projects.

Summer 2013 Gallery

This summer I decided that my front woods was a perfect place to hang a show. So I started making “post cards” of gratitude using fabric and plastic marine flags. Each flag has a fabric collage on one side a message on the other. They still look lovely hanging in the woods for all the world to see as they drive by my roadside gallery.

Along side my own projects, I have taught several workshops and done a few residencies since spring. here’s a gallery of images, from Mandalas to Paper Prayer Flags.

Phew! Summer!

People of Harvard MA

Wow!! What a busy and amazing spring and winter!I taught from Maine to New Jersey, small groups of two or three and large gatherings of over 1500.I guided weaving experiences for people of all ages facing grief, brain injury, aging, loss of mobility, racial discrimination and traumatic loss.We celebrated community, diversity, local history, our own inner beauty and the wisdom of  the heart. We talked about hopes, dreams, fears and worries. We made prayer flags, mandalas, small collage weavings and large tapestries.Here is a gallery of images that celebrate this work in community and love. Look for more news and photos now that I have time!

Boston Pubic Library April 2013

Weaving collage for elders. May 2013

Weaving collage by elder in CT May 2013

Weaving collage by elder in CT May 2013

Boston Public Library April 2013

Boston Public Library April 2013

“Good Grief” Community Mandala Morristown, NJ May 2013

Detail Milton Elementary School tapestry

Milton NH Elementary School Tapestry

Boston Public Library April 2013

Words of wisdom from Lewiston ME 1st grader

“Good Grief” Morristown, NJ Community Mandala May 2013

Diversity in Maine!

Lewiston, Maine First Grade Mandala

Silence

It is snowing again here in York Maine. I love the muffled quiet that surrounds me when snow falls. Deep, delicious silence.

Three Mandala Community Weavings from Harvard MA March 2013

Tomorrow I am off for a week of silence,  a Women’s Mediation Retreat.   It feels perfect to be heading off for this retreat. I’ve just completed a particularity busy month of residencies and ready to dip into this pool of reflection.These three Mandalas are from my 10 day residency at Hildreth Elementary School in Harvard, MA. These Mandala Community Weavings were woven by 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders, and will be decorated with about 100 clothes pin people each as well as ribbons with inspirational messages. Look for photos of the completed Mandalas at the end of March.I will be back March 15th. Thanks to each of you for your support of my work and your faith in my vision.Namaste, Sarah

Inspirational words from a 3rd grader.

Balancing on the Solstice

Here we are….on the official commencement of summer and the beginning of our days decreasing in sunlight (sorry to ruin your day!) This is the Solstice balance, balancing the light and the dark, the positive and the negative, the hot and the cold, plus for us on coastal Maine, the tourists and the townies!

CT workshop for families

For me it is the end of my school residencies and teaching. And today, it being almost 93 here in York, I went for my first swim!

Jim Wilson shows off his vintage reed making equipment.

Yesterday Ben and I went down to Central Falls, RI to visit The Gowdey Reed Co. I have started a blog about Jim’s family business as I am gearing up sales for them. Please check out this new blog, Gowdey Reeds, Heddles and Handweaving, where I explain how this company has been making reeds for 4 generations. The basic process has changed little, and each hand loom or industrial reed is made to order for the customer.Tomorrow I head back up to Haystack MT School of Crafts. I was up there last month, cleaning and repairing all the looms in the Textile Studio. Friday and Saturday, I will return to complete the job with a van load of parts from Macomber Looms. I think we picked the perfect week to be up there, as the temperatures here are going to be unseasonably warm.

My Woven Voices thesis with it's clamshell box

And here is a BIG TAH- DAH…drum roll……. I received my Masters of Art and Healing from Wisdom University this month. I am so proud of my thesis which is a series of hand-bound books that document and illustrate this four year global peace project.

Happy and proud boy with his self portrait for the Mandala

Thanks for checking out my website. I always love hearing from each one of you.Happy Summer!!~~ Sarah

More Mandalas

The Bancroft School Mandala

After school volunteers help to assemble the Mandala

This week I was artist in residence at the Bancroft School in Worcester, MA. I worked with Lower and Upper School students to create a stunning Community Mandala. There was time with each group to have a conversation about the history and cultural connections with Mandalas. During one of these discussion, one student asked me how many Mandalas I had made. I could not answer, but it is in the hundreds.Recently I have been thinking about making my own Mandalas. After the one that I made for the Izzy’s installation, I have been so inspired by the practice of making these mesmerizing symmetrical pieces. Each time I work with students and talk about how the Buddhist Monks make sand Mandalas over and  over again as a spiritual practice, I think about what I might learn from this practice.Today it is snowing, and most likely tomorrow we will be snowed in. It just might be the perfect day to start my own Mandala practice.

