Page 59 - Enso Circle Catalogue Term Four

About

the HEATHER TINKHAM

Artist &

the Journeys. Our lives are filled with them, from large to

small.
Work Some are Journeys that stand out; they start and end

with definite events, like graduations or marriages. Some
are quieter, like funerals, major health changes, moves, or
retirement.

As I face the decision to close the gallery that I opened
over 9 years ago with two other women, I have struggled
with the idea of retirement. If I continue my creative work
as an artist, have I retired? Is that even a relevant concept
for an artist? It has become a way of life for me, so I think
not.
My Journey in running the gallery is coming to a close. It
is a big transition to being an artist for my life’s sake rather
than producing work specifically for sale. My work this term
as a CR has been circling around the ideas of paths, tran-
sitions, stories, and what I choose to build my life out of.

Being reborn, whether out of a fire or the slush in a chrys-
alis, runs the gamut from deep grieving to joyous freedom.
In this nautilus shell of life’s experiences, cycling and ever
changing, there is a richness to be savored if we have the
courage to be vulnerable and open to it. If we can bring
ourselves to use our voice.

I had been thinking in terms of being on one journey at
a time, and have come to see that for the illusion it is. The
journeys run in parallel, and continue even as some end.

JOURNEYS
HAND STITCHED
FIBER AND BEADING
16”X16”
NFS

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