Invoking the Muse "with a little help from my friends"...

Angel Painting by Howard Finster

I just issued a challenge to the TAFA Team (TAFA's members selling on Etsy) to explore the theme of "Invoking the Muse" in blog posts, treasuries and in any other way they can think of.  As I chewed on what that meant for myself, I thought about two things:

• The creative place is an altered one, the closest I experience as described by mystics who engage in prayer or meditation.
• That altered state is often enhanced by our "friends": alcohol, caffeine, sugar, nicotine or other mood alterants.

Howard Finster came to my mind.  An outsider artist and preacher from Georgia, Howard Finster has passed on to the ultimate altered state, death.  But, his work continues on as a legacy.  I love how his pieces are sermons of his world view (not necessarily my own), but his story also captivated me a long time ago.  Finster was a revival preacher until one day, when he was fixing a bike (if I remember correctly), a splotch of oil on the ground looked like Elvis to him.  He saw that as a calling from God to become an artist.  Finster is often described as a "man of visions", not only because of his huge body of work (all supposedly numbered into the tens of thousands), but because he also had actual hallucinogenic encounters with Elvis, Marilyn, Kennedy and other icons of our pop mythology.

Why?  Maybe because he only slept four hours a night, added sugar to his coca-cola and drank chicory coffee all day and night.  He produced so much work that his wife laid down the law and allowed one piece in the house and the rest had to be outside.  That led to outdoor sculptures, the creation of Paradise Garden, and his growth into a tourist attraction, much to the chagrin of his neighbors.

In his book, "Howard Finster", JF Turner, addresses this question of altered states among artists.  He quotes Dr, Dean Edell, to whom he showed samples of Howard's work:

"If I knew nothing about this man and just looked at his art, I wouldn't be surprised to find that this person was a chain smoker and a coffee drinker.  Nicotine and caffeine have synergistic effects on the body and the mental state.  In one test where nicotine was given by injection and not identified, many of the subjects throught it was cocaine.  Nicotine is a very strong "upper" that has effects on the mind that are only now being unraveled...

... You don't have to look deep or hard in art history to find a relationship between artists, alcohol, and even chain-smoking.  This is the sense that people utilize to keep them going.  It would be hard to imagine somebody like Mr. Finster putting out his kind of energy in a consistent way without some pharmaceutical or spiritual help, and that in itself alters aesthetic expression.  Mr.  Finster is borderline, meaning only  that he experiences hallucinations.  By this definition, most of the world's great visionaries may have been psychotic.  I think that with high dosages of caffeine and nicotine, a borderline personality can be thrown into a visionary or hallucinogenic state."

Notice how the good doctor says "pharmaceutical or spiritual help" but does not explore the spiritual side of this formula.  Finster was driven by both.  He was deeply motivated by what he felt he needed to share with the world through his direct connection with God.  As his art was a sermon, so was his message to anyone who would listen.  Here's an example (feel free to roll your eyes...):

I know I have my mood alterants.  For me it is nicotine and wine.  I'm one of the last smokers that I know and hate it.  I've tried to quit so many times that it's become like Mark Twain's quote, "Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world.  I have done it thousands of times."  I've been seriously considering going the medicated route and am scared to death of messing with my chemical balance.  For, even with this horrible crutch, I am even tempered, wake up happy, and rarely feel any signs of depression.

But, even as I feed my muse its offerings of smoke and the red fruits, I believe that my creative spirit comes from a deeper place, from my own understanding of God's grace.  Whatever you may call God, for me it is a place of love, forgiveness, and meaning.  The world view I was taught as a child fits within that, but it also goes beyond any intellectual understanding of what faith may be.  My father once described faith to me as stepping out into darkness.  That image stuck with me because that really is what life feels like.  Decisions are made, chances taken, doors open and close, with no real knowledge of what the consequences will be down the road.  When I enter the creative mode, something physical happens where that darkness is lit up.  It's the only way I have been able to experience mysticism. 

If we, as artists, really can be diagnosed as psychotic, then what happens in a healthy world?  Does the drive disappear?  I don't think so.  The same energy is re-harnessed with a different drive.  Perhaps those of us who need some help from our "friends" are only doing so because our bodies are out of balance and we compensate in this way.  Something to chew on...

I was able to make my pilgrimage to Paradise Gardens many years ago.  Mr. Finster was still alive, but not well on the day that I was there.  His grandson had him sign some pieces that I bought there in the gift shop, but I did not meet him in person.  I walked around and let Howard's art fill me with joy.  What I know for sure is that we must all invoke our muses and allow them to speak loud and clear.  The world is full of angels.  Mr. Finster was one of them.



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Invoking the Muse "with a little help from my friends"...

