Tools & Talismans #32 Amy Meissner

This piece in particular got me diving deeply into the transition between shiny things (all the scissors and metal tools) and the shadows they cast. As I painted I was reminded all over again how what first appears to be white is often many shades of gray and blue and really less white than the eye first recognizes, and the shadows are less gray or black and often more lavender and blue. So when we say we "live in the light" how much of that light is actually white and more often many different shades of color.

My work reclaims found objects and abandoned textiles, reconstructing and recombining them in a conceptual contemporary context; the tools I use, however, remain old. The best scissors, thimbles and needles never need to be updated in design, merely cared for over time. In a disposable society, these items remain the markers of the skilled hand. They are an extension of my body and bring me great comfort to hold and use, every day.

Amy Meissner • Textile Artist. Writer.

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Tools & Talismans is a personal painting project where I’m documenting {in watercolor} the tools and talismans of 100 different women — creators and healers, thinkers and makers, wordsmiths and visionaries. Join me for a year of Tools & Talismans — I'll be sharing a new painting with you every Wednesday.

I also create commissioned illustrations for people just like you — contact me and we can talk about what you might need for your website, a book cover and etc.