During my initial Valley Grove tapestry design phase, I thought I didn’t need to weave the words “Valley Grove,” nor did I even need to depict the churches. After all, the tapestries would be IN the church; it seemed redundant. But then I thought about our plan to display the tapestries in other venues during winter months while the church is closed–then it makes perfect sense to depict the buildings and weave in the name. Here is the section of the stone church tapestry with words.
Wonky-shaped words are often found on historical Norwegian tapestries. Sometimes a date is found, or a description of the content (like the wise and foolish virgins or the feast of Herod), or the name of the person the tapestry is for.
I love the fanciful lettering on this 1760 billedvev, Kristi Forfedre (The Ancestors of Christ), with the heads popping into the top row of words.
Each day while weaving I watch the previous day’s episode of the PBS News Hour. The news coverage is great, and I especially enjoy the longer, in-depth pieces. If you are feeling disheartened by recent news of the pandemic and politics, here are three amazing recent arts segments that will restore your faith in humanity.
“How 3-D technology, goodwill gestures helped restore ‘Cleveland Krishna’ to divine glory.”
“How photographer Jeff Wall’s pictures duplicate ‘magic’ of large-scale paintings.”
“Creating a monument to Harriet Tubman ‘rooted in community’ in Newark, NJ.”