Meeting Mother Earth, again

Creating…
One thread…
One stitch…
At a time

Slowly

Some of us enjoy fast food, fast travel, or fast talking. Others, however, like to take things slow. I want to introduce you, dear reader, to Hilary Rice who lives, and thrives, slowly, with priest husband Mike near Madoc, Ontario.

Kathie and I first met this couple at the Sorrento Retreat and Conference Center almost 30 years ago. At the time they were raising their young family. Mike oversaw maintenance throughout the extensive Centre grounds; Hilary led worship and music along with coordinating youth and children’s programs during the busy summer season.

They later moved to Invermere BC, then to Cornerbrook, Newfoundland before retiring to their present location, a little bit of paradise nestled within a large vegetable and flower garden with an exquisite, centrally located fibre-art and pottery studio in a renovated barn.

For many years Kathie has admired Hilary’s creativity and ingenuity. We own some of her work including the world’s largest tea cozy this side of the moon. I often thought we should visit Hilary and Mike and suggested this idea often. Lo and behold, as we vacation beside Limerick Lake ninety minutes north of Peterborough we discovered we were almost next door to Hilary and Mike. So we dropped by.

I can honestly say that a good time was had by all. We simply picked up where we left off decades ago. Mike and I convivially grumbled about Anglicans and church, though we both continue to serve in reduced capacities. Kathie and Hilary shared more than a few creative ideas. Regarding Hilary’s artistic vision and approach I quote below from her well organized and colourful website:

I take great pleasure from working at a snail’s pace. Each item is completely unique, from hand dyed materials through to the individual beads applied. Everything on this site was designed & painstakingly made, by me.

When I was young, I dreamed of being able to make everything I would need… Not as a career, but in my free time. Decades before there was such a thing as “The Slow Movement”, I made things at a snail’s pace. After a lifetime of learning, I am delighted to spend my days creating beautiful things & sharing the results. I take pride in my work & I strive for excellence.

My preference is always to make something ‘from scratch’… So rather than using a commercially produced fabric, I will dye or paint a natural cotton, linen or silk. The resulting pieces are truly unique!

Beyond technology, technique, and talent, Hilary takes things a step further:

As a spiritual being, I grow through grappling with difficult questions. As a visual artist, the questions settle in my soul, and I let go and listen. My artwork may reveal connections to the natural world, but they are simply a way of expressing what I hear and feel deep inside.

I do find myself seeking to understand the mysteries of the universe, and the bonds that unite the universe, humanity and the divine. I do find myself discovering all things visible and invisible, examining both divinity and nature in the smallest detail.

So this all sounds so very perfect, and Hilary admits there is nowhere else she would rather live and work. While she sells and displays online and at local art shows she does tire of packing up and taking down here mobile studio over and over again. What she really wants is for people to visit her studio. She loves nothing more than to share, show, and tell of creation’s beauty expressed in fibre and clay.

I encourage all my readers and followers when you are next in Ontario to make a trip to Mother Earth Studio (full details on the website). It will be worth your time and effort. To whet your appetite here are some images I created photographically.

Great to catch up with you Mike and Hilary. We’ll be back, not only to collect the shirt I left behind, but to continue great conversations surrounded by so much beauty.

Ken and Kathie

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