Felt (wool on acrylic), embroidery and buttons.

"How are You Feeling?"

Susie Stevens, PCA K-5 art teacher

Felt, Embroidery and Buttons Auction Art - March 20, 2021

While I've always been a fiber artist, felting is a new skill I picked up during the pandemic, thanks to a felting class in Exeter and Riverslea Farm in Epping. I love the soft texture and way wool holds color. Wool can be left as organic nebulous masses or poked down into a tight, defined shape. It's both 2-D and 3-D, forgiving and comforting (as long as you don't poke yourself!). Working with such a natural fiber is cathartic. I plan on having some of my art students try it out this spring.

For this particular piece, I wanted this heart to be accessible to touch - not behind glass - that it would be vulnerable and available for the owner to not just see but also to feel. The colors signify different layers of emotion that we can feel all at once - happy that I can be with my friends and family, yet deeply concerned for the ones who are in hospitals and dying without loved ones nearby, and deep joy and trust that remains rooted in the One who is Love.

I dedicate this work to all who have cared for the vulnerable during the pandemic - not just physically, but also emotionally. The most important question we can ask each other in times like these is "How are you feeling?" Not just "Do you have a cough, fever, shortness of breath, loss of taste and smell?" but "How is your heart and mind and soul handling today?" We can't assume we know, and we can't tell people how to feel. I've always felt that a listening ear is one of the best gifts we can give each other. We can ask, "How are you feeling today?" and then just listen.

The old, random buttons from my sewing drawer surprised me with joy. Some of these came from clothes I used to wear a long time ago but gave away. Some came from my mother or grandmother as tiny hand-me-downs. All of them represent lost memories of forgotten treasured garments, yet they remain as sweet little reminders of days gone by.