Navigating Challenges and Finding Joy

This fall and winter have brought some personal challenges. In late September, I went in for my routine screening mammogram. Instead of the usual “see you next year” report, I got a call back for additional images. Those images led to a biopsy, and then to scheduling a consultation with a surgeon to remove a small, suspicious mass. The surgeon reassured me that it’s very likely nothing, but the lab couldn’t rule out other possibilities.

I was originally scheduled for surgery in late November, but the day before, my husband and I both tested positive for COVID. It was our first experience with the virus, and thankfully, our cases were mild. My surgery was rescheduled for early February, but I may need to delay it again due to upcoming insurance changes as my husband searches for a new job.

If there’s one thing uncertainty is good for, it’s keeping your mind too busy to dwell on a small mass. Instead, I’ve been preoccupied with bigger life changes. Even so, it hasn’t been all bad.

One of the most joyful moments of this fall was adopting Harley, our sweet mixed breed dog, during a quieter time in October. Harley has been such a source of comfort and fun, joining us on walks and filling our days with her playful energy. There is nothing like a dog to remind you of the small daily kinds of joys.

Harley at Lake Minnetonka’s frozen shore

After the chaos of November, we managed to find quiet moments during the holidays—reading, taking hikes, and spending a few days watching eagles along the Mississippi River. While I often see eagles during errands or dog walks, spotting over a hundred was a special treat.

Eagles taking a break from fishing the Mississippi River

On the brighter side, I’ve been honored to participate in several exhibitions, more than I think I’ve ever had at once. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s happening:

Current Exhibitions

Arts North International 30 Juried Exhibition
January 11 – February 22, 2025
Hopkins Center for the Arts
1111 Mainstreet, Hopkins, MN 55343

I’m thrilled to share that I received a special award from show sponsors David & Martha Raymond: In the Tradition of Arts in Harmony Award ($100) for my piece Restoration.

Restoration, 18.5" h x 27" w x 1" d, linen and cotton

Opening Soon

Common Thread at the Carnegie

This exhibition features the works of 75 Textile Center of Minnesota members, whose work was a part of Textile Center’s 2024 A Common Thread exhibition.
January 29 – February 22, 2025
Carnegie Art Center
120 South Broad Street, Mankato, MN 56001

Inlet, 13" h x 28.25" w x 1" d, linen, cotton, and silk

Vibrant Traditions: Scandinavian Weaving in the Midwest
January 31 – April 6, 2025
Norway House
913 East Franklin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN

Meander, 24.5" h x 22.5" w x 1" d, linen and cotton

Closing Soon

Friend of Finland
November 21, 2024 – January 28, 2025
Finlandia Art Gallery
Finnish American Heritage Center
435 Quincy Street, Hancock, MI 49930

I’m so honored to have my work on display in the place that my great grandparents lived after their immigration from Finland.

Headwaters, 30" h x 28" w x 1" d, linen and cotton

Even with the ups and downs, I’m grateful for these opportunities and for the quiet moments of joy we’ve been able to carve out. Harley, the eagles, and the chance to keep creating have been reminders to stay present and appreciate life’s little gifts. Here’s to navigating what comes next with as much grace as we can manage. Thank you, as always, for your support!

Becoming

 Winter is a time for deep reflection and reckoning. This season has been a difficult one with a lot to sort through. Since the coming north, I realize that I’m still in the process of moving. Sorting, packing, and letting go, mentally this time. The distance has allowed for new insight into events of the past and in decisions about how things should be now, moving forward.

Work in progress - handwoven fabric, vintage linens and endless amounts of scraps.

I’ve had moments sitting in the dark not understanding which way to go. It is frustrating on many levels, but I must remember that it is often like this in the middle. Gradually, we can have a glimpse of the direction things are going. Becoming is a slow process and I can feel the pace of life starting to quake. In the studio I have been following an instinct to find ways to dealing with scraps, found vintage textiles and past pieces that never worked. I have been experimenting with them and have some works in progress. On my loom I’m still working with rag rug structure as a launching point for new work. I’ve been thinking a lot about the saying “sweep it under the rug.” As I work to uncover my family story, I’ve been pulling up the rugs and look for what was hidden.

Rag rug coming off the loom. The color mixing on this one surprised me. I want to make more.

This exploration on the loom seems to have legs. I keep having questions to answer, ideas to try out. I love the color potential of rugs with painted warps and my own hand dyed fabric. There are so many ways to bring color and texture to life. And there are so many surprises.

scraps get cut and joined together for rag rug weaving.

This year one of my overarching goals is to search out new communities to join. I’ve begun to wonder if I’ll seek out a studio space outside of my home to work in and to be closer to other artists. I’m looking for opportunities to join my passion for the outdoors, art and education.

One of the biggest surprises from the move is how much I have changed. This place, this Minnesota has worked some magic on me. I feel myself becoming more myself here. My attunement of place has heightened and I’m finding myself more curious. There is an audible psychic sigh of relief in our part of Minnesota. On Wednesday the snow began to fly in the afternoon and continued into the evening quite heavily. We woke up the next day to about six inches of snow. This is our first significant snow of the season. We had a seasonal total of four inches of snow until the other day (with over ninety inches last winter). The anxiety of Minnesotans was palpable. Though we may complain about the snow, it is part of what it means to be part of this place.

The sun after the snow. The light and shadows are so beautiful.

Impaired Water

I never really thought much about rag rugs until lately. So it is with some amusement that I have found myself drawn to making them. In the past,  I’ve made a few functional rugs for my studio space, and I love living with them. I love that I can reuse textiles or use up fabrics that have been languishing in my fabric collection. Rag rugs represent a link to culture for me, on both my Swedish and Finnish sides. They are so common in homes of Nordic decedents. I have a book and a DVD on my shelf about the rag rugs of Finnish American weavers. My new preoccupation is using a rag rug foundation to layer fabrics and stitches to build upon the meaning of home, culture, and to reuse my maps of environments and places in nature.

 I started by hand painting a linen warp to build colors of the warp with the colors of the rags that I’m using. I cut down remnant fabrics from other projects, overdyed textiles from the home, and perhaps my favorite, fabrics that were once pieces that didn’t work out, leaving the stitches in place and letting them poke out into the rug. I love seeing how color can be altered while the weaving is taking place.

Rag rug in progress on the loom with stitch remnants from a previous incarnation.

My latest work, Impaired Water, resulted from this experimentation. In this piece, I wove on a linen painted warp with linen fabric scraps and handmade paper. The paper is printed with the names of names of impaired waters found in the seven counties of the Twin Cities Metro areas. Monitoring water impairment and reporting findings every two years are requirements of the Clean Water Act. Impairments can include bacteria, litter sediment, and fertilizers. Storm water runs unfiltered off lawns, parking lots and roads and ends up in our lakes, streams, and rivers. Local and state governments are working to mitigate the impacts on our water. There is also a lot that individuals can do to improve water health in their neighborhoods and communities. To learn more, visit the Minnesota Water Stewards website at https://minnesotawaterstewards.org.

Impaired Water, 2023

When I wrote my proposal for the Art for Water project, I proposed a group of eight pieces for exhibition in the fall. Since I have continued my research into the project, it became clear that this wasn’t going to be just a single project, but a body of work. Impaired Water is the first piece.

Detail of Impaired Water with the names of water weaving in and out of visibility.

I received news this week that Impaired Water was accepted into the Minnesota State Fair Fine Art Exhibition. I’m thrilled that it will be seen by so many at the state fair, bringing the message of protecting our water to many people.