As I began settling into my emerging role as an empty nester, I realized my art practice was entering a new phase. For years, creating often meant squeezing in a few minutes of drawing between school events, activities, and the demands of family life. With more space opening up in my days, I found myself drawn to a slower, more meditative process.
I had long admired the late Wanda Ewing’s latch-hook series, a body of work featuring sensual, brightly colored women rendered in fiber. While considering a project that would encourage patience and reflection, I happened to notice a magnet in my studio featuring one of Ewing’s latch-hook works. The idea arrived instantly.
The inspiration for the image itself came from my participation in the 2025 International Telephone Art Project, in which thousands of artists created work in response to another artist’s piece. I received a painting by Gail Thompson and had just two weeks to create my response. Inspired by her vibrant, patchwork-like approach to color, I painted a self-portrait in a similarly bright palette, incorporating a miniature reproduction of her original work in the background as a tribute. It was a departure from my usual style, and I loved the result. The image seemed perfectly suited for translation into latch-hook.
I transformed the painting into a custom kit and began the slow process of bringing it to life in fiber. Expecting it to take many months, perhaps even a year, I instead found myself captivated by the daily progress. What began during my residency at KINHOUSE became a nightly ritual, and to my surprise, I completed the piece in just one month.
This work marks the beginning of a new chapter in my practice. I already have plans for many more latch-hook pieces to come.
This artwork is available for acquisition, with an investment starting at $400.