A Fiber Artist's Perspective on Easter

Resurrection Quilt by Terri Hancock Mangat

I should be at church right now as it is Easter Sunday. For Christians, this is one of the big days to go and celebrate the life of Christ and the hope we have of life after death with Him. But, I stayed home and spent some time on YouTube looking at Easter related videos. For those of you who are Christians, have a wonderful day. And, for those of you who are not, may your day be filled with joy also!

I have always had a an interest in religion and how it impacts society. As a missionary kid in Brazil, both church and being American defined our daily lives. As an artist, these experiences and how I translate my beliefs often surfaces in my work. As a wife, being married to a Muslim announces my commitment to ecumenism, religious tolerance and love for the other. As a silly person, humor helps keep things in perspective.

I found some videos that tell the Easter story in a visual manner which I hope you will enjoy. This first one does a decent job at looking at world religions and identifying why Jesus is unique to Christians:



Jesus Christ Superstar was one of my favorite movies as a teenager. In fact, my father took me to see it and we had great discussions after it. Interestingly enough, the movie ends with the death of Christ and begs the question of his resurrection. Here are two clips from the old and newer versions:




Some of my non-Christian friends are horrified at how we, Christians, can laugh at our beliefs and make fun of God. For example, Monty Python's "Life of Brian" follows the life of a guy who was a contemporary of Christ and often gets mistaken for him. He ends up crucified as well. Some may think this is sacrilegious, but pastor's kids especially, need to vent their anxieties about having to be good somehow! You wouldn't believe how many Jesus jokes we knew as kids. "Jesus walks into the inn, lays three stakes down on the table and asks, 'Can you put me up for the night?' " The need for this humor has lessened for me with age, but Eric Idle singing "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" while he is on the cross will always be a favorite of mine!


Finally, music is central to both our Easter experience and religious tradition.


Christianity should be, but is not, a united front. We are split between the Right and Left (and a bunch of splinters in between and on the outside), often making it difficult to remember that our common ground is Christ. We often appear to be even separate religions. But, central to all the religions is love, tolerance, forgiveness, compassion and these take a lifetime to understand and develop. So, we each start with what we have and hopefully create a domino effect towards peace, both in our spiritual lives and in our work. Peace be with us all!

A Fiber Artist's Perspective on Easter

Hanukkah, A Festival of Lights in Fiber

Sieberdesigns Hanukkah Wall Hanging on Etsy

"Hanukkah (Hebrew: חנוכה‎, IPA: ['χanuka], alt. Chanukah), also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the re-dedication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, and may occur from late November to late December on the Gregorian calendar."

So begins Wikipedia's explanation of Hanukkah, a complex story of revolt, miracles, and celebration, layered in history and Jewish tradition. The holiday's most recognized symbol, the Menorah, represents the Festival of Lights.

Traditional Menorah

"The festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a special candelabrum, the nine-branched Menorah or Hanukiah, one light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night. An extra light called a shamash (Hebrew: "guard" or "servant") is also lit each night, and is given a distinct location, usually higher or lower than the others." (Wikipedia)

The Hanukkah story is complex to non-Jews, reflecting a people's history of struggle and liberation. Leonard Nimoy does a wonderful job of making the story come to life through his narration, "Chanukah in Story and Song". NPR runs the program yearly and each time, the delightful program seems fresh to me:

"Narrated by Leonard Nimoy and sung by the acclaimed vocal sextet The Western Wind Vocal Ensemble, Chanukah in Story and Song is a unique holiday program created especially for public radio listeners. This delightfully engaging program presents 25 eclectic selections, from the Ladino songs of the Spanish Jews and Yiddish melodies of Eastern Europe to modern Israeli tunes and the ensemble's original version of "I Have a Little Dreydle." The ensemble performs a cappella as well as with instrumental accompaniment. The narration, written by Rabbi Gerald Skolnik, sheds new light on the holiday's customs and rituals."

I thought it would be fun to find some Hanukkah quilts for this post, but found that there were not many via a Google search. I did find an interesting site, JudaiQuilt, which explores Jewish textiles. The site owner, Cathy Perlmutter, states:

"Both the process and the product of quilting dovetails beautifully with Jewish ritual and history. As in most cultures, Judaism involves an abundance of beautiful and thought-provoking textiles, whether for daily use, holidays, or lifecycle milestones. Learning about the history and meaning of these textiles has been one of the most fascinating and fun parts of my journey."

