K Smith

Self Touch
mixed media – paper, ribbon, photography, stitching
10 x 8 in.
$150

I feel like I’ve been practicing social isolation a good portion of my life. Certain life events and trauma forced many of my personal retreats. Some last for years. One such event was when my nest emptied. I felt the alone and empty of their flight with every part of me. Very late to masturbation, I did not practice self-touch until the age of 50. The image in this paper quilt square was taken then. During this time of my life I wondered what “I” looked like through the lens of a camera using a timer. My minds eye could not always find the self-love.

I have collaged for over 20 years. My work is narrative. Incorporating my personal photography into a paper quilt square is a new expression for me. My current life is on the other side of broken – the act of piecing and stitching is my way of putting myself back together again. I prefer paper to fabric because magazines are free. In times of things pandemic, I am making daily with no worry of running out of supplies.

K Smith is an alter ego. Born in Canada, K is pending 60. She is a self-taught emerging artist. Her nude work has shown and sold in Chicago.

© K Smith