“Couching” Legos Artist Statement

For the past several years, my work has been focused on the environment, in this series I am actively involved in recycling and presenting as art what I have found and re-purposed. With this work I am objectively presenting what children play with. It is loosely laid out in a Mandala form, with the colors representing the 5 elements.

Receiving a 60 day notice to move in September 2020 while the fires were raging, having the daunting task of moving 3 boys during the school year and the Pandemic I roamed the house. While deciding what to do with my children’s legos, I decided to form mandalas of the elements of sorts with the random lego pieces I found while sorting and recycling.

I place the legos on the fabric and sew what I am able in a sitting, then dump them back into the box: when I return to the work, I redesign from where I left off. I am creating from a place of spontaneity and intuitive design. Using the ancient technique of couching, or Opus Anglicanum, where pure gold or metal thread is wrapped around a silk core,I use metal thread to sew the legos onto the fabric.

I leave the viewer to contemplate what is there.

Gathering Ocean
Stitched with the intention to bring health and wholeness to our community and world during the 2020 Pandemic. I utilized natural fabrics such as Belgian linen designed locally, heirloom linens, cottons, silks, and indigo dye as my mediums to “gather” in the essence of the ocean. The intention behind every stitch was to honor the elements.