My niece Meredith took this photo at the shore of Lake Superior. It was a perfect day for relaxing: warm sun, cool breeze, sound of water gently lapping the shore.
I love the meditative feel it gives by having the stack of rocks in focus and everything else softly out of focus. This brought to mind a page from Stitchscapes by Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn, in which they show some sketchbook ideas that combine stones with sea and skyscape.
Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn are talented, creative, and skilled fiber artists. They have written many books, and they have taught and exhibited in the UK and around the world. Check out this 2013 interview with them on TextileArtist.org, which will give you a sense of their artistry.
If you are not familiar with their art, or even with textile creations that are both fine art and fine craft, I would encourage you to explore their work.
Their Techniques on DVD
In Beaney - Littlejohn In Action, a 2-hour DVD from Studio Galli, Jan and Jean talk through how they work from sketches to finished textiles. They demonstrate fabric paints, dyes, embellishing, knitting, foiling, soluble film, and hand and machine stitching. Studio Galli describes it as suited to beginners and professional textile artists in embroidery, quilting arts, surface design, and fabric art.
Originally published August 16, 2022, as "Lake Superior meditations on the textile artistry of Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn." Revised November 4, 2026, to remove an offer that has ended and add their In Action DVD.