Last week, cartoonist Ronald Searle passed away. While his wife was receiving chemotherapy for cancer, he drew her a picture every day. Thank you to Austin Kleon for posting about this. http://tumblr.austinkleon.com/post/15262065793

I have started work on my own project, that somewhat timely, coincides with spending time with my very ill 91-year old grandfather. I came to the UK in September to visit with him after my mother called saying he isn’t doing well. Already in the process of finishing up MIND THE GAP in Istanbul and preparing to create a base in Europe, it seemed ironic that my return to Europe would coincide with his ailing. With days spent helping my mother take care of him, keeping on top of the never-ending piles of laundry, and generally trying to have some quality time with him, I needed something to help channel all my nervous energy and roller coaster of emotions. My grandmother taught me needlework when I was a child and I used to love spending hours sitting next to her as she knit sweaters in no time flat while I struggled to make a knitted animal somewhat resembling a cat or cross-stitched teddy bears and kittens. Nonetheless, I loved that quiet time with her and felt really special that she was teaching me these skills. Maybe there is something about being back in the UK that has rekindled some of these feelings, but I have taken up another cross-stitch project that I am working on while sitting with my grandad. Instead of doing samplers I am translating popular Internet memes into cross-stitched tapestries. Using the cross-stitch fabric in relation to the pixels that make up the images, I’m drawing upon craft to explore our digital culture. My grandad loves to joke with me and make little quips since he thinks I’m absolutely mad given that my first translation is of Nyan Cat made the size of a 15″ laptop screen. But, there is something really wonderful about the process of spending hours stitching sitting and chatting with him, watching tv with him, creating memories.

Photos to come!