Early Work

This work is very early, from the time in grad school, through my teaching years in Gambier, Earlham and LaCrosse, before I moved back north. I recently digitalized my slides and decided to look at these early images. Many of them were done with fabric or with colored pencils and watercolor on paper.

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color pencil and crayon on watercolor
about 15x15'' 1989

I was teaching in a department with 8 old men who had been tenured together for 16 years. I was academic staff, so had to fight for my job every year. I needed protectors! Part of a long series.

This painting comforted me.

I was able to get it back, and now I am keeping it!

The Protector
color pencil and crayon on watercolor
about 15x15'' 1989

I was teaching in a department with 8 old men who had been tenured together for 16 years. I was academic staff, so had to fight for my job every year. I needed protectors! Part of a long series.

This painting comforted me.

I was able to get it back, and now I am keeping it!

Leaving Home
Applique, quilted fabric 27x33"
1995. See "textiles"

This quilt is in my home studio.

Burning House, detail
Quilt, applique, crochet, quilted fabric

This quilt is in my home studio.

color pencils, about 9x12''

A very early work done right after our house burned when we living in a borrowed place feeling homeless.

Because I recently had a request for card of this one, I re-drew it and am having cards made, 4x6"

House with Red Barn and White Cloud
color pencils, about 9x12''

A very early work done right after our house burned when we living in a borrowed place feeling homeless.

Because I recently had a request for card of this one, I re-drew it and am having cards made, 4x6"

old fabric pieces, about 40x30''
Inspired by an old French song. The first of a series of fabric hangings after reading about the kantha, a kind of spiritual art done by women in Bangladesh.

This is one of the pieces that burned in our house fire.

Banner for the March of the Beggars
old fabric pieces, about 40x30''
Inspired by an old French song. The first of a series of fabric hangings after reading about the kantha, a kind of spiritual art done by women in Bangladesh.

This is one of the pieces that burned in our house fire.

fabric scraps, quilting, about 40x40'

An older work done when I was active in the Women's Movement. Starting as a landscape, I cut it into pieces and rearranged it, connecting pieces with little 'bridges.' I did many quilts during this time, also major research on the connections between women's history and their quilt patterns in Knox County, Ohio.

Now in the collection of Birgitta Ralston, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Bridgings
fabric scraps, quilting, about 40x40'

An older work done when I was active in the Women's Movement. Starting as a landscape, I cut it into pieces and rearranged it, connecting pieces with little 'bridges.' I did many quilts during this time, also major research on the connections between women's history and their quilt patterns in Knox County, Ohio.

Now in the collection of Birgitta Ralston, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Dawning
color pencil on watercolor, 18x24''

Collection of Florence Short

color pencil on watercolor about 15x15''

This work is about my mother's vision of a city in the sky, done while I was living in Gambier, and collecting stories from her, before she died.

private collection

City in the Sky
color pencil on watercolor about 15x15''

This work is about my mother's vision of a city in the sky, done while I was living in Gambier, and collecting stories from her, before she died.

private collection

watercolor and color pencil about 15x15''

Done when I was moving to LaCrosse to teach at the University after my Earlham residency.

private collection

House Exploding
watercolor and color pencil about 15x15''

Done when I was moving to LaCrosse to teach at the University after my Earlham residency.

private collection

watercolor and color pencil about 15x15'
Once I started, I did many paintings about burning houses, symbolic of change and loss.

I no longer have this painting.

Burning House
watercolor and color pencil about 15x15'
Once I started, I did many paintings about burning houses, symbolic of change and loss.

I no longer have this painting.

Oil on canvas about 48x48'

This is the first oil painting I had done in many years, in 1986 when I had to teach painting as a visiting artist at Earlham College. It was 10 years after the house fire.

In the collection of the Little Rapids Corporation, Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Burning House
Oil on canvas about 48x48'

This is the first oil painting I had done in many years, in 1986 when I had to teach painting as a visiting artist at Earlham College. It was 10 years after the house fire.

In the collection of the Little Rapids Corporation, Green Bay, Wisconsin.

The Fire
color pencils about 12x15''

a very early work done not long after our house fire.

private collection

dyed fabric and embroidery, quilted. about 15x15''

Done while I was teaching ''Crafts'' at the University in LaCrosse. I loved this class and learned new techniques. They cancelled the class after a few years and I moved on to teach painting and to focus on large paintings of protector animals (see Animal Paintings.)

private collection

Beaver's Lament
dyed fabric and embroidery, quilted. about 15x15''

Done while I was teaching ''Crafts'' at the University in LaCrosse. I loved this class and learned new techniques. They cancelled the class after a few years and I moved on to teach painting and to focus on large paintings of protector animals (see Animal Paintings.)

private collection

Daylilies
oil on canvas about 24x36''

This painting was done in grad school at Iowa.

private collection