More New Work in Progress: Custom Wordle Project Painting

Yesterday was bitterly cold, with a high of 9 degrees, and also the first day of a two day snowstorm which dumped 29" of snow on us (so far), with up to another 4" expected today.

It was a perfect day to work on my new Wordle painting about my custom 7 character word that represents the results from the answers from 24 people who took the challenge of trying to solve it.

I added small white fabric squares in the spaces separating the six groups of puzzles, and prepared scraps of vintage embroideries to be collaged on after the squares are dry.

Cold and Snow!

I was determined to walk today even though it's 7 degrees and it feels like it's -3, due to the polar vortex and the beginning of a snowstorm that's expected to dump up to 24" of snow in the Boston area through Monday night. I managed one long block and back, and gave up for safety reasons. All of my body was warm except my cheeks and nose. When I held my scarf up to try to protect my face, my glasses fogged up. I tried. Safety wins.

New Work: 12 x 12 x 12 January 2026

 

Each month, in 2026, I am planning on creating one 12" x 12" mixed media painting on stiffened fabric, after an eight year hiatus from doing it from 2007 through 2018, when I created one mixed media painting a month on 12" x 12" x 1" board.

It was a wonderful opportunity then for me to either experiment with an idea or technique I tried in previous work, or to try an idea or technique I might want to try, and it will be good to do to do it again as my monthly time to play.

This is 12 x 12 x 12 January 2026.

Inspiration

 

As I began to work on my Dates in a Life 2026 painting about the number of steps I walk each day a few weeks ago, I decided to use a type of fuchsia paint on the background for days I am off from work, but I was not sure if it would look good with the red icons I use for when I walk 10,000 steps or more on a given day. Last weekend I went to the Portland Art Museum in Portland, ME. When I saw this Grace Hartigan print, Salute, with the red, fuchsia and black, I loved how it works together and I decided I am going in the right direction with the colors for my new painting.

Reaching High to Work on New Work in Progress: Dates in a Life Walking Project 2026

 

It's a new year, and I am working on my new Dates in a Life Walking Project 2026 painting.

I added the icons for number of steps I walked each day this last week, and then painted Fluorescent Magenta paint to fill in the squares on the days I was off from work. Collaging the icons isn't hard to reach, but accessing the top to precisely paint inside the squares is quite uncomfortable for the first three months of the year. I would probably be more comfortable if I stood on a step stool.

New Work: Dates in a Life Walking Project 2025

Dates in a Life Walking Project 2025, documents the number of steps I walked every day from January 1 - December 31, 2025. 

I use a system of symbols to represent each thousand steps. Instead of showing exactly how many I walk. The black icons represent up to 9999 steps walked each day, red represents 10,000-19,999 steps and yellow represents 20,000-29,999 steps.

The base monoprinted grid is Caribbean Breeze, with Iridescent Bright Gold background paint used to signify the days (mostly weekends, but also including holidays, vacations days, and sick days) I was not at work, which usually gives me more time to walk for exercise than the days I am at work.

Under some individual days, there is a painted line of color to represent reasons that may lower or raise the number of steps I walked that day, such as snow, rainy, extreme hot or cold, illness, and vacation.

In addition to walking, this painting also documents three injuries I had last year, falling on back ice, breaking my nose, and also two hairline fractures on my right foot and spraining both ankles, that affected how many fewer steps I walked while I healed.

I have now completed nine years of paintings documenting my walking, and I am looking forward to my tenth year in 2026.

Dates in a Life Walking Project 2025 measures 29” x 36.5” and is mixed media on stiffened fabric.

Dates in a Life Walking Project 2025 and 2024

My Dates in a Life Walking Project 2025 painting is finished. I love looking at it next to Dates in a Life Walking Project 2024 on its left. There are two years of memories (and some stories) that affected how much or how little I walked. Shortly, I’ll take 2024 down, move 2025 over to take its place, and hang the base for 2026 up and start populating it with icons for the number of steps I walk everyday by the thousands. I have completed nine years and I’m looking forward to my tenth year.