Lena Miltimore at the Inn at Lynden

100 5th St, Lynden, WA 98264

July 11 – September 28, 2024
Opening reception on Thursday, July 11 from 6–8pm

These portraits are painted on unstretched canvas, then cut apart into thin strips and woven back together on a loom, creating a new image that is an amalgamation of painting and woven tapestry. The fiber material in my woven paintings calls on the soft and comforting feelings I associate with the women around me. This element of the work also acknowledges the realm of textile art, which is historically a women-centered art form. Much like the generations of women in my family, I use textiles both as a form of meditation and an artistic outlet to express myself and bring the divine into the everyday. Painting the portrait acts as a recognizable physical embodiment of the deeper feelings and emotions I am experiencing. In this show, I have portraits of four generations of my Russian grandmothers alongside self-portraits and other studies, displaying introspection in understanding my heritage and my place in the world. These portraits are not finished at the final brushstroke, they are then shredded and stitched anew. What holds these women together, in my experience, is mirrored in the process and structure of the final artwork: secure and flexible, durable yet delicate.