Here we go.....

May 7, 2008


Well it's only been a year since I typed that "new blogger" and I still do not know anymore than I knew last year but I'm going to try to give this a whirl. I'd like to share with you a rug I made for a dear friend. His name is Buzz and he has lymph node cancer. He is a full time musician for a wonderful band called Simon Apple. He is their drummer and also the lyricist for the band. Buzz was diagnosed May 07 and had surgery which was successful. He then went through 35 radiation treatments that were brutal. They had to be very aggressive with this cancer. Buzz is 48, same age as me. He had a feeding tube placed in November 07 and still is not eating any real foods. All his meals go through the feeding tube. Unfortunately the affects of the radiation have taken their toll on him. He is also suffering greatly from depression.

I decided to hook a rug for Buzz to give him hope and something that would be uplifting. Now I do primitive folk art so this rug is a huge step out of the box for me. It is called Leap of Faith. First because that is what he took when he put himself into the hands of the caring doctors at Fox Chase Cancer Center. Secondly Buzz wrote a song called "Leap of Faith" many years ago and he never knew it would come to mean so much to him. I envisioned this rug in my mind almost to a tee but not with these bright colors. The colors came into play when I found online a website for Jane Evershed. She had painted a painting called Leap of Faith. I immediately asked her if I could use some of the elements of her painting in my rug and she immediately said yes. THANK YOU JANE!

I probably would have hooked the cliffs in browns but seeing her painting so vivid in color made me take that giant step away from primitive. I placed an apple on the ground where she had a city, the apple being for the band Simon Apple. I then wrote "Leap of Faith" in the beautiful blue sky and put a small bee there since bees go Buzz. The man is leaping from the bare cliff with no life to the cliff with the beautiful tree where there is life and wellness. It was truly a labor of love for Buzz. I then put a beautiful sentiment to him on the reverse. Also Jane Evershed had written a poem for Leap of Faith:

It's Yours, Take it,

Leap like a lunatic

Over the chasm below

Erupting as you go

Your true self awaits you

NOW you will know.

~Jane Evershed

I then took Buzz's song and printed the first verse on the reverse of the rug:

Stand On the Edge of a Moment

Looking out but I never look down

Aware of the chasm before me,

Where the Darkness of doubt can be found

Fear is what has become me

As the time is now close at hand

Praying for someone to join me

On this leap of faith I have planned....

~Buzz Saylor

The hand dyed wools were dyed by Tammy Burks of Skip To My Ewe and it was hooked in an 8 cut. Whipstitched around the edges with 100% wool - navy. I dedicate this rug to my friend...........Buzz Saylor. Each loop was a loop of love, friendship and prayer for your return to wellness. Blessings ~ Cyndi