New Work in Progress: Dates in a Life Walking Project 2026

I decided to pause working on my Vintage Table Linens Revisited series when I realized that after I get a MRI of my injured right foot in a few weeks, that there is the possibility of my needing to immobilize it for a certain amount of time while it heals. Seeing that we’re 2.5 months until the end of the year, and I am planning on documenting my daily walking for the 10th year in 2026, I thought it would be a good idea to get the fabric ready now instead of waiting until mid-December, just in case. If, and I mean IF, I can’t use my right foot to drive, that would also mean I wouldn’t be able to use it to sew on my sewing machine. 

The background for next year's painting is black. After the fabric is dry, and as I have time over the next few weeks, I’ll start sewing the gridded lines of the construction fence while wearing my hiking boots, which are reasonably stable supporting of my foot. Hopefully I’ll have it all sewn before the MRI results come in.

The picture above shows the 2026 fabric drying on my work table. On the wall, on right side, is my 2025 walking painting in progress through mid-October, and on the left is my completed 2024 painting.

More New Work in Progress

Today is the last day of my week off from my day job. I’m going to finish collaging this second painting in my Vintage Table Linens Reimagined series. Since we’re in the middle of a rainy Nor’easter and it's an inside day, I can hopefully start my third painting, or at least start planning it, while I wait for the matt medium to dry on this one. Or maybe not. We'll see how the day goes.

New Work in Progress

 

I’ve had a productive week off from my day job working on new paintings in my Vintage Table Linens Reimagined series. I am more than halfway through piece number 2 and because we’re expecting a Nor’easter this holiday weekend, I expect to have extra time to finish this one and hopefully start my third while we get 2”+ of rain.

New Work: Vintage Table Linens Reimagined #1

 

New work: Vintage Table Linens Reimagined #1

I have accumulated a small collection of cross-stitch table cloths and runners over the past few years and have been thinking of how they can be incorporated in my artwork.

In this series, I am reimagining vintage table linens so they work in, with, or against the grids of construction fences. These paintings also incorporate monoprinted the textures of construction fences combined with handpainting, handstamping, collage, and stitching, on stiffened fabric.

Vintage Table Linens Reimagined #1 is mixed media on stiffened fabric that measures 19” x 22”.

More New Work in Progress

 

Over the weekend I collaged sections of a vintage tablecloth on the new painting I am working on, after adding the 160 or so hand stamped squares onto the stiffened and stitched fabric with a monoprinted grids of a construction fence a week ago. I'm off from work for a week starting tomorrow, and will paint to the grid and the intersections. And I will also start working on some more new paintings.

Work in Progress: Dates in a Life Walking Project 2025

Here is the month of September in my Dates in a Life Walking Project 2025 painting, a year-long painting documenting the number of steps I walked each day. I have documented my steps in paintings since 2016.

The black icons represent up to 9999 steps walked each day, and red represents 10,000-19,999 steps.

Like I did in August, I was able to walk 10,000 steps or more on nine days (the red icons) because of mostly cooler weather.

On the last Sunday in September, I sprained my ankle when walking on an uneven path. Klutzy me once again injuring my right foot for the second time since May 2023. The green dots on the last three days reflect that injury, similar how I marked it in 2023 because it limited my walking for exercise. Thank goodness I didn't break my ankle! And thank goodness for hiking books which are perfect for splinting my foot so it can heal.

The 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, with the exception of sick days (of course).

The second picture shows January through September with plenty of room for the last three months of the year.

More New Work in Progress

 

I am halfway through adding the 160 or so hand stamped squares onto the stiffened and stitched fabric with monoprinted grids of construction fences. I’ll finish it today and then I’ll incorporate the sections of vintage tablecloths ASAP after the matt medium is dry.