The site welcomes submissions from Jewish fiber artists around the world, including the Hanukkah quilt below made by Sue Fineberg:

Hanukkah Quilt by Sue Fineberg

I also found another site, Kol Haverim, which stumped me a bit. A community of humanistic Jews, they seek to explore identity without being religious, yet many of their celebrations are rooted in religious tradition. I understand the desire to connect with ones roots, but it seems to me that some things cannot be sliced away from their point of origin and still remain meaningful. In any case, they use this beautiful quilt as their icon:

Kol Haverim Quilt

I took a look on Etsy and found lots of beautiful clay and metal menorahs plus a couple of Hanukkah-themed fiber items:

Hanukkah Menorah Afghan by crochetbunny

Felted Chanuka Tapestry by Nushkie

If you know of any other sources, please leave them as a comment so that we have some more references for the future.

I must end this post with my two favorite political comics, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, as they sing about Hanukkah and Christmas. Enjoy!

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

A Colbert Christmas: Jon Stewart

Colbert at Christmas
Colbert Christmas DVD

Green Screen
Bill O'Reilly Interview

Hanukkah, A Festival of Lights in Fiber

Three Iranians Bow Down to a Baby Jew...

Felted Nativity by Beneath the Rowan Tree

A highly unlikely scenario these days, don't you think? But, apparently, it did happen a couple of thousand years ago. Christmas is coming and with it, the same stories and images we hear and see over and over again every year. Sometimes it's good to revisit them, poke them a little, and maybe expand the images we carry in our heads.

We think of the three wise men as vaguely coming from the East with flowing robes and large turbans. The Biblical text is found in Matthew:

The Visit of the Magi

Matthew 2 (NIV)

1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him. 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 In Bethlehem in Judea, they replied, for this is what the prophet has written:

6'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'

7Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him. 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

I was raised as a PK (Pastor's Kid), so I've heard, sung, enacted and seen the story a gazillion times. You know, the pat version that has gotten engrained into our popular culture these last two thousand years. Sermons often do try to address the origin of these three men, what their gifts mean, downplaying the role of magi and making them into kings. Magic and astrology are NOT embraced by Christianity and here it is, smack in the heart of the biggest story in the Bible. So, of course, there is more to it, right?

I went to Wikipedia first to revisit background information. They sure do a good job of providing comprehensive data on almost any subject under the sun! Without getting too deeply into it, here are a few points that caught my eye:

• "Magos" actually refers to a cast of Zoroastrian priests, probably Persian, which is modern day Iran.
• We know them by three names, Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. But, there are many variations, including a belief by Chinese Christians that one of them came from China. The three faces that now seem so familiar to us were popularized in the 12th Century and formalized by the 15th. They represent the three stages of life: young, middle aged and old, as well as the three known worlds at the time: Europe, Africa and the Orient.
• The first known artistic images of the three wise men (3rd Century) show a much different picture than what we are familiar with today:

One of the earliest known depictions from

a third century sarcophagus.

Similar attire continued for a few more centuries:

Byzantine art usually shows the Magi in Persian dress (breeches, capes, and Phrygian caps). Mosaic, ca. 600.Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, Italy - restored.

• Finally, the symbolism behind the gifts: "Many different theories of the meaning and symbolism of the gifts have been advanced; while gold is fairly obviously explained, frankincense, and particularly myrrh, are much more obscure. They generally break down into two groups:
  That they are all ordinary gifts for a king — myrrh being commonly used as an anointing oil, frankincense as a perfume, and gold as a valuable.
  That they are prophetic — gold as a symbol of kingship on earth, frankincense (an incense) as a symbol of priestship, and myrrh (an embalming oil) as a symbol of death. Sometimes this is described more generally as gold symbolizing virtue, frankincense symbolizing prayer, and myrrh symbolizing suffering." Wikipedia

Let me sidetrack here. I ran into that Byzantine mosaic several times. It's in the public domain so everybody is using it, I guess. The most interesting version was on this site called The Irish Origins of Civilization, a long, very long rant about how all as we know it started in good old Ireland. I have a tender place in my heart for the Green Emerald... Coming from Icelandic descent, there's a drop or two of blood from that part of the world running in my veins... (Danish men bopped Irish women on the head and carted them off to Iceland, right?) Anyway, if you are bored and looking for something very long to read that plays with the origin of all things, check it out. Here is a snippet:

"The term Israelite has its etymological origins in the term Iesa, the Druidic Christ. A high initiate of the Cult of Iesa was known as an "Iesa-ite" or, as it has come down to us, an "Israelite." The Israelites were worshippers of the sun, stars, and zodiac.

The Three Wise Men (referring to the mosaic above) - the Magi who followed the bright star (the sun) to the birthplace of Jesus (Iesa). This artist clearly shows the three travelers as Caucasian. The number 3 is used in the bible as a symbol representing the Druids and their gnosis. The three gifts they bore are all symbols of the sun. The gifts identify the magi as members of the Solar Cult.

