Studio Notes - Winter 2026

Ah, winter in Maine.  I probably say this every year as both complaint and praise.  It is a humbling experience, making each day a conscious effort to ward against cold, ice and gray skies as reminders of our own human frailty.  But it is also about the beauty of snow and the magic of darkness.  Time slows and we have the opportunity to attend to an inner life, both physical and spiritual.  Hot toddies by the fire while reading a good book?  Mmmmmm…

To do:

If you happen to be in Charlotte, North Carolina, stop by the Schiff-Bresler Family Fiber Art Gallery, Mint Museum Uptown, where you can see a beautiful exhibition focused on basketry from their collection.  Included is Waiting for Spring, 1999, given to the Museum by Marc and Diane Grainer. The show is on view to November, 2026.  

To see:

Carol Stein is a fellow artist and a good friend.  Her recent work has been in a solo show at Cove Street Arts in Portland, coming down this week.  During the run of the show she and I had a conversation which is posted on the gallery website that you might well enjoy.  It covers art, life and the power of a pencil, among other subjects.
 

To read:

“In a world pocked by cynicism and pummeled by devastating news, to find joy for oneself and spark it in others, is nothing less than a countercultural act of courage and resistance. This is not a matter of denying reality — it is a matter of discovering a parallel reality where joy and hope are equally valid ways of being. To live there is to live enchanted with the underlying wonder of reality, beneath the frightful stories we tell ourselves and are told about it.” —Maria Popova, The Marginalian, January 21, 2026

The studio is up and running again, after a bit of a down time.  There is nothing like a deadline to get me going.  

Coming up

The online course produced by Take Two Art Courses (formerly Fibre Arts Take Two) will run again beginning February 27.  They have many other courses, as well.  Take a look at their offerings at their newly designed website, and learn more about the course here.

And, of course, there is a show and a book launch coming in the fall.  You’ll be hearing more about that.  

Joan Didion, a favorite writer, said “Every day is all there is” in speaking about why she uses her good china everyday.  It seems bigger than that to me.  I hope that your day is going well…

All best,

Lissa