Today I am showing you a piece I finished earlier this year, called "Hiraeth".
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"Hiraeth" (c) 2013 Kit Lang - 39" x 29"
Two weeks before Christmas in 2012, I came across the word "hiraeth" on Facebook. I'm an avid reader, and work with words for a living, but had never seen this word before. A quick Google search informed me that it was a Welsh word with no real English equivalent - but it's closed meaning was something like "homesickness tinged with grief or sadness over the lost".
This word really struck a chord with me and I immediately knew I wanted to make a piece incorporating the concept of "hiraeth".
This naturally led me to thoughts of my past, and so I knew that the piece would reflect the little girl I once was. Though she is still a formative part of my adult self as I hold her safe and protected in my heart, she is nevertheless irretrievably lost to me.
That same evening, I drew up a rough sketch, wrote some notes and I got to work a couple of days later.
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As a child I spent nearly all my free time outside - especially in summer, when the seemingly endless sunny days allowed me to leave the house early in the morning before anyone else was awake. After packing myself a lunch and breakfasting out of the garden; I would slip into the woods, where I spent my days in the company of trees with my imaginary friends.
Elephants were my favourite - and though I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting an elephant outside of the strictures of a zoo; Little Kit fervently hoped to see one one day; hiding amongst the trees.
My dog, and sometimes my cat, accompanied me for part or often the whole of the day; and one or the other was never far from me even if I couldn't see them.
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And I sometimes came upon them in quite unexpected places!
I loved otters passionately - and from the first time I saw one, I felt such an affinity with them that I was quite sure I had been one in a prior life! Although I never saw an otter as I played in the woods, I often imagined that one walked with me wherever I went, as a kind of familiar.
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As a child, I loved fairies, sprites and elves, and was quite sure that they not only existed, but came to sit with me while I napped under sun-dappled leaves. Sometimes when I woke I was positive I could hear their laughter as they flitted away - and having some dim from my reading that they were attracted to singing - many days I would sit under the tree and try to sing them back to me.
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My love of fairies remains -and though these days I don't try to sing them to me; I *do* wear a silver fairy on a chain around my neck - a daily reminder to keep Little Kit and her wonder and belief close.
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And she, and her world, are a large part of what forms me today.
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Posts
Yay, I'm so glad you chose this one for the Blogger's Quilt Festival. It is absolutely fabulous, Kit!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful - very evocative!
ReplyDeleteKit! This is so fantastic and your story is fun to read. Thanks for sharing and have a great day
ReplyDeleteThis is such a beautiful quilt and story. Lovely to see it going to the festival :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun quilt. I loved hearing about the different elements and the stories that go along with them.
ReplyDeletexo -E
I love the detail in this piece.
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovey way to share childhood memories!
ReplyDeleteYour work "Hiraeth" reminds me of the cover image of children's books "Pippi Longstocking" by Astrid Lindgren. They were my first books I could read alone as 6 year old child. Your work is very dreamy and tender. I think they are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteSimplesmente maravilhoso!!!
ReplyDeleteMuito obrigado, Rosa! :)
DeleteLove all the details and your story about the quilt. Just Beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteI love your story and your quilt ! Splendido !
ReplyDelete