Stations Journal Journey #20

September 5, 2025

Happy September! Station #8 is complete. WooHoo! I wrote last time about some of the challenges we had to overcome with Station #8, but since then I’ve been thinking more about these and wanted to make sure I document them here. In the future as I look back upon the experience, I don’t want to have forgotten the hardest bits in the dreamy heights of completion!!

In addition to the technical challenges of the Wonder Under and organza, how can I forget about the artistic choices that had to be made around the ladies’ faces? Though there were faces in Stations before this, they were just large enough that I could get away with portraying them in fabric and stitching. This time they were smaller and…there were 6! After pondering what options I might have, I chose to use a black fabric pen to create them monochromatically. Then following that I added some hand stitching to some of the bits to bring in a bit of texture. I’m pretty happy with how they turned out. I also wanted to add a multi-racial element to this one as I have wrestled with the question of skin tone every time. If I have done an acceptable job, I am content. If not, I ask your forgiveness, knowing that I continue to wrestle with my own perspectives from the beige skin I was born in (stay tuned for interesting details about this in Station #10!)

Another technical challenge was the white fabric background. I had in my stock a gorgeous white drapery fabric that I’m very happy with the look of, but the realities of this fabric were difficult. For starters, I had to figure out how to keep it clean throughout the process of sewing and creating the banner. I chose to baste a thin batiste fabric on top of the white portions. This did the job of protecting it nicely. Then, when finishing the banner’s edges and rod pockets for mounting, I had to hand stitch through this heavy fabric. My fingers were poked and prodded by pins and needles, some of which broke and bent under the exertion. I poked through one fingernail! Even with plenty of thimbles, it was very difficult! Then, just at finishing, after keeping the white so beautifully clean, I got a drop of my own blood on it!! I’m sure it won’t be noticeable to most others, but it’s there! 

This art is called “Not For Me, But For You”, quoting Jesus in scripture. It has not escaped me that the meaning of the word Passion is ‘suffering’. This project illustrates the Passion of Christ but it has also become my own lifetime passion project. This Station certainly brought me (and my assistant) many suffering and challenging moments. I never doubted that its completion was God’s will, but I did wonder at my patience. I am trusting that through this profound process of creation, God is sustaining my resolve, my mastery, my creative flow and indeed, my body (didn’t break anything when I had a wee fall off my bike on the weekend!). This is what I trust for today.