In the midst of the pandemic separation I was paired with Jane Sanders, a textile portrait artist in the UK who sews (yes, sews) portraits of musicians. We were matched up for a unique collaboration. It is a part of the "Long Distance Art" project of the Social Distancing Festival, curated by Nick Green in Canada. It was a wonderful way to discover connection as we all grappled with separation.

I wrote "The Leaving" specifically during COVID times to reflect on the losses and on my own powerful experience of my dearest friend contracting the virus in late March (she is recovered and doing well now). My friend is also a textile artist which added an extra layer of meaning to the project. On a hot day in early June, I sat in my garden and scrawled the story out for Jane, longhand on plain white paper—which is how I write out so many things as they are in process—songs, ideas, discoveries, lists, life. I put two versions in an envelope and sent it across the country, across the ocean to Jane. It took weeks to arrive in her hands, but when it did, she did something magical with it.

Click here to see the collaboration. It's very cool if you do as the curator suggests, and play the video so you can to hear the words as you read them on my body, face, and hair throughout the portrait, it brings it close to you, multi-dimensional, as this collaboration truly was. You can also see the source photo of me that was used to create the portrait, And—you'll also find links to Jane's amazing other work which will BLOW YOUR MIND. You can also see the other powerful collaborations that are a part of this wonderful coming together of artists from around the world—to remind us, as I am always saying, that we are all connected—all of us, always. 

May our art touch your heart. 
Big Hug,

Licity