In Praise of Grids

drawn & painted

and here we are / graphite, oil on canvas / 36 x 36 in / 2022

untitled / graphite, oil on canvas / 24 x 24 in / 60,96 x 60,96 cm / 2022

graphite, acrylic on cardboard / 8 x 10 in / 20,32 x 25,4 cm / 2022

graphite, colored pencils on cardboard / 6.5 x 7 in / 16,51 x 17,78 cm / 2022

Not This Time / 2020 /graphite, acrylic on canvas / 12 x 12"

interdependent / graphite, acrylic on paper / 2020 / 12 x 18"

interdependent detail / graphite, acrylic on paper / 2020 / 12 x 18"

Untitled (yellow 917) / 2020 / graphite, colored pencil on back-of-a-sketchbook / 18 x 24˝

Striving / 2019 / graphite, acrylic, on chipboard box / 10.75 x 12.5˝

Truly Radiant | Bright & Strong / 2020 / graphite, colored pencil, chip board boxes (travel toothpaste) / 12 x 5˝

Not To Be Forgotten / 2019 / graphite, imitation gold leaf, colored pencil on back-of-the-notebook / 10.5 x 8"

Stand Tall / 2019 / graphite, imitation gold leaf, colored pencil on back-of-the-notebook / 10.5 x 8"

code ORANGE / 2019 / graphite, acrylic on wood panel / 36 x 36˝

Green / 2019 / graphite, acrylic, bees wax encaustic on wood panel / 36 x 36˝

recipically connected / 2019 / graphite, acrylic, bees wax encaustic on wood panel / 36 x 36˝

reciprocally connected / 2019 / graphite, acrylic, bees wax encaustic on wood panel / 36 x 36˝

summer chorus / 2019 / graphite, acrylic, bees wax encaustic on wood panel / 12 x 12˝

the greening / 2019 / graphite, acrylic, bees wax encaustic on wood panel / 12 x 12˝

untitled / graphite on wood panel / 2018 / 12 x 12"

stitched

only once / 2020 / graphite, thread on paper / 18 x 12"

Redwork diptych / 2020 / graphite, thread, tea-stained paper / 18 x 18˝ each

Redwork diptych detail / 2020 / graphite, thread, tea-stained paper / 18 x 18˝ each

and/or detail / 2018 / tea stain, graphite, thread on paper / 12 x 18˝ each

and/or detail / 2018 / tea stain, graphite, thread on paper / 12 x 18˝ each

to grow (horizontal) / 2018 / watercolor, graphite, thread on paper / 12 x 18˝ each

tto grow (horizontal) / 2018 / watercolor, graphite, thread on paper / 12 x 18˝ each

to grow (horizontal) [detail] — to grow (horizontal) / 2018 / watercolor, graphite, thread on paper / 12 x 18˝ each

untitled 2018 / 2018 / acrylic, graphite, thread on paper / 21 x 21˝

untitled 2018 (detail) — untitled 2018 detail / 2018 / acrylic, graphite, thread on paper / 21 x 21˝

as one / 2017 / black and brown ink, metallic thread, graphite on paper / 12 x 12˝

as one detail / 2017 / black and brown ink, metallic thread, graphite on paper / 12 x 12˝

alt reality/gilded age (four) / 2017 / black and brown ink, metallic thread, graphite on paper / 21 x 21˝

alt reality/gilded age (four) detail / 2017 / black and brown ink, metallic thread, graphite on paper / 21 x 21˝

alt reality/gilded age (three) / 2017 / black and brown ink, metallic thread, graphite on paper / 21 x 21˝

untitled 2016 / 2016 / thread, gold leaf, graphite on paper / 21 x 21"

untitled 2016 (detail) — untitled 2016 / 2016 / thread, gold leaf, graphite on paper / 21 x 21˝

01.01.2016 / graphite, black & brown ink, imitation gold thread / 2016 / 24 x 43"

dusk/dawn / 2016 / paint, thread, graphite on canvas / 36 x 36˝

dusk/dawn (detail) — dusk/dawn detail / 2016 / paint, thread, graphite on canvas / 36 x 36˝

over/under / 2015 / thread, graphite on canvas / 18 x 18"

basket weave / 2015 / thread, graphite on paper / 21 x 21"

red over red / 2014 / thread, graphite on canvas / 18 x 18"

Blue over Dressmaker Pattern / 2013 / tissue paper, thread, graphite on paper / 21 x 21˝

Underland / thread hand stitched in a grid on paper / 2013 / dress-maker patterns, thread, graphite on paper / 37.5 x 37.5˝

Magpie (two) / 2013 / tissue paper, thread, graphite on paper / 37.5 x 37.5˝

Magpie (two) [detail] — Magpie (two) / 2013 / tissue paper, thread, graphite on paper / 37.5 x 37.5˝

March into April / thread hand stitched on paper / 2013 / tea stain, graphite, thread on paper / 37.5 x 37.5˝

After John Cage / thread hand stitched on paper / 2012 / tea stain, graphite, thread on paper / 37.5 x 37.5˝ / DIA collection

untitled / 2012 / thread, graphite on canvas / 8 x 8"

Silver over Grey / 2010 / graphite, thread on paper / 18 x 18˝

collaged

Silence / 2016 / graphite, gold leaf on wood panel / 24 x 24˝

Silence (detail) — Silence detail / 2016 / graphite, gold leaf on wood panel / 24 x 24˝

Gold Grid / 2014 / dressmaker patterns, thread, imitation gold leaf, paint, graphite on paper / 37.5 x 37.5˝

curb series / 2010 / graphite, acrylic, paper on wood panel / 12 x 12˝ each

The repetition of women’s work so often goes unrecognized. These marks, marks of time and effort made by the passing of a needle, draw my attention.

—Holly Bechiri, editor in chief at cultured.GR

Through my studio practice, I employ craft and the grid to represent gendered labor, another term for caregiving in its various forms. This labor, traditionally performed by women, is underestimated and deprecated in our society, yet it is the backbone of our culture.

Redwork Diptych
“Redwork” gets its name from a special type of red thread developed in Turkey more than 200 years ago. Previously thread wasn’t colorfast. Colors would bleed in the wash, so colored thread couldn’t be used on quilts or garments. With the introduction of a colorfast red thread, quilters and embroiderers could adorn everyday items with color.

The parallels I’ve marked between our natural world and that of women’s work, sewing, weaving, quilting, is the descriptive language. Threads, weave, and linked are all terms used to describe craft, and they are also emplyed to identify the actions performed by soil microbes and their relationship to the roots of trees.