They were the stellar priesthood of Ireland, and closely associated with the Chaldean and Egyptian magi. We find them obliquely referred to in the New Testament "Nativity" story. Apparently, three of their number followed the sun (the bright star in heaven) and visited the birthplace of Jesus, the king of light. It appears that the authors of the bible wished to incorporate information about the Druids early on in the story of Jesus. The references to the "three kings" and "three shepherds" are cryptic references to them, or to members of their worldwide colleges. The bible, however, does not elaborate on the visiting magi or explain why and how they came to a remote inn when Jesus was being born there."

Huh? Sorry, but there's not enough Irish in me to swallow all of this without a really, really big spoonful of sugar... I wondered if the Zoroastrians laid claim to the three men from the East. Sure enough, I found that Farsinet embraced the story, although with a slightly different twist on symbolism:

"While oftentimes conflicting lore muddles the story of the Magi, those bearing gifts for the Christ child are Caspar of Tarsus, Melchior of Persian and Balthasar of Saba. Weary from desert travel, the Magi humbly offer their gifts. Caspar is young, European and offers gold. Gold finances the Holy Family's coming flight to Egypt and also symbolizes Christ's immortality and purity. For his generosity, Caspar receives the gifts of charity and spiritual wealth. Melchior is middle-aged, Persian and offers myrrh. Myrrh is a fragrant gum, which the ancient Israelites believed to strengthen children. This symbol of Christ's mortality was blended with wine and offered to him on the cross, and also mixed with aloes to wrap his body for the tomb. Melchior receives the gifts of humility and truth. Balthasar is elderly, Ethiopian and offers frankincense. Frankincense is a resin used in incense for worship and also symbolizes prayer and sacrifice. Balthasar receives the gift of Faith. And Christ, humbling himself to become man, offers us the greatest gift of all, the light that forever burns in the darkness. "

This version uses similar references to origin as the medieval sources. It also goes on to talk about Marco Polo's reference to a visit he made to where the three wisemen were buried:

"In Persia is the city called Saveh, from which the three Magi set out when they came to worship Jesus Christ. Here, too, they lie buried in three sepulchres of great size and beauty. Above each sepulchre is a square building with a domed roof of very fine workmanship. The one is just beside the other. Their bodies are still whole, and they have hair and beards. One was named Beltasar, the second Gaspar, and the third Melchior."

Wikipedia confirms this and also mentions that the Shrine of the Three Kings at Cologne Cathedral still contains the bones of the three kings.

All very interesting. A Turkotek discussion on Zoroastrian clothing caught my eyes as I travelled the Google road. Turkotek is a wonderful resource for any textile enthusiast, especially concerning Central Asia. Expert members share their knowledge over different textiles that they find. In this discussion, they examine a pair of brightly colored bridal trousers, beaded and embroidered.



Apparently, women by the 19th Century wore these bright colors, while men unadorned costumes, much more subdued than the women. The mosaic suggests richer garb for the men of Jesus' time, but perhaps styles can change quite a bit in several hundred years...

This was about all the time I was willing to give to expanding my thoughts on the three wise men. Perhaps it is a big mind boggling to think of Iranians giving a baby Jew any kind of obeisance today. But, let us remember two things. In the first place, there was strife in the air two thousand years ago, too. After the wise men left, Herod had all babies under two killed as he was afraid the infant Jew would threaten his throne. Secondly, that whole region of the world shares much more in common than they do in difference. I believe that despite the blood shed of recent history, the people want peace. They are cousins and with good leadership (their own!), they can once again find not only tolerance, but prosperity and good will. At least that is my hope. And, I believe that is the gift the wise men saw in that little baby, the King of Peace.

Three Iranians Bow Down to a Baby Jew...

Anne Lamott Made Me Laugh Today

I was working on inventory, listening to NPR. This American Life was on with an old story by David Sedaris that I had already heard. Still good, chuckle, chuckle, but not new. Sarah Vowell followed. I had heard that one, too. Must have heard the whole show a long time ago... Yep! It WAS originally aired in 1998! What a memory! Except that I didn't remember the third guest, Anne Lamott. In fact, I don't remember ever hearing about her, ever, ever, ever before! How could I not? As I worked away, I almost peed in my pants from snortling. Well, not really, but I loved what she was saying and how she was saying it and I wanted more, more, MORE!

Anne Lamott is a writer, so I'm sidestepping a bit on the fiber focus here, except that I think what she has to say is relevant to all artists, in fact, to anyone interested in life. Swimming her way out of alcoholism into a life of grace and faith, Lamott is my brand of Christian. It colors everything she addresses, but in a sarcastic, self-deprecating and humorous voice more often heard by progressive Jews. Not apologetic, she embraces the name of Jesus with as much foracity as any born-again Baptist. But, it's done in a way that makes me flutter with joy inside.

