Sequestering with Sticks

Sticks, what can I say, I like sticks, the way they change directions. Plus, I grew up next to the woods and played with sticks; climbed trees, built shelters out of sticks. That stuff is basic to me. And that may be why I turned to sticks when we began sheltering in place to keep us away from Covid-19.

At first, I couldn’t find sticks – Mostly palms down here in Florida, and the neighborhood is compulsively neat. Martha, an artist friend in Virginia sent me a box of sticks and this is what happened.

A closeup of sticks covered with acrlylic painted deli papers, or wrapped with yarn.

Sequestering made me feel like I should use what I had, make do. That meant finally using things I had tucked away, my stash of little trinkets (buttons, charms, beads, yarn), so I went on to decorate the sticks. This is the first large stick I made. I call it the Sanibel stick as I collected the shells when visiting my friend, Ann on Sanibel. The silk fabric is also from there, found in a thrift store we visited.

A particularly spiky stick to shake at the virus, should it lurk nearby.

These are small, pencil size sticks in a vase. They’re covered in recycled silk from old garments.