(handmade cloth art doll, approx. 10" tall)"Whey-ah-Wichen" (Facing the Wind) is the name given to the park near my parents' house. Its forest and beach provide a place of solace, refuge, and joy to me on each of my visits "home." I created this spirit doll, or talisman, the year my father died. It's free-form,entirely hand-stitched, and uses objects mostly found in the park or on the beach there. The body is made from a man's handkerchief that had been lying on the grass in the rain and the sun for several days. The hair is a tuft of dog hair that I found billowing along the trail. Sticks, shells, stones, dried moss were all gathered there. The beads, paints and threads were part of the "arsenal" I'd brought with me, knowing I'd have the urge to create something, somehow, during my 5-month stay. When the figure was finished, I still felt something was missing, but I knew it would eventually come to me. Sure enough, on a visit to a native art gallery, I picked up the last free postcard advertising an event in the park, "Whey-ah-Wichen" in bold print across the front. I cut out the name and stitched it to her body.
With this talisman, I was able to bring the spirit of the park, and my memories of that time, back with me when I returned to my east coast home.
Here are some pictures of my beloved park. If you'd like to see more, head over to my Decollete blog.