Detail of the Bancroft School Mandala

Winter play and winter creativity

It has been an entirely snow-less winter so far.  I cannot recall a winter that has not only been so snow-less but so warm.  Last night at a non-profit board meeting the Chairwoman opened with the question “How you you feel about this winter? Do you miss snow?” The answers were as diverse as those attending the meeting. My answer was YES… I miss snow days. I miss playing in the snow. I miss the unbelievable quiet that a heavy snow fall makes as it muffles all other noises.

1st Izzy's installation

I have been involved with a new arts organization in Portsmouth called 3S Artspace. Last fall they put out a submission call for a winter long installation in a local ice cream shop that is closed for the winter. This collaborative project has three artists rotating installations once a week for nine weeks, culminating in a group installation for the final two weeks. My first installation was inspired by our road trip to Florida in January. Riding in the car ave me the opportunity to sky gaze for hours on end. I saw so many beautiful hawks soaring along the highways edge, and the sky was so wide and beautiful. Each installation is supposed to build on the previous one. I used the red sticks and blue background from the artist before me, stenciled the cranes and added more sapling branches.

2nd installation at night

My second installation followed the same artist who had built these trees out of bark and created this forest scene with glass balls inside the trees and rubber snakes. I added these balls out of Styrofoam and plastic spoons and forks. I covered the windows with paper snow flakes and red cellophane, plus added more rubber critters. The spoon/fork balls were on motors and slowly rotated. I felt wintery and bizarre to me.

beginning the mandala at Izzy's

My third installation was this past Friday, and I followed a different artist who is much more of a minimalist. All of the previous materials had been removed and the space stripped clean. She painted stylized mountains on the walls and hung painted pieces of bark (from the a fore mentioned trees).

the mandala completed

close up of the mandala, spoons, forks, twigs, oranges, styro-balls

So on Friday, I came in with the idea that I would take down the bark, but not remove it, and create a 6 foot mandala on the wall using any/all materials from previous installations. Here’s the result. I love it! I also wrote a short quote from Rumi along the edge of the mountains and their shadows.This installation will disappear on Friday when the third artist returns and creates her final installation. What an amazing process!This winter I am also bringing to an end”Woven Voices: Messages from the Heart”. Please check out my blog and learn more about the closure of this four year global community art project. I am in the final stages of completing my Masters of Art and Healing, with a non-traditional thesis on this project.

the last prayer flag

All is well, even without the snow.Namaste ~ Sarah

Keep moving!

This summer my mother, Mary Louise, will turn 90. Look at her in this photo with my sister. Believe it or not, this photo was taken this weekend, one month before her birthday!

Lucia and Mary Louise in South Freeport Maine, June 2011

Doesn’t she look amazing?? I know her secret……she has always been an advocate of “move it or loose it”. Back in the 1960s she started taking yoga. I know for a fact that the daily practice of her exercise kept her from being bed ridden the couple of times that she had to be hospitalized.She is an living example of how important it is to keep moving.I try to keep moving in all aspects of my life. Most specifically right now I am trying to keep the momentum moving on the Woven Voices Kickstarter fundThe Grand Finale is now at 37% funding. Since Kickstarter is an all or nothing funding, I must meet the $4000 goal or no funds are dispersed!So in the spirit of Mary Louise, I ask you to take a peek at the Kickstarter video and make a pledge from $1 to $1000. Let’s keep this project moving.Thread by thread we can build a more peaceful world.Ok, gotta run….Sarah

Join me

This week on May 11th, I will be back in Market Square in Portsmouth, NH. It has been several months since I have been there to read the messages of hope and peace that I gather for the Woven Voices Project.

messages of hope and peace

I have about 200 messages that I collected during my recent travels to South Africa, St. Helena and Barbados. I hope that you will join me to read and/or simply listen and witness these personal prayers.

giving away the prayer flags in South Africa

After these messages have been read on Wednesday they will come back here to my stdio and be woven into prayer flags.I am in need of weavers too! No experience necessary to weave, just call/email me and we will set up a date/time for you to come. I ask for only a two hour commitment.

