Holding What Is Hard


The panel reads: “Long waits, dire conditions for migrants in US.”
An article headline from the Journal Gazzette, February 10, 2026

It is not an easy sentence to sit with. It is not decorative. It is not abstract. It carries weight.

As with life, The Weave of Life is not only about what is beautiful, soft, or comfortable. A true weaving holds tension. It holds contrast. It holds threads we might rather trim away. But if we remove every difficult strand, we are left with something dishonest.

If you know me personally, you know that ICE and immigration have been on my mind for some time. I have wrestled with the policies, the systems, the human consequences. I have thought about families waiting. About uncertainty. About the cost of being treated as less than human in a place that speaks of freedom.

This panel is not about politics as performance. It is about humanity.

The weave reminds me that every headline represents real lives — mothers, fathers, children — suspended in systems that often feel indifferent. And while art cannot fix policy, it can refuse to look away. It can insist that these threads belong in the tapestry of our shared story.

In a world that can be cruel, may we choose not to harden.
May we shed light on inhumanity instead of normalizing it.
May we turn our hearts toward care and compassion — not just for those who look like us or live like us, but for all.

The weave is strongest when every thread is acknowledged. Even the frayed ones.

Weave of Life Project: In Progress

Weave of Life is an evolving, living project—growing panel by panel, story by story. This space offers a glimpse into the process as it unfolds: from early material gathering and studio moments to community contributions and new installations. You’re invited to follow along as the work develops and to see how memory, nature, and community connection are woven together over time. Subscribe to get updates directly to your e-mail! For project details visit: https://www.nancyfritzart.com/weave-of-life

Read more from Weave of Life Project: In Progress
A large square framed panel displaying the Seed of Life geometric pattern, composed of dozens of individual encaustic panels in varied colors and textures. Each panel features unique layered wax surfaces in deep reds, blues, greens, golds, and earth tones

This Work Won't Exist After September Weave of Life - Seed of Life 2 On June 22nd, Weave of Life — Seed of Life 2 opens at the Indy Art Center in Indianapolis as part of Art From the Heartland, a group exhibition running through September 13th. This is the first time this particular arrangement of panels has been shown in a formal exhibition setting. And it will be the last time it exists in this form. Here's what I mean by that. Weave of Life is a long-term, modular installation — hundreds...

A fan-shaped encaustic panel with a dark teal border. Inside, bold black lines cross over warm beige wax embedded with bright marks in pink, purple, yellow, green, and orange — made by a community participant at the AmplifyHER event in Fort Wayne, Indiana

What a Stranger Left Behind In early May, I was part of AmplifyHER — a celebration of women vendors, arts, and community here in Fort Wayne. I brought a table, some colored pencils, markers, and an invitation. The invitation was simple: take a moment to create. I offered two options. Pre-cut paper shapes from the Weave of Life project — if you wanted to draw or write something and see it join the growing canvas right there, in real time. Or uncut paper — if you wanted to make something that...

Messy living room studio.

The Living Room Studio There is a particular kind of creative life that doesn’t wait for ideal conditions. Right now, our living room is doing a lot of work. It holds two computer desks — one for me, one for my spouse Charlie. My encaustic painting table. A table for the Glowforge. Along the edges and tucked under everything: laser materials, painting supplies, Fritz Studio merchandise, and the general organized chaos of running two creative businesses out of one small space. And at the end...