A group of friends and I have started working on a collaboration. Week by week we’ll be adding an element to each other’s multi-media pieces until each of us has a piece that everyone has added her special touch to, as a Christmas present. The first week was texture. I added fiber paste and a little color to a piece of canvas board coated with gesso. I can’t wait to see how it ends up and I can’t wait to add things like color and embellishment to the other pieces.

This week was really tough for me, but the process of starting an art project or a craft project, especially one that will ultimately be a gift gives me energy and hope like few other experiences can. There have been months and years when I did not find the time to do things like this and now I feel like I can’t find the time not to.