I googled her and of course, there are gobs of interviews out there and some videos. The story I heard on This American Life was a great introduction and you can hear it on their site. I also found her as a guest on the Colbert Report:

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Anne Lamott

Ron Paul Interview
Bob Barr Interview

Green Screen
Bill O'Reilly Interview

Finally, I listened and watched the following interview. It's an hour long and I didn't really want to spend that much time on it, so I figured I could watch a bit and turn it off. Nope. Got sucked in and enjoyed it to the last minute. She talks a lot about her work, how the creative process develops for her, and about the emotional and financial realities she experienced through different phases. This, I thought, is good fodder for all creative people (who, I assume, are the corps of my readers...). Give it a try! If you roll your eyes or get bored, you can turn it off:

Anne Lamott is now on my reading list. The grabber for me was her humor. Then she pushed the hook in with intrigue. She was obviously working hard to do the Jesus thing while having a really hard time looking right-wing Jerry Falwell types in the eye. Anti-Bushonomics Christians are not found in abundant supply around here. And, often, progressive Christians are so depressed about everything that they aren't much fun. Well, Anne Lamott made me laugh today and I thank her. Whatever your walk in life, I can guarantee that if you have a sense of humor, are interested in people, art and politics, then she will make you laugh a bit, too. Something I believe we all need these days!

Anne Lamott Made Me Laugh Today

Symbolism of Day of the Dead Altars

Exhibit of altars at Museums of Port Isabel.

Today and tomorrow are big days of celebration in Mexico. The Day of the Dead honors those who have passed on to the other way, but also acknowledges the fine line between the living and the dead, a line of perceived reality where the dead still walk among us. This time of passage is historically connected to Aztec practices of harvest and transition. Synchrotism under the Roman Catholic Church moved the date to the current holiday, making it coincide with All Saint's Day, or Halloween.

Creating an altar to honor the dead is a central part of the celebration. These are erected both at home and at the cemetery. The altar's decorations all have deep symbolic meaning explained well in this video while "Llorona" (the crier) is sung plaintively in the background:


Jim and Mindy, two Americans living in Veracruz, Mexico, document their life there through their blog, Solarhaven. They photographed this altar in 2007:


As explained in the video, Mexican altars have several symbols found commonly on the altars. Go Mexico has a wonderful guide on how to make your own altar. The most used symbolic elements include:

• An arch: This is the portal to help the dead through. Traditionally, sugar cane stalks are used.
  
• Photos: Images of the beloved and other deceased icons (often famous artists, actors and musicians)
  
• Water: The source of life, refreshes the spirits. The video also showed leaving soap and a towel so that the spirits could dust themselves off after such a long journey.
  
• Candles: Light, faith and hope, the candles light the way for the deceased. They are often placed in the shape of a cross.
  
• Incense: Copal clears the way from any bad spirits that might be hovering around.
  
• Flowers: Marigolds are the official Day of the Dead flower. They represent the impermanence of life.
  
• Food: A special bread (pan de muertos) accompanies any favorite foods the beloved might have had. Sugar skulls also decorate the altar and can be eaten after the festivities.
  
• Personal items of the deceased: Small objects belonging to the beloved are placed as a reminder of the time when they were alive.
  

There are many other traditional symbols that can be added, but these are the main ones. As the Southwest of the United States was once Mexico, the Day of the Dead has always been practiced there, too. The photo below is from an excellent article about Mexican Americans in the United States (Every Culture).

Mexican-Americans celebrating the Day of the Dead

As we have become more conscious about multi-culturalism we have seen the Day of the Dead become adopted by non-Mexicans. Perhaps because the celebration is so life affirming, the chance to look at death with humor, dignity, and hope makes this day one that so many want to embrace. The altars themselves, have also become a tool of protest in many communities. For example, this altar honoring civil rights leader, Rosa Parks (who was not Mexican), was on BoingBoing:

When I lived in Chicago, I saw many altars over the years used as protest symbols against gang violence or other tragedies. Cultural centers engage youth and local artists in altar competitions that often result in powerful testimonials on society and its inequalities. St. Mary's College of Maryland has an altar competion every year for its Spanish classes. This one is a loud protest against drunken driving.

If you have never experienced the Day of the Dead, seen its altars or enjoyed all the whimsical skeleton art that is associated with it, definitely take a look around you and see what local happenings are honoring the dead. If you are in a larger city, there will definitely be something going on. Many smaller communities also now have displays and exhibits, often lasting on into the middle of the month.

The Day of the Dead is a great way to take some time to think about life, to remember those who have passed and to honor both their place and ours in this little world we call ours.

Day of the Dead books and gifts on Amazon
(Purchases help support this blog)

Symbolism of Day of the Dead Altars

The Making of a Quilt: The Book of Kells by Donna Hussain

Illuminated Manuscript from Ireland, The Book of Kells

The image above, a portrait of John the Apostle from the Book of Kells, was my inspiration for making the quilt below.