Sailors Duncan and Irene from Canada about to hoist up their prayer flag on board "Moose"

After the flags are woven, I will send them out to the world. At this point there are over 500 flags flying from East to West and from North to South.There are even some prayer flags that are traveling on sail boats!

"Moose" picks up a mooring arriving at St. Helena.

My friends Duncan and Irene aboard “Moose” sailed near us from South Africa to St. Helena. They had a grueling passage as their auto-pilot stopped working only a few days out from Simonstown. They hand steered for 11 days, arriving in St. Helena exhausted. What heroes! Look closely and you can see the prayer flag still flies high after over 1400 miles at sea.So if you are able and interested, please join me Wednesday at noon. I so appreciate everyone’s support of this global peace project.Peace ~ Sarah

Closing in

She who breathes

This week we had seven weavers in the studio. Women who came and breathed their energy into this project. I thought this prayer flag message particularly appropriate!Each flag is woven with messages that come from all over the world. Many voices for peace, for hope, for love.

One voice, One world

Each message is read many times before it finally gets woven into the prayer flag. Then the message is often fractured and the language becomes mixed with other language.This prayer flags reads: “I love music for awake people to be awake.” Interpret this however you like.

I love music

I see compassion and joy.

Forgiveness forever

Forgiveness Forever. Yes to that.This week we are closing in on the 100 prayer flag goal. Many many thanks to everyone for the support, words of encouragement and energy.

Weave Hope

84 prayer flags

Our world is moving like the sun; moving ever so slowly and steadily toward a new horizon.Happy Solstice ~ Sarah

54 and counting….

Weaving messages of peace

This week nine lovely weavers came to the studio to weave prayer flags.These weavers came in response to my challenge/invitation to the community to help me create 100 prayer flags to take on my travels to South Africa and crossing the Atlantic to the Caribbean.

What color is hope?

Some weavers came in the company of an old friend or two. Some came as individuals.

Weaving in the spirit

Some had never woven before, some had woven as younger people.All came with an open heart and open mind. Giving the gift of time and effort to unknown friends. So far we have 54 prayer flags woven and ready to go!

Hands for peace

Sewing the prayer flags after weaving

Many thanks to all who lend support through time, effort and voices.~ Sarah

100 Prayer Flags for the world

On December 29th 2010, I will be flying to Cape Town, South Africa. This will be the starting place for a very amazing journey.

Bahati

I will spend about two weeks in Southern Africa and then get aboard the yacht  Bahati, a 43′ Montevideo owned by dear friends from Maine who have been circumnavigating the globe since 2005.During my two weeks in South Africa, I plan to share handwoven prayer flags from the Woven Voices project.My goal is to have at least 100 community woven prayer flags to distribute freely both in South Africa and en route to the Caribbean.

Pile of hand woven prayer flags

Please go the the project blog ~ Woven Voices: Messages from the Heart to learn more.And please contact me if you are able and interested in coming to the studio to weave. All I ask is a two hour commitment of your time. No experience necessary!Namaste ~ Sarah

Openings, closings, beginnings, endings

December 3, 2010. The third candle of Hanukkah is lit tonight. In nineteen days we will celebrate the Winter Solstice; the tilting of the earth back towards the sun, the return of warmth and light to the northern hemisphere. Transition, change, ritual, celebration and tradition are all apart of our environment as well as our culture.

The sun returns

In my teaching and studio work, these patterns hold true. Wednesday the show at Maine FiberArts and the exhibit at USM Lewiston came down. I spent the better part of this morning repacking, rehanging and storing the exhibited works.On Tuesday I completed my eight week residency at Sweetser School in Saco. I LOVED teaching at this school! Our last day we made birds…birds because I believe that birds are a symbol for being uplifted, for hope and imagination. It is a documented fact that making art can build resiliency. Our felt birds are lifting us up while we are creating them.

a bird in the hand

I am so inspired by the work that these students create. Full of light, love and SO imaginative.

American Kestral

With each ending there are good byes, thanks yous and hopes for future projects, opportunities.Moving on. Just like the sun, we keep moving on with our lives.So in the spirit of light, love, letting go, and moving on, I salute the sun.The sun inspires me to rise each day, to move, to smile even if clouds block my ability to see the light.Namaste, Sarah

Community Mandala, Nov 2010