Otomi takes shape.

11.21.21: she’s done. me encanta. i decided to fill in the toe with 2021. maybe someday we’ll look back and say, oh…2021. what a year. i’ll finish her up soon. heading to DC to see LZ for Thanksgiving.

already ready for the next stocking. have the idea before i’v even finished this one. which is rare. sometimes it takes a long time to come up with the next thought.but not this time. go!

11.01.2021: spontaneous. unexpected. taking some time to be creative. energize. what one can accomplish in short order is remarkable. a little focus, some netflix, podcasts…head out of the game. loving this one and it won’t take much longer. did i mention i have the next idea and super excited about it? rare. ready.

9.6.2021: a new project: i love starting new things. but i don’t always know where the things will go. where will the ideas take themselves? how will they become their own? pero amo a todas cosas mexicanas, la gente, el país. el arte. y por todo lo desconocido…mejor explorar y empezar. lo mas difícil es la carrera que no corrimos.

Mexican art has always brought me joy — the bold colors, the movement. This piece was inspired by Otomi embroidery, with joyful patterns.

In 2000, my dear friend Christy gifted us a large Otomi textile as a wedding present. I framed it, and it still hangs in my home today— a daily reminder of her friendship.

This stocking is a tribute to Christy.. It blends the old and new: fabrics and beads collected over time, scraps from past projects,

2021 was a year full of everything — change, reflection, growth. And through it all, I loved working on this piece.

10.27.21: fill in the blanks. i don’t know what is next. but have the general shape. will fill in the space with something different than expected (expected here would be beads of solid bright colors directionally matching the blank blank space as thread would do.) instead i’m going to vary size, weight and direction, plus use unique thread from past projects here. so a bit recycled, but new.

10.4.2021: me plus you. leaning into my creativity blended with mexican otomi tradition. li zhi and i saw Hung Liu at the Nat’l Portrait Gallery. hung used famous images and transformed them into her own creations, inspiring greater work through collaboration. similarly it is inspiring to use traditional design mixed with me.