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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

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
Featured Post

This Work Won't Exist After September

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...

This past week was full of conversations, ideas, resources, and inspiration — so much so that I’m still processing everything I learned. As artists, it can sometimes feel like we are building quietly in our own corners of the world, so it was energizing to spend time surrounded by creatives from across Indiana. I got the opportunity to share the Weave of Life project with other artists, mentors, and program leaders. Being able to speak about the vision behind the project helped me further...

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to be part of the Body Mind Spirit Celebration in Cincinnati. Events like these are always a beautiful mix of conversations, shared stories, and moments of discovery. But within all of that, what I continue to seek — and hope to offer — is something quieter. A moment to pause.A moment to breathe.A moment to simply be. ✨ The Weave of Life — Created Together One of the most meaningful parts of the weekend was the creation of a community Weave of Life...

It was great to be at GROW WIWO Conference in Fort Wayne yesterday! I had the opportunity to share Weave of Life Project with attendees in a hands-on way—inviting people to slow down and create their own small pieces. A number of those pieces will be incorporated into the larger installation, which makes the work even more meaningful.There’s something powerful about creating, especially in the middle of a busy day. It naturally reduces stress, helps you reset, and allows you to absorb more of...

The studio is in transition once again. As part of preparing our current house to be listed, I’ll be moving out of my current studio setup and into a temporary workspace for the next little while. The new studio in the new house isn’t quite ready yet, so I’ll be creating a smaller, more simplified setup in my apartment while renovations continue. It’s not the ideal or final space—but it’s a space to keep going. There may be a short pause as everything gets packed up and moved, but my...

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...

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...

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...