Sunday, May 17

The Birthday Present - a commission

A prayer for a best friend's 40th birthday and I was asked to interpret it as an embroidered piece.
I was introduced to Michael Leunig. An Australian cartoonist, writer, painter, poet and philosopher.
One of my favourites is Bunker.  Absolutely delightful little characters and a reccuring motif is the teapot, probably why the the cartoons appeal to me even more.

     
Found this font trawling the internet and felt it resembles Leunig's style

From my stash of fabric swatches I chose indigo,blues, blue greens and some shibori because the recipient loves the sea and on a strip of muslin I cross stitched a wave pattern in blue thread.  

A variation of darning used to join the strips of fabric together. In the lower right hand corner I embroidered what I think of as coral. Growing slowly.

This is the finished piece.Wonky edges, a slow cloth. A piece to invoke contemplation. 
I'm contemplating a tragedy unfolding in the country.
These are troubling times,uneasy times. 
An uncertain future for millions across India. 
Millions of migrant workers make their way on foot criss-crossing the country to reach home. Pregnant women,young children and men carrying all they own on their heads making their way home in the summer heat which is at 40 degrees centigrade now across most of the country. 
They have not been paid their wages and have no access to food or drinking water. 
Everyday there are more horror stories to be heard.  
Empty promises. Talk is cheap.
Government assistance to transport migrant labour back to their home towns has come too late. 
This crisis over shadows the pandemic. It's a lethal combination. 
It's a cry not just a prayer - God help us to live! 
Millions are contemplating - emptiness.
What will the heart create for us? 
A revolution me thinks.    

5 comments:

Els said...

Oh my, what a wonderful stitched piece this is !!!!
LOVE the lettering ! (works very well with the chain stitch)

And what a heartbreaking story about all those people adrift in your (vast!) country .... indeed God help them ...

Gumbo Lily said...

Your work, your gift is beautiful, Maya. I am so sorry to hear of the migrant workers in your country. Oh how difficult. We know it here in the USA too, but likely not as severe as you describe. God help us and fill us up after this emptiness. God bless you, Maya.
~Jody

Gumbo Lily said...

Maya,
I will be praying for you and for India.
With love,
Jody

Celttich said...

I hope you don’t mind, but I copied your picture of the blocked road, leading to Lamb's Rock viewpoint and copied your comments about it and put it up on FB. Here in Scotland our lockdown has been partially lifted. We are getting a lot of people coming over the border and breaking our lockdown restrictions, and some unthinking Scots have trashed the beaches etc. If you object, I will take it down immediately (FB page= Rosemary Dempster) Your work is fabulous. I intend going back to your first post and working my way through. Thank you.

Maya Sara Matthew said...

Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment Els and Jody.
Thank you for your prayers.
I don't mind you using the picture of the blocked road Celttich.
There are too many people running around thinking that they are invincible.The numbers are rising in India. Life and living are going to change. For the better I hope.
Take care ladies. I hope you,your families and friends are safe and well.

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