Pendulum Swinging
Politics also go through a seasonal cycle, but instead of the sweet and nurturing circle we experience within seasons of the year, political climates are right and left, pendulum swinging back and forth. The trapeze is up so very high!The political tribes have opposite view points on so many things - Are rules for the public's protection a good or bad thing? Is the thing we want going to benefit me mostly, or all people? How much money and power should the Federal Government have, or would it be better closer to home?
"Three steps forward and two back." That is the expression that describes the push and pull. (However ... in 2017 it feels more like 5 steps back [especially for women] and the predominantly old white men are watching the untrained boss operate a wrecking ball.)As an artist living in these frustrating, interesting and scary times, I have something that I wish to say, and doing so helps me feel a bit better. So I am creating artwork that asks the question "What is needed to heal from a torn society/community/family?" What colors, fabrics, and images will show the civil and loving society that I wish for? I want to return to three steps forward and two back. It is my Wishful Healing series. 
Many of the fabrics I'm using are hand painted and have a soft nurturing quality. Colors that repeat are BROWNS (mother earth), PURPLE (spirit) and CHARTREUSE (new growth). There are many frayed and torn edges visible. All the applique and quilting is patiently sewn by hand. Healing also takes time.Much of the artwork for this series is abstract. The concepts about healing are challenging. In "Communion" I have represented the political right and left as the shapes of circles and rectangles, and created something nurturing. The shapes are harmonious together. In "Consensus" the various players sit at a round table and embrace a common pulse. The three branches of government are visible also. In"Faith" we see light at the end of a dark jumbled passage. The light also looks a little bit like a figure. In "Syncopated Dialogue" the two sides are working together in a favorable way to create an energetic exciting music.One of the things I did on the 11th day of September 2001, after the twin towers fell, was to pick apples. On the outside the fruit looked fine, but nearly every apple had a worm living in the core. It seemed so fitting - our imperfect and sometimes dishonest greedy government had given the terrorists plenty to hate. Unfortunately the USA is imperfect and sometimes rotten in the middle.The apple harvest is different every year, with larger quanities falling on alternate years. Two years ago, there was a big harvest of medium sized apples and no worms. Last year there were very few apples (almost none). This year (2017) the apples are huge and plentiful, and almost every one is rotten at the core. So, patiently I remove the middle, and slice and dry the good part. There is a lot of good part. It makes delicious apple sauce and crumble. I also see a lot of good part in the USA.
(Imperfect) Apple Crumble: Wash apples. Remove the rotten part. Do not peel. Chop about 4 cups and place in baking dish with 1/4 c. water. Mix together in a small bowl, 1/2 c. oat four, 1/4 brown sugar, 1 t. cinnamon, and 1/3 c. uncooked oats. Sprinkle this over the apples. Thinly slice 1/4 c. butter and distribute over the top. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees. Cool before serving. It's good topped with plain yogurt.
