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Weave of Life Project: In Progress

Let’s Talk Substrate (and My Love of Saving Scraps)

Published about 1 month ago • 1 min read

Like a lot of artists, I have a tendency to hoard materials.

Not in a chaotic way (there are nice neat stacks...), but in a this might be useful someday way. Over the last few years, I’ve been saving scraps and leftover parts from projects that didn’t quite work out—cuts that were almost right, materials that were good but not right for that moment.

When I started Weave of Life, it felt important to begin there.

For the initial batch of panels, I’m using scrap birch plywood left over from previous projects. I created digital files that I can use with my Glowforge to cut the panels consistently. Each panel is designed with two layers, which allows me to sink the mounting strips into the back so they’ll sit flush on the wall when installed. It’s a small detail, but one that matters when you’re thinking about hundreds of pieces living together on a gallery wall.
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Next up, I’ll share how these blank panels are starting to come alive.

Weave of Life Project: In Progress

Nancy Fritz

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

Each panel in Weave of Life carries its own story. While the installation is meant to be experienced as a whole, sometimes it helps to slow down and look closely at a single piece. This panel brings together fabric, encaustic wax, and a gel print on paper. Each material holds its own history and energy. The fabric introduces texture from reclaimed pieces of samples that once lived another life. The gel print is a memory created with my sister-in-law, Liz, introducing me to geli prints for my...

6 days ago • 1 min read
The panel reads: “Long waits, dire conditions for migrants in US.”

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...

18 days ago • 1 min read

There are certain images that stay with you. Years ago, I made a lino print of Quan Yin and she’s been tucked away in my studio. She’s moved with me through different spaces, different phases of life. But I couldn’t throw her away. As I’ve been building panels for Weave of Life, I’ve been asking myself: What deserves to be carried forward? What can be transformed instead of discarded? So I brought Quan Yin back out. In the video attached, you’ll see me carefully cutting her from the old print...

25 days ago • 1 min read