I recently finished stitching this large (18″x12″) hand embroidery piece based on one of my SciArt text/image pieces. I’ve been working on this piece since June 18, 2018 and finished the stitching July 18, 2020, so it took just over two years to complete it. I’m very pleased with it!
SciArt feature on Art the Science
I was recently interviewed by the Art the Science, a Canadian SciArt organization. I’ve focused on embroidery for the past few years, but have been doing science-based work for a long time. This interview gave me the opportunity to talk about how my practice has changed media while maintaining a science focus.
Featured Artist on ME Action & Women’s Art
An article/interview about my syptomatology embroideries was recently posted on ME Action’s website. ME Action is an advocacy group for pwME (people with ME/CFS).
Recent Embroidery Portfolio and Interview
In August 2019 I had a couple articles about my embroidery work go up online.
First, The Cardiff Review published a portfolio of my anatomy embroideries with some of my writing about that body of work.
Second, Action for M.E. published a short interview about my symptomatology embroideries.
Both these online magazines are based in the UK and I’m very happy to see my work getting attention over there!
Embroidery Portfolio in Blanket Sea Magazine
I have a recent embroidery portfolio in Blanket Sea Magazine. It focuses on my symptomatology embroideries which explore my invisible ME/CFS symptoms. Blanket Sea is a literary and arts magazine dedicated to showcasing the work of artists and writers living with chronic illness, mental illness, and disability. You can find my portfolio here.
I’m a New S.E.W Member
I’m pleased to announce that I’m a new member of S.E.W., The Society for Embroidered Work. S.E.W. is an international society of artists who work in embroidery as their medium. Membership is by application once or twice a year and chosen based on the quality of the artwork. I’m very honoured to be a part of this society, which is helping to bring embroidery into the art world as a serious medium.
In Corpore Sano on Medium
I’m pleased to announce that the In Corpore Sano anthology has begun publishing excerpts on Medium, including some of the writing I’ve done for the anthology as well as some of my symptomatology and anatomy embroidery pieces.
My personal essay excerpt, Meaning Making/Making Meaning :: In Corpore Sano presents Lia Pas outlines the way my creative practice has changed since becoming ill with ME/CFS in 2015 and has a number of my embroidery pieces as illustrations.
Amanda Glassman has written an outline of the online series titled Hello to IN CORPORE SANO :: Creative Practice & the Challenged* Body :: a web & print:document series .
Also, Written Over :: In Corpore Sano Presents Jill Khoury, a set of poems and prompts, is illustrated by another of my anatomy embroidery pieces.
There will be weekly excerpts published on Medium for the next few months, so please visit the In Corpore Sano Medium page for more writing and images on the challenged body as they are published.
US addresses can pre-order the print anthology for a discounted price here, but Canadian addresses will need to wait until the anthology is published in March or April to order a copy.
Upcoming Anthology Publication: In Corpore Sano
I have reached a point in my recovery from ME/CFS that means I am able to write again! ME/CFS is a neuro-immune disease and some of the symptoms include brain fog and cognitive fatigue. When I first got ill in 2015 I was unable to read or write for any length of time because it would utterly exhaust me. I’m very happy to say that I can now read and write with relative ease again.
Most of my writing these days is in the form of journaling, but earlier this year I submitted some of my embroidery work to an anthology about “challenged bodies” and creative work. As part of the In Corpore Sano anthology I was asked to write about my experience of being a creative person living with a debilitating illness and wrote a fairly long essay about that as well as the autobiographical and therapeutic nature of my embroidery work. Continue reading
GUSH anthology launch in Saskatoon!
There will be a Saskatoon launch of GUSH: menstrual manifestos for our times (edited by Tanis MacDonald, Rosanna Deerchild, and Ariel Gordon with me as one of the contributors) at McNally Robinson on July 17, 2018, at 7pm.
This Saskatoon launch for the Frontenac House multi-genre anthology of writing about menstruation by more than 100 menstruators and former menstruators will feature readings by five of the contributors: Erica Violet Lee, Jeanette Lynes, Yvette Nolan, Brenda Schmidt, and co-editor Tanis MacDonald. All are welcome to attend! This is one of several launch events for the #bloodygreat anthology that are happening across Canada this year.
Featured Artist in Synaesthesia Magazine
I was recently featured in Synaesthesia magazine as their artist of the month. The piece focuses on the embroidery work I’ve done to illustrate my ME/CFS symptoms.
I was also the rocur (rotating curator) of @IAmSciArt on Twitter for a week in November and you can see more of my embroidery here (though these links will only work until May 2018). There are two threads, one on anatomy-themed embroideries, and the other on my symptomatology embroideries.
I’m currently working on a large anatomy-themed piece that you can check the progress on my Instagram.
Healthwise, I’m very slowly improving after a bit of a downturn in the fall because of a stomach flu. I’m still mostly housebound but have been able to drive myself to a few appointments and attend a few family gatherings. If you want to know more about ME/CFS I recommend watching the documentary Unrest, which is on iTunes and Netflix.