The word “isolation,” at this moment in time, can only mean quarantine from the Covid virus, to me. For nine months my husband and I have stayed at home, being as careful as possible to avoid getting this virus. It hasn’t always been easy, but we remind ourselves, almost daily, how lucky we are to have the means and freedom from jobs to be able to do this. It helps to know this, but it has grown tiresome and as the virus rages on, increasingly it begins to feel hopeless and endless. The world feels dark, dangerous. And yet we have our home, our garden, our sheltering trees and the sound of the creek, and flowers and my studio! My studio feels like a true refuge of peace, calm, light, color. So I imagined a patched and pieced world of darkness and jagged edges, surrounding my refuge. At first I envisioned a silhouette of a tiny me, sewing, inside that colorful space, but once the basic piece was assembled, it seemed to tell the story just fine in an abstract way. Hopefully, each of us has that patch of light and hope in the midst of darkness and chaos, our own refuge from fear and dread. I confess I shocked myself by how dark this piece is. Sewing all those black and gray bits that reminded me of knives or thorns or even teeth was depressing, so much so that I came to dread it everyday. Fortunately I saved the the refuge block til the last and reminded myself that we are moving through a lot of darkness toward something–something bright and light and all the more beautiful for having survived a dark time.
Refuge
22″ x 40″
I agree about your refuge– the color and shape make it very clear that it is a happy place within the doom and gloom. Like you, I’m fortunate to be able to isolate without worrying about having to go to work. Here’s to being able to join the world again!
Terry, your refuge looks to me like the end of the tunnel. There is hope that things will get better soon and the dark world surrounding us will recede and get brighter. Your use of sawtooth blocks is very effective.
I’m inspired by how well you expressed a feeling using traditional quilting block construction techniques. I’d love to accomplish something similar.
The results of your isolation time are showcased in this beautiful work. Having the studio as a refuge, your gardens, and having your husband home and safe – all that is really needed for now. The contrast here is exciting and reminds me – there are dangers that lurk just outside our safe homes.