Hi Friends–

I am so happy to be sharing with you this new painting! It was inspired by a photo of my friend Sarah, which she posted several months ago. She is a living history interpreter at Latta Plantation in North Carolina, and when I saw a post of her cooking in a cabin fireplace, it sparked an idea for a sketch! Very soon I’d added a little girl to the scene, and it evolved into a mother at her hearth while her daughter reads from her little hornbook.

Sarah’s photo included a spinning wheel, but I added the woven coverlet and rugs, the painted trunk and the basket of roving. I also need a painting for September in my 2022 calendar, so I thought this one would be perfect! What do you think?

The original painting is sold, but I have already placed an order for prints of it, and should have those in my etsy shop this week.

I LOVE an old house filled with fiber art equipment— spinning wheels and niddy-noddies and yarn winders and all those interesting things that, not too long ago, most women knew how to use.

I took this photo back in 2017 at the Rebecca Nurse Homestead in Massachusetts. Rebecca was one of the victims of the Salem Witch Trials (you can read a post about that visit HERE) and her home in nearby Danvers is open for tours. Its such a beautiful home, and I was so captivated by this little area filled with spinning, carding and yarn winding equipment. Something about these things are just so homey and lovely to me. And here at my home, I’ve got a very nice collection– including my own walking wheel like this– when people find out you collect these things, they tend to show up! One day I’d love to learn to spin on the walking wheel– like Sarah does as Latta!

Anyhow– I hope you like this painting. Its filled with so many of the things I love, and I know you probably do too. I cant wait to get back out into the studio and start sketching and painting some more.

I hope you are well and I hope you have a good week!

I’ll be back soon–

Take Joy!
H