Sequin Flowers and Beaded Bugs

Photo by Juan Guzmán, circa 1950 Yesterday, an Instagram account I follow ( @ratedmodernart ) posted the picture above of Frida Kahlo painting while bedridden. If you are not familiar with who she was, Frida Kahlo was one of Mexico's greatest artists. When she was 18, Frida was in a horrific bus accident where she sustained severe injuries and had to spend three months in a full body cast. The accident left Frida with intense chronic pain that often forced her to be bedridden for months at a time. The easel seen in the photo was built by her parents to accommodate Frida's desire to paint while she was hospitalized post accident. She continued to use the easel throughout her life, painting masterpieces in bed. Though our conditions are different, I share similar limitations. At this time with my chronic fatigue and chronic pain in my lower back and hip,  I can walk a little but standing and sitting in a chair causes the pain to shoot to a 9 after a few minutes. The ...

My Memaw as a teenager, circa 1940s I've had this blog for a while but haven't really done anything since I created it. I intended it to be a journal to note the progress of my plan. Which was to finish all the garments my grandmother left unfinished when she passed. Well, that was a bust. Memaw was a prolific sewist. She only left a few garments that she had planned to make. Knowing how little content it would amount to, it killed my idea pretty quickly. So I'm changing directions. Inspired by Memaw, I want to finish the projects I have left undone. All the UFOs (UnFinished Objects) thrown in boxes and containers left ignored. And do I have them in spades. They consist of jewelry, millinery, beading, clothing, and various art projects. Something for everyone, right? But there's one hiccup. I struggle with Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue and pain. I also deal with severe anxiety and deep depression. It's in my nature to always put on the mask of ...