It Started with My Father's Ties

We are hard at work on “The Heart Project." It includes my father’s beautiful ties. His personal art gallery that he wore over his heart everyday. His lawyer armor. In 2020 when my father passed to cancer I was the child that took to clearing out his man cave in Rensselaer, Indiana. Though his family life was lived out of his home in Indianapolis his law practice had remained in the same office it had been established in during the eighties. He lived a split life that suited him. He was his professional self for 4 days a week, wearing his suits & ties and working in a profession he loved until the day his illness forced his retirement. While he might arrive 'home' in his work clothes they were quickly swapped for his latest favorite casual wear. My father loved fashion & color despite much of his time spent in the dull colors of daily suit life. I was able to take in the way he expressed himself in this small but significant way. And the beautiful & intricate patterns that could be shared in such a small space - well, the magic of these silks had me intrigued. In the fall of 2023 I felt ready to celebrate my father by reimagining his ties and when they came out of the box someone else took some ownership of the project.