H I V E

hive  (haɪv)   — n
1. a colony of social bees
2. a place showing signs of great industry 

I have a new project for which I'm thinking about the social connections made among 'makers' when they work together. Over the next couple of months, I'd like to organize some 'Bees' - events where interested individuals would work with me in the creation of an artwork entitled HIVE. If you are interested in participating in this group project, please read on...

As you know, I've been fortunate to be able to teach knitting and crochet at In Stitches in Weston for many years. During that time I've witnessed a camaraderie stronger than any other in my life's experiences, with more acts of kindness, support and sharing than can be documented. There's a freedom of the self conscious that happens when individuals come together to work with their hands... they transform into a whole... as if it's their own private society.

An approach I often take in my artwork is to begin with a material and then combine references of the biological world with a meditative work practice to mimic the accumulations that happen in nature. 'Hive' is designed after this model. Using aluminum screen, repetitive tubelike units are sewn with steel wire and then assembled into an organically growing matrix. As a group, we will be sewing the individual tubes and since this doesn't require any specific needlework skill, it is open to all levels of experience. The expectation is that we will fall into our comfortable zones together, investing in the collaboration and bonding as a whole.

ONE DAY was a similar collaborative project where many in my communities collected and helped process the plastic newspaper sleeves from delivered newspapers. I'm convinced that the resulting popularity, and all the accolades that is has received, is a direct result of the confluence of friends and family who came together to work on it. I would like to explore this rewarding experience with this work and others in the future.

If you're interested in participating in this project, please let me know. The materials are portable so we can meet anywhere: my studio, my home, your home, a public place, etc.

Looking forward to the places we will go as this project develops and grows.