Two years ago, I met a blacksmith. This woman was no joke. She built metal structures and installations for sculptors and artists. Years of pounding metal had taken a toll on her back and she was contemplating her next move.
I spent Thanksgiving in Paris where the abundance of ironwork made me think of her. Who were the people who broke their backs forging the balustrades of all those Parisian apartments? Was there a single woman among them?
This week's art is dedicated to those who dare challenge gender stereotypes at work: female mechanics and male embroiderers, bearded cupcake chefs and tattooed fire-women. Let's shake it up!
This week's artwork combines free embroidery and fabric ink on muslin. And yes, it is being given away as part of Project 105. Use the contact form on this site to let me know that you are interested in putting your name in the hat.
Also, the artwork serves as this week's illustration to a flash fiction story at medium.com.
If you haven't never read flash fiction, give it a try. It's fun. It's quick. You might get hooked.
Updated 12/13/2017
The Blacksmith was sent to Rhonda G. of Gonzales, Louisiana