“Darning Needle” is created on watercolor paper and felt, and presented in a 20 × 20-inch frame. The work begins with a first layer of direct text transfer from Annie Dillard’s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. Watercolor washes follow, creating tonal variations in greens, browns, and golds. The heart chakra, which carries the energy of air, is machine embroidered at the center. Detailed dragonflies, based on local species and aligned with the air element, hover over the tranquil creek scene and are machine-stitched directly onto the watercolor paper. On the final layer, the text is repeated in white-on-white embroidery on felt, visible only upon close observation.

Although it’s not Tinker Creek, the creek on our property has become my meditation spot. I spend time sitting by the water, observing its constant variation—its shifting flow, changing colors, and the wide variety of plants, animals, and insects it sustains. This quiet attention shapes my contemplative practice: watching, listening, and allowing myself to move with its rhythm. The dragonfly, a regular summer visitor, is especially welcome for eating mosquitoes. I also welcome the memories it stirs—of childhood creeks in Australia, of wonder and imagination, and of the way nature nurtures inner stillness.
My contemplative practice rests in honoring flow—both in making art and in recognizing the interconnectedness of the natural world and community—each essential for balance, vitality, and connection.

Nature is not only an inspiration but also a collaborator in the making of “Darning Needle”. The dragonfly’s visit became a call to begin this work, its delicate stillness inviting me to align my inner energy with the outer landscape. The creek’s flow mirrors the function of the heart chakra at the center of the piece: just as the heart chakra circulates energy through the body with the breath, water sustains all life. This recognition of interconnection guides my process—each stitch and brushstroke becomes an act of gratitude for the life systems that support and sustain us.

Through deeper observation, I saw the dragonflies not merely as creatures passing by but as teachers. Their presence seemed to offer lessons in stillness, awareness, and the quiet unfolding of life. By honoring them in the work, I acknowledge that making art can be a dialogue with the natural world—a collaboration that carries both insight and humility.

Annie Dillard’s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek anchors this piece through both its imagery and its layered meanings. The passage describing the dragonfly’s “darning needle” page 190, motion combines folklore, wonder, and unsettling truth, qualities I seek to hold in the work itself. By transferring text directly from the book onto the first layer of the artwork, I bring Dillard’s words into material form. The text becomes both surface and foundation, and the finishing element—interwoven with thread and paint—mirrors the way language shapes how we see and engage with the natural world.

The central question is: How can art reflect the subtle ties between inner energy and outer landscape, between fleeting moments in nature and the lasting impression they leave within us? This prompts further exploration of how material techniques like stitching, collage, and painting can act as metaphors for repair, transformation, and alignment. However, I now want to research local insect and bug life and render them with embroidery. Completing the commission has inspired a new body of work to come in 2026..

I have learnt to trust the resonance between text, nature, and spirit. The dragonfly’s symbolic link to the heart chakra illuminates how deeply the natural world mirrors our own inner energetic systems. I also see the layering of materials—text transfer, embroidery, and watercolor—not only as an artistic technique but as a contemplative practice itself: each layer holding memory, meaning, and care. This process continues to teach me that art is both a way of listening and a way of aligning with the larger web of connection around us.