Cracking Up

It's the dead of winter and you know what that means. No, not some emotional breakdown, although people who hear that we love winter sometimes think we've suffered that kind of crack-up. I'm talking about the crevasse that opens up on my right thumb every year during the dark season. The crack is back, and it's slowing me down.

Usually I use Superglue to seal it up and create a hard, protective shell that keeps thread from slipping down into the depths as I stitch. This year, I've been using New Skin because it was in the medicine cabinet and needs to be used up and I can't get the lid off the Superglue.

I'm still working on a piece for an exhibition that needed the image oh, yesterday. So far (knock wood), I haven't bled on the piece. I'm hoping my luck holds out and I can finish it today.

The artist statement for this piece will not include the fun fact that blood is about 50 percent water.