He Stands on the Threshold
2002

12"x12"
Needlepoint

Art Statement for Viv and a Movie, 9.8.3

When I was 10 years old, my mom taught me how to cross-stitch, something she had been doing for years. Our house was filled with pillows and framed pieces, which she would work on usually while watching television, sitting on our couch. Most of her work came from pre-packaged patterns as she believed she úwasn't artistic."

The first piece I ever tried to make was a print of something related to tennis. I finished about 1/3 of it and then most likely realized that I was 10 years old and spending time doing cross-stitch was a lot less fun than’..well, almost everything else I could be doing.

In 1996, I was experimenting with crayon drawings and just beginning to get into oil painting. I was developing a style of my own that was all about bright colors and repeating patterns. Perfect for textiles.

Any time I would go home, my mom would still be sitting on the couch working on something new. We decided it would be fun if I designed some prints for her and she would do the work. We collaborated on 4 pieces, including three pillows and a piano bench cover. After that, she didn't have the time to work on them anymore.

It is an extremely meditative and time-consuming process. I went through a rough patch of my life where finding something that could let me create while not having to think about my situation would be perfect. I spent much of last year's baseball season sitting in my apartment following the Giants and doing cross-stitch. I repeatedly told people that I was releasing my inner grandmother.

These four pieces are all hand-designed and hand-made. They are considered 14-point cross-stitch, which means if you measure with a ruler, every inch has 14 squares. Every square inch consists of 156 squares. Almost every square has embroidery thread go through it twice, except for the edge squares.

"Even DNA Has a Face" is roughly 14' x 14'. That equals 23,466 squares. Yeah, it's a lot. I kept track of the time it took to complete the work but once I hit 150 hours, I stopped.

Thanks for taking the time to read the background of it. I hope it adds a little bit to your enjoyment.