Quilt by Donna Hussain: The Book of Kells

The Book of Kells, a national treasure of Ireland, is an illuminated manuscript of the four Gospels of the New Testament transcribed by Celtic monks ca. 800. The text is written on folios of calf vellum that are richly decorated with Christian iconography, intricate interlacing patterns, and figures of humans, animals, and mythical beasts. The Book of Kells was my inspiration for developing a way to draw knotwork designs and sew them with bias tubes on fabric. My article on this website, Interlacing Designs for Quilt Borders, September 26, 2008, is an introduction to this process. But my ultimate goal was to render the Apostle John from the Book of Kells in the fabric of a quilt. I realized that I could not replicate the masterwork of the manuscript illumination but hoped to simplify the portrait of John and pay homage to the religious themes and symbolism found in the manuscript.

When planning my quilt I could not arbitrarily assign a finish size. There were practical constraints to consider when sewing the interlacing designs within the four cross blocks in the border of John’s portrait. Two variables would affect the block size: the width of bias tubes chosen for the knotwork, and the pattern scale. I had to make several sample blocks to test these parameters before I settled on the best size to make the cross blocks for my quilt.

Interlacing Design in the Crosses

This knowledge enabled me to draw the entire quilt border on a large sheet of graph paper and to visualize the size of the center space where John’s figure would be placed. The graph paper I use is Drafting & Design Fade-Out Vellum from Clearprint, a firm you can access on the internet at http://www.clearprintpaper.com/. I buy a roll of 36 inches x 20 yards, l000-4. This last number means that my graph paper of choice has four squares to an inch. A roll of twenty yards lasts me for about five years of quiltmaking.

I next decided on my color palette (purples, blues, and greens) and selected fabric for the quilt. The decision on the background fabric was difficult to make so early in the project. Fortunately, my choice, a soft pink print, proved to be fortuitous. I also made a decision to appliqué John’s figure to the center of the quilt after I had sewn the background and border blocks together. I chose this assembly method in order to ensure that the border blocks were symmetrical and squared.

Assembly Map of Border Blocks and Background

All of these preliminary steps took months to complete. In spite of the fact that I still had to design John for the quilt center I decided to take a break. So I stowed the graph paper design and quilt fabric on a closet shelf. Normally I work on one quilt at a time and finish all of the quilts I start to make. Taking a break was a risky strategy for me, but served me well.

Several months later, reinvigorated, I took a class from Judy Mathieson, who teaches the drafting of mariner’s compass blocks and their paper-piecing. I wanted to learn her techniques in order to design and sew John’s halo. Since my halo is only a partial circle and John’s head covers the center I did not have to worry about sewing accuracy. Novice makers of mariner’s compass blocks often create a “volcano” in the center because of their lack of sewing precision.

Once the halo was sewn I was ready to draw John’s portrait. I tried and tried but never could get his proportions right. Fortunately I have an artistic son who came to my rescue and drew John’s outline to scale. I first made John’s head with curly hair and a beard as in the illuminated manuscript. Then I added big eyes and mouth. The result astounded me. My John looked so compassionate. Elated, unsure how that happened, I now had confidence that the time and effort I was spending on the quilt was worthwhile.

John’s Head and Halo

From the onset of the project, I planned to use purple fabric (for majesty) for John’s clothing. Instead of the voluminous robes in the manuscript, I decided to make a serape sewn with bargello strips. I changed the awkward position of John’s manuscript arms with arms I found in a book of medieval costumes. When people ask me why the index finger on John’s left hand is pointing, I have to admit there is no good reason, except that the hand was at the end of the arm that I chose.

Because the Book of John in the New Testament was written by the Apostle, John is usually portrayed holding a book and a pen in religious art. Instead, I placed a flagellum in John’s right hand. A flagellum is a liturgical fan that was used in the early Irish Catholic church to scare away evil spirits from the alter. Illustrations of flagella appear throughout the folios of the Book of Kells.

The Book of Kells Quilt, Detail: Liturgical Fan

Perspective was not well understood in the ninth century when the Book of Kells was being transcribed. So it doesn’t matter whether viewers of my quilt have difficulty telling whether my John is standing or sitting on the couch. The monks were also weak in anatomy. Look at the position of John’s legs in the manuscript. His knees are forward and his feet facing sideways. I copied this feature and added some whimsy by placing John’s feet on a balance.

The striped second border was added last. I also embellished the quilt with beads and charms but used them sparingly on John's figure in respect to his vow of poverty as a disciple.

California quilter, Donna Hussain, has exhibited in major quilt shows around the country, authored books, and is a regular contributor to Fiber Focus. Click on her name to see all of her past articles.

