Convergence

I have been a Unitarian Universalist for 25 years.   I would have been one earlier, but I didn't know about them yet!  The UUA principals have always guided my public service, both as a volunteer and as a career.  My local  congregation has always been very supportive of me, and very helpful with my various campaigns.  Some of my favorite local politicians are also UUs.

However, my political life and my UU life were largely separate--until today when I learned that the UU's theological seminary, Meadville Lombard, has awarded an honorary doctorate to my favorite politician anywhere-- Toni Preckwinkle President of the Cook County Board.  Here's what they had to say about her:   

On May 17th at First Unitarian Church of Chicago, Tony Preckwinkle will receive an Honorary Degree for the Doctorate of Humane Letters from Meadville Lombard Theological School. By bestowing this award, this Seminary wants to recognize Toni Preckwinkle's dedication to serve the community of Chicago and lead innovatively through the changing times.

By recognizing social leaders such as Toni Preckwinkle, Meadville Lombard highlights the contribution of a leader who takes the Unitarian Universalist values of justice, equity, and compassion to the Chicago community. According to Lee Barker, President of Meadville Lombard Theological School, "As a civic and community leader, President Preckwinkle has sought to make the world a more just and equitable place. Her service has been the very embodiment of Meadville Lombard's values."

Toni Preckwinkle says "the Unitarian Universalist faith community has a strong emphasis on social justice and advocacy for humanitarian causes, a tradition in which I feel very comfortable." Talking about the award, she added, "I'm honored to be selected for an honorary degree at the Meadville Lombard Theological Seminary's 170th commencement. I greatly respect the long history of this institution and wholeheartedly support its historic mission and current day application of its good works."


My connection to Toni --in additional to my total admiration of her--is that she made the big trip down here to present me with an award for integrity in public service last August.  So this is wonderful convergence of my political and Unitarian lives.  Of course, they were always my life, but so nice to see this bigger connection.   Congratulations to Toni and congratulations to the Meadville Lombard for deciding to bestow this honor!

 

At the Library

Or Out of the Basement, part 2.  Some years ago when I was doing more fiber work than I am now, I made a Christmas present for my friend Bil.  About 36" square, it was based on traditional blocks but with my own twist.  Bil really liked it and put it up in his family room.  Then this year I gave him a needlepoint pillow (that I made from an Ehrman Kit), which he also really liked.

Fast forward to this week, when he let me know that he was putting both pieces into the front display case at the library, along with another piece I loaned him for the month.   So that's super fun!

And here is the loaned piece.  It is a mostly fiber collage on felt, using old dictionary pages, cottons and silk organza with mystery writing.  The piece hangs freely on a painted stretched canvas.

I may have to go visit the case again this weekend:  its a shock to have something up!

Some New Work

I have been continuing in the same vein with series I started in Jane Davies' class Theme and Variations.  Here are a couple of pieces from the most recent work that I am happy with:

These are essentially formal pieces, exploring mark making and layering while trying to keep clear designs.  Both give me interesting clues for further work.

Two (Simple) Books

Here are two recent books both in process.  Above is a simple Cinch binding sketchbook using  the "paint pick up" papers used in Jane Davies classes, using scrap cardboard for the covers.  Front has a recent sketch attached;  book is 9 x 12 x 1/2". 

 

 

 

 The second book is a color idea sketchbook, and is double recycled!  The paper was originally computer output paper, headed for the recycling bin.  I grabbed it and first used it as scratch paper for working (MANY) problems at Khan Academy.  Then these pages went into a Cinch bound notebook to hold collage for color ideas.  I thought of this as a way to declutter my stacks of magazines, keeping only favorite images and attempting to make interesting color combinations.  Still in progress, but really enjoying this:

 

 

 

 

Seeing these pictures, I realize I chose very similar colors for these pictures.  They aren't all like this but these are obviously favorite combinations.
Dimensions of this book are 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" x 1/2".

Suggested Reading

So, here are two things I am sort of late to the party on:  One, electronic books.  I have been totally resisting, but was finally convinced of their sometimes usefulness one Sunday night --cold, dark, 12" of snow outside.  I wasn't going out even if the library was open--which it wasn't--but wanted a new murder mystery to read.  SO lovely to fire up the library software and browse under my nice quilt.

But the other reason for e books (sometimes, only sometimes) is the quality of the pictures.  I discovered an e book full of fabulous pictures--and then also discovered that I was REALLY late to this party. (The second thing.)    Humans of New York  Published over a year ago, and based on a very successful blog of the same name (HONY Blog), it is simply stunning.  The blog is about stories of all kinds of people in all kinds of places throughout New York, while the book is more about the photos.  And the photos are really magical electronically--total eye candy.   Humans in all their diverse, messy, surprising and inspiring glory--and some really fab clothes!  Dip into it when you are losing faith in humankind.  Its definitely on my "to buy" list.



“I invented a country called Manizao. It’s between India and China. The president is a girl named Mahava and she lives in a little red house that looks like The White House but it’s little and it’s red. And there are lots of beaches. My friend lives on one of the beaches. He’s a bird but he’s also a builder. He lives in a house that he built that is half beach house and half real house. I don’t know how he did it, but I think he glued them together. And kinda everywhere you look there is a restaurant. The most popular restaurant is called Savory Hello. Everyone in Manizao loves Savory Hello because they only serve savory things.”   From Humans of New York blog, April 1, 2015 entry.

And not quite so late to the party, I am a big Pope Francis fan.  Here is what he has to say on leadership, as interpreted through the Harvard Business Review:  The 15 Diseases of Leadership

Scrap Bag #8

As part of my spring decluttering, I am rotating what is on display in my house.  This is as good a time as any to show this square collage quilt, done in 2011.  Here is the full view:

And here is a detail

The piece is in two parts:  the inner collage quilt is 12" square, made from scraps, finished with a facing.  It includes free machine quilting.  It hangs in front of a larger piece that is 22 3/4" x 25" which includes both hand and machine quilting. 

This was part of a series made from scraps that involved lots of different experiments in hand sewing and how to hang these small pieces.  I think that this is the most successful one on both counts, and am enjoying having it up.  Maybe this will inspire me to resume some of these ideas.  (I sort of stopped doing fiber things as I've gotten deeper and deeper into paint/collage in my work with Jane Davies.)

First Signs of Spring

After a long hard winter--although nothing compared to upstate NY and New England!--we are having some lovely warm sunny days.  Yesterday I saw my first flower:

But mostly now its the beautiful beautiful light:

So nice to be home to enjoy it!

And in what I promise is NOT an April Fool's joke--but I have no pictures to prove it--a giant wild turkey walked past my window!  In the city!  Clearly enjoying the spring day!

Hope you are seeing some signs of spring wherever you are!