At first I was thinking that the piece of glass would somehow be connected to a bird. I was thinking of crows and their love of shine objects. But I had an even stronger sense, that kept coming back to me, of it being a symbol of the throat chakra. I kept feeling it in the hollow of my throat.
When I first moved Upstate, I was taking a yoga class and out of seemingly nowhere, the words There’s a hole in my throat, came to me. The next class our instructor told us about Uijayi. This is a type of breathing using the throat that is both calming and energizing at the same time.
I’ve always associated Uijayi breathing and the throat chakra with finding my voice. I believe I heard those words because something inside of me was trying to wake me up to my true self.
I couldn’t see the goddess at first. I kept looking at the fabric on my wall, and at the glass I had stitched onto it. It took her a while to appear. Ah patience. Then suddenly, there she was. I could see her form on the fabric in front of me.
I drew her neck first, to place the glass in the hollow of her throat. When I got to her face, I thought of a cat and looked at the card hanging on my wall that Liz sent me. It was just the face I was looking for.
The snake is pieces of fabric that I sewed on with my machine.
This is as far as I got today. In honor of slowing down (and to help us actually do it) Jon and I are quitting work early today and going to the movies.
I’m happy to give this piece a chance to breathe, and will be looking forward to getting back to it tomorrow.
I love how you did her hair!
I always love doing the hair and shoes!(when there are shoes)
“Don’t mess with me.”
Beware the woman who is creating, and trying to move forward.
First words that came to me. Love what I see. Really thought, and emotion, provoking….
I love that Renate!
Oh my gosh Maria. Thank you for this. I breathe thru a tracheostomy tube and have had it for 16 years. I have had 7 throat surgeries for a recurrent tracheal stenosis. The doctors can’t figure out what caused it. It is always caused by injury but I had never been injured in that area. I know it was caused because I was taking care of my mother who was a cruel, controlling bully and I had to just choke back everything I wanted to say. She died in August, 1999 and I had my first surgery in Sept. 1999. I never thought of my trach as a something beautiful but I will from now on. It is no longer an ugly plastic tube. It is a shimmering jewel. Thank you.
Wow Patsy, I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you see your tube so differently now because of this. I just want to give you a big kiss! All of you is a shimmering jewel. And I hope that tube helps your words and feeling flow.
This is a great piece!