now _ 365 days in natural light

I'm celebrating a year in [sunny] Portland, Oregon this upcoming week and I couldn't be more excited to reflect upon this past year's achievements.

The older I get, the more I realize the power a year can give me in the form of vision, determination and exposure. There are opportunities that present themselves and passions that find a way to make even the bright days, brighter. Weaving came into my life a long time ago, but only lately found it's purpose. Upon reflection of the last year, I've been made aware of how the landscape of this Pacific Northwest region inspires my creativity yet pushes my boundaries. I'm inspired to explore, grow, learn and do; to transform this landscape into woven pictures and understand the relationship between what I see and what I feel. And I love it.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, I can tell you a little - or a lot - about natural light. I see life through a completely different transparency than I ever have before. I've learned to love the shades of sunlight, cloudy skies and the rain - so different from where I grew up. But more importantly, I've learned to savor the days that make me feel the best, the days where opportunities feel endless and even the days where I have to create this light for myself. Portland's track record is far from three hundred and sixty five days of sunshine, but it doesn't have to feel like it. 

The tangible light - the controlled value shifts of northern light is what I've found to be the best medium in my work. Much of what I weave comes with the guidance of daylight. Our first studio had west-facing windows and both the heat + direct light was hard to manage, but we were more than thankful during the winter months when the light was more abundant than other spaces in the city. Our current abode has big, beautiful north-facing windows and Alex and I are constantly amazed by how beautiful the light is in the space. My favorite spot to weave is right by the window - fiber everywhere and music humming. Thanks for letting me ponder across these pages!