At long last, my latest artwork “All the things my children gave me in May” is finished!  It includes all the beautiful things my young children gave me in the month of May.  It captures their fascination with the natural world and their appreciation of the simple beauty of everyday objects.  It reminds me of how in the moment they were, fixated on these little treasures, investing themselves in them for a short while, then bringing me into their world by sharing them with me, and POOF – they would be off to explore something else!  This was a constant and magical process of discovery!

Here are a few stories about individual quilt squares:

View this post on Instagram

Isn’t this coiled vine beautiful? My oldest son, Henry saw this vine in a tree down by our creek and climbed up to get it for me. He said “I know that you like these, Mama, I’m going to get it for you!” He had to work really hard, straining to get it off intact. He was only six at the time. I was so touched! Isn’t it amazing how much those simple, sweet acts of love mean? I’m so happy to be including it in this next resin quilt. . It was a beautiful spring day by our creek too. Unseasonably hot, and the kids were playing in the water. I remember sticking this behind my ear and wading out in my bare feet. . This is part of a resin quilt called “All the things my children gave me in May”. Soon I’ll be sewing it together ❤️ . Before too long I’ll also be taking commissions for these quilts. So when your children give you treasures, keep them and maybe we can make a quilt for your family. I’ll be doing collaborative commissions too, so you can come to my studio in Asheville and make it with me. 😊 . . #jennykiehnart #childrenseemagic #familiesareforever #childrenart #shadowboxart #mindfulnessart #mindfulness #artistsofinstagram #creativity #naturalformsart #wallsculpture #shadowboxart #quiltingwithintention #ashevilleartist

A post shared by Resin Quilt Wall Sculpture (@jennykiehnart) on

 

View this post on Instagram

When the weather allows, I hang out laundry on the clothes line to dry. With a family of six, we have quite a lot of laundry! I have done this every sunny (and not so sunny) day for years. . The children love to play with the clothes pins, even the broken ones. They gave me to them in handfuls saying “Here, Mummy, aren’t the beautiful?” . ❤️ . This is another square in the latest resin quilt I’m working on called “All the things my children gave me in May”. . . #jennykiehnart #quiltingwithintention #quiltingismytherapy #contemportaryquilt #contemporaryquiltartist #quilt #ashevilleartist #asheville #828isgreat #ashevillenc #childrenseemagic #childrenart #familiesareforever #sculpture #wallsculpture #shadowboxart #artistsofinstagram #lifeofanartist #artstudio #artinprogress #inthestudio #inspiration #creativeprocess #creativity #ipreview via @preview.app

A post shared by Resin Quilt Wall Sculpture (@jennykiehnart) on

 

In addition, all the loose looking flowers that are in the large piece on the right of the quilt were given to me by my children on Mother’s Day!  To see more images of this artwork and to be able to zoom in click here.

This piece is very special to me and is not for sale, but I’m sharing it with you to give you an idea for how we could make one about your family.  If you love collecting things while hiking, or your children or grandchildren give you treasures, this is a way you can display them and commemorate this beautiful season of life.  It certainly beats keeping them in an old shoebox or letting them get dusty in a random basket on a bookshelf!

If you’re curious about the idea, check out the new commissions page on my website here.

I hope this artwork inspires you to slow down and enjoy the simple beauty of the natural world.  Take the time to be in the moment, take a deep breath, and appreciate the little people or animals in your midst.  It can be hard to slow down, but once you do it is SO WORTH IT!

Take Care,

Jenny