Fiberart for a Cause

Last week I visited Natalya Aikens' blog and found out about the 2009 Fiberart for a Cause.  Fiber artists donate a piece to this online reverse auction and all the proceeds go to the American Cancer Society.  The auction takes place May 5-7, so save the link if you want to buy a beautiful piece of fiber collage and donate to a worthy cause at the same time.  Pieces start out at a minimum bid of $80 for the first day of the auction and then drop to $40 for the final two days.  This year will be FFC's last fundraiser and their goal is to raise $20,000 in three days.  Lately I've been hearing so many stories about people dealing with cancer, many of them young people, and I wondered if I could create an 8"x10" piece to donate.  I finished it tonight and submitted it via e-mail.  I wanted to portray something peaceful, serene, that would inspire healthful thoughts in the viewer.  Considering how long it usually takes me to complete something, I am kind of amazed I was able to take this from possibility to process to reality in less than a week.  Perhaps I work better with assignments and deadlines (or perhaps I was just inspired).  The piece is mostly commercial fabrics, both machine and hand quilted, with cotton, rayon, and metallic threads, some glass beads, and a variety of yarns and embroidery threads.  I'm calling it "Spirit Rising: Return to Eden." It reminds me of a garden described in C.S. Lewis' book The Magician's Nephew.  (I am beginning to think gardens with walls, gates, and water features are becoming a recurring theme for me.)