Animals as Art

May 25, 2011

In the next few days, which are dripping with anticipation as I await the arrival of my new Whippet Wonderdog-- Pearl -- a 5-year-old sweet as candy -- I find myself pawing through my art quilts, reminiscing the animals who have inspired my artwork. They are legion.

First there was Tootsie

When I was assigned to write about pets for the newspaper, I found my way to Kathy Varga's amazing farm in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. And there she was in all her toothy glory, soaking her feet in a cheap plastic kiddie pool filled with water. 

I'd never seen anything like this llama, a creature so mysterious and self possessed, she reached mythical proportions in my mind's eye. Her photo speaks for itself. A lifelong sewer, I wanted to run my fingers through her shag carpeting, but held my ground in deference to Tootsie's reign over her  dominion. She did not suffer strangers or fools and I could have been both.

A half year later, I was still thinking about Tootsie. Eight months after that I finished my first ever art quilt, called Mystique of the Llama. Not intended to be Tootsie, but to represent my feelings about these exotic creatures as a whole. The art quilt hangs in Varga's home in Peninsula. To this day I think it is one of my best. 

I have mentioned this to some of my students and it bears repeating. I made Mystique of the Llama because I had to. Was compelled. Even though I didn't know how. Had not a clue how to engineer a half million pieces of cloth into a single work of art that would withstand decades, generations.

Tootsie was in my heart and spoke through my sewing machine. I am but the lowly channeler. And here's the thing:  Art is more about faith than anything else. I try to stand back and let it happen. Kathy brought me this seminal experience. Thank you Kathy. I will always love you for sharing your animals with me. 

You can find Kathy here:  www.crookedriverherbfarm.net/