The photo shows Donna with her husband, Pascha.

The Making of a Quilt: The Book of Kells by Donna Hussain

Bismillah: The Making of an Islamic Quilt by Donna Hussain

After learning how to quilt I decided to make one quilted wall-hanging a year in honor of my husband’s Muslim heritage. Bismillah is a quilt in that series. My goal was to render in fabric the beauty of Islamic motifs in mosaics, calligraphy, and architecture.

Mosaic wall panels and tile floors in Islamic buildings are many of the same geometric designs that we use in quilting. I chose the eight-pointed star, a pattern frequently found in Mid-East décor, for the patchwork background of my quilt.

After drawing the pattern on graph paper I identified the basic shapes required to sew the stars: a large square, two rectangles, and a small butterfly block.

My favorite method of sewing a butterfly block is to cut down a four-square block as illustrated.

Graph paper also helped me decide that vertical rows were best for sewing the pattern together. When the patchwork for Bismillah was completed, it reminded me of mosaics I have seen in mosques.

Many Muslim artists follow the Old Testament injunction against making a graven image or the likeness of any creature. Though the Koran does not specifically forbid the representation of living things, some hadiths (sayings) attributed to Mohammed, the Prophet, do so. This helps explain why calligraphy and other forms of abstract design are favored in the Islamic world. The calligraphy is usually a saying of the Prophet, a line of poetry, or a verse from the Koran. In buildings, the writing often serves as a border to a mosaic wall panel. Or the script may be embedded within geometric patterns.

The calligraphy of my quilt is Bismillah al Rahman al Rahim (In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful), the first words of each chapter of the Koran. When I first saw this calligraphy in a book, I did not know its meaning, but was moved by the beauty of the Arabic brush strokes. Once told the meaning, I liked the calligraphy even more. I made templates of the inscription to appliqué to my quilt.

I also turned to a reference book to learn how to draw an arch for my quilt Bismillah. (In Muslim prayer rugs, the arch symbolizes the portal to heaven.) Since I did not have a compass big enough to draw a large arch, I improvised. On the non-wax surface of freezer paper I anchored a tape measure with a sharp pin, then moved the end of the tape measure in half-inch increments marking the curve of the arch with a pencil mark at the end of the tape after each move. Then I joined the pencil marks in one continuous line. Lastly, I cut the paper on the drawn line and threw away the freezer paper from the center of the arch. What remained was a pattern for marking the arch curve on fabric.

To do so I ironed my paper pattern wax-side down on the right side of the fabric that I had chosen for the arch. This stabilized the fabric while I drew the shape of the arch on the fabric with a white fabric-marking pencil. The line marked the stitch line when I appliquéd the cloth arch to the patchwork background. But before the sewing could begin I had to cut out the center of the arch fabric ¼ inch from the stitch line toward the center of the arch to provide for a turn-under seam allowance.

One final word on the making of Bismillah. Usually I favor simplicity over embellishment of quilts. But I sewed small beads on this quilt to hide the places where my star tips failed to meet. And I added tiny brass trinkets bought at a bead shop to my clamshell zigzag quilting because the arch fabric was too bland, overwhelmed by the quilt center. The trinkets add visual interest to the quilt, although viewers usually think that they are part of the fabric pattern unless they look closely.




California quilter, Donna Hussain, has exhibited in major quilt shows around the country, authored books, and is a regular contributor to Fiber Focus. Click on her name to see all of her past articles.

The photo shows Donna with her husband, Pascha.

Bismillah: The Making of an Islamic Quilt by Donna Hussain

Guest Artist: David Lucht of Cowango

I am absolutely thrilled to have David Lucht as a guest here on Fiber Focus. Dave and his wife, Stefanie Graves, moved to Paducah as part of the Artist Relocation Program. We still don't know each other well, but I look forward to growing our friendship in the future. I have seen a lot of batik in the past, mostly from Indonesia, Brazil and by other American artists. I even tried my hand at it a couple of times and was discouraged to end up with blobs of melted wax. Batik requires patience, persistence and skill. David is a master, the best I have ever seen! -Rachel

Batik: A Tradition Looking Forward

BuddhaGator

Batik? Isn't it that 60's thing with the tie-dye and all? Most people make that connection and associate batik with that particular decade - the freedom-loving, civil rights, ethnic pride decade. The downside of that connotation is that this technique of fabric design with ancient roots can seem dated, dependent on the whims of constantly churning fashion trends. The upside is that batik connects on a very basic level with core values that emerged in that decade, and to an even more ancient history of traditional styles that serve us today through the richness of cultural diversity.

