I feel like I am also out on a limb today, after my studio work for the afternoon. I’ve begun a project that’s already presenting me with both color challenges and emotional tone challenges.

My vision for the piece is a collapsed house – one that looks as if it has been actually pushed over by a force growing from inside. There will be a large tree growing out of a broken window — the tree as embodiment of that force. And, outside, where the tree protrudes beyond the house into a space, a young girl sits on a limb. She’s not falling off, but it’s certainly precarious. How did she get out there? How will she get down?

This is a lot to deal with. I want the viewer to feel a connection to the girl. I want to create wonder about the story of the collapsed house.

And the palette is tricky. I am using a digitally printed image of the house and it is dictating a strong presence of yellow-grey tones, not a regular color choice for me.

Earlier this week I created some fabric yardage with colors and textures I like. I’ve got the beginning of a composition cut out and mocked up on my assembly table. I have a sketch of the child that I like. And now I feel like I just need to go slow. Stitch the textures in the sections I’m sure about. Keep going back to the worktable to work out the parts I’m not sure about yet. Remember the story I want to suggest and the emotion I want this to convey.

I believe this will come together. But it’s not there yet. And, when a the piece has emotional content that’s important to me, the process of making feels a bit… precarious.

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