Thar She Blows! / by CHRISTINA HARKNESS

I am almost done with my whale.

Social media has been reminding me of where I was last year, just starting out in mid-January 2020, full of hope and expectation. It wasn’t long before my cleverly lined up plans for auctioning off my Deception Pass canvas and applying for a residency at a lighthouse, came to a screeching halt with the pandemic. As I moved to working from home in my paid job and things felt ever so wrong, I puttered away on my whale. Somewhere in there, I packed up my life and moved across country to take a new job near the Oregon Coast.

I had estimated that it would take about 18 months, as that has consistently been my timeline for my other canvases. Knowing that this one was three times bigger than anything that I had ever done before but with a lot less coral detail, I had hoped it might go quicker.

I haven’t officially sewn down the last pieces but they are done. Now, it’s just a matter of getting it framed. That will be a bit pricey!

So, now I have started to pay more attention to my bleached reef and I have begun thinking about another big project. I would still love to do an actual coral reef installation with fiber artists from around the world donating pieces. I am hoping to connect with aquariums or colleges or science centers to see if this might be a possibility.

Watch this space!