Our traditions are our reference points. They differ from habits in that they represent something about us collectively, something good about who we are. They are social rituals that we consciously maintain because they confer meaning. You belong here. You are in this family. You are part of a good thing. Modern life is a siren song that seduces with novelty, outrageousness and glitter. The value it presents to us is that we must stay entertained and distracted. Our traditions on the other hand act to ground us with timeless values from the past. The values that tradition promotes may be less fun and flashy but they speak to elements of our better nature; how to lead with your heart, serve community, and seek beauty.

Fortunate Son of Fez

Artistic traditions serve the same purpose. Actually, artists conduct their business on the innovative edge of tradition. Even rampant iconoclasts break with something. Most artists I know are proud to stand on the shoulders of the masters in order to discern what lies ahead. Artists learn the rules and the traditions, sometimes using this knowledge in order to break with them. But always with this purpose, with this desire - to understand traditions with fresh eyes. With this knowledge and with a spirit of experimentation we learn to keep what works and is true and to abandon the rest.

It's Snow Mountain

In a sense the most important artistic tradition is artistic activity itself. As long as there is an active culture of art-making the historical traditions can live and new ones can have a chance to be born. Whether we express ourselves conceptually, abstractly, with representational art or with some hybrid form of all the above we are part of an artistic tradition. And we always express ourselves in relation to that tradition, even as we break from it.

The Darndest Thing

I guess all of this discussion about the importance of tradition is to lay the groundwork for my defense of batik as an important medium for artistic expression. Batik seems quaint and arcane. It's definitely out of the mainstream. Maybe that's actually part of the attraction for me. The history of batik is a long one (perhaps several thousand years) but the development of batik as a serious medium for contemporary expression is relatively short. With ancient origins in China and Egypt, batik eventually came to Indonesia and became a large part of that country's artistic identity centered in the city of Yogyakarta in eastern Java. Over the years the use of batik in fabric design achieved an incredible degree of refined craftsmanship that amazed Europeans when the textiles were brought to the west. The phenomena of batik as a fine art is, by comparison, rather recent. Artists in Asia and Europe began to experiment with batik in the 1950's and 60's in order to produce works that reflected both a contemporary sensibility and a respect for tradition.

Floating

I've been a batik artist now for many years. I was initially attracted to the medium because it seemed to be full of unexplored potential. There was more space available in batik for me to do whatever I liked since, with its traditional roots in textile design, batik didn't carry the historical burden of painting. I realize now that this is only a trick of the mind (though one that got me back on track) because for me it really is painting and my process of identifying and developing imagery relates to the history of painting as well. Again, this history is a force of tradition that I need to understand, bring forward and reconstitute (or abandon) through the work of artistic creation, based on my personal take on the world.

Monastic Observance

My view of the world emerged during a turbulent and idealistic period of American life. The main lesson I learned then was to look deeper, and to use the heart to try to perceive what is real and true. Like so many others, my wide-eyed idealism suffered some bad erosion in the storm. But I still enjoy kicking down the beach to find what washes up. Scattered everywhere are little gems that tell me this earth is precious, demanding our respect and love.

Dance of Spain

I am a representational artist. My personal approach to image making comes out of an impulse to find the visual component that conveys a certain value. I still pursue ways to include people because I think the human image, rendered by hand, is a way to give them honor. I love everyday settings of work and conversation because these things give substance to our humanity. I am undeniably drawn to landscape and botanical forms because my sense of wonder has its source in the marvel of nature.

Front Back Knit

Batik offers the perfect challenge for me as a representational medium and I have developed a strong affection for the process through the years. I talk a lot about the magic involved: the wax resisting the color, obscuring the design with multiple applications, the revelation at the end when the wax is removed. But there is also the knowledge that people all over the world are doing it to add joy and beauty to their lives. I know this sounds trite but when I do batik I feel connected to the world. The process that developed in the world of craft has begun to flower in a multitude of contemporary styles. Each style, each personal artistic vision still connects back down the chain of tradition.

Fabricantes

So can batik survive the burden of history, the burden of tradition? As an amateur student of history I love to follow the threads of tradition and I also recognize that certain periods require us to unravel traditions in order to grow. But the core values in these traditions remain and new traditions emerge that embody the core values of the former ones. Batik is steeped in tradition and will continue to grow. The saving grace is that batik artists who love this tradition continue to evolve and explore new ways to use the medium in an on-going adventure.

" I came to batik painting through my love for its magical qualities of obscurity and revelation. The image is developed through repeated dyeings and waxings, gradually becoming almost entirely covered in wax. The finished work is only seen in its entirety at the very end of the process, when the wax is removed and the image revealed."

-David Lucht

Visit Cowango for more background on the pieces shown in this article and for more of David's work. Stefanie is also a talented artist and her watercolors are also on the site.

Guest Artist: David Lucht of Cowango