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Offering to the Lost Ones


Offering to the Lost Ones
Theda Sandiford
42x10x5”
Recovered marine line, sea tumbled, woven and knotted with eyelash yarn, acrylic yarn , deconstructed line, glass beads, shells, chain and hand made bells.
2024

Offering to the Lost Ones is a sacred beacon of remembrance, crafted to honor the spirits lost during the transatlantic slave trade while reflecting on humanity’s ongoing disruption of the natural world. Using recovered marine line, sea-tumbled and woven with eyelash yarn, acrylic yarn, deconstructed line, glass beads, shells, chains, and handmade bells, this work becomes a poignant bridge between memory and materiality, life and loss.

The materials themselves—objects shaped by the violence of tropical storms and hurricanes—carry dual histories. They embody the enduring impact of environmental devastation and echo the turbulent seas that bore witness to unimaginable human suffering. Each knot, bead, and bell in this piece holds space for reflection, transforming debris into a solemn offering to the lost ones whose names and stories dissolved into the depths of the Atlantic.

This work evokes the fractured journey of the Middle Passage, where bodies cast into an ocean that became both a witness and a grave. The fragile interplay of synthetic and organic elements—chains and bells against shells and glass—mirrors the tension between bondage and liberation, death and resilience.

Offering to the Lost Ones calls us to remember the past while confronting the present. It reminds us that the sea, a vast expanse of life and mystery, carries both the weight of ancestral grief and the scars of modern neglect. In this offering, I seek not only to mourn but to inspire a dialogue about healing and reconciliation— between humanity and the natural world.

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Passport Ready: Italy, Here I Come!

This April, I’m heading to Italy with our parish for Jubilee 2025, and I am beyond excited. This trip feels like the perfect blend of culture, history, language, and adventure—right up my alley.

The itinerary is packed with iconic stops—Pompeii, the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain—you know, the kind of places you’ve seen in books and movies your whole life. To finally stand in those spaces and take it all in? I can’t wait.

What I’m really looking forward to is soaking up everything. The rhythm of Italian life, the art tucked inside ancient churches, the texture of the frescoes, the sound of fountains in little piazzas, the golden light on old stone buildings—it’s a full-body experience I’m hungry for.

Speaking of hungry… let’s talk about the food. I plan to eat and drink my way through this trip with pure joy: fresh pasta, flaky pastries, pizza, espresso, local vino, and anything else delicious that crosses my path. I want to sit at tiny tables, take a sip, and just be.

Since November, I’ve been studying Italian, slowly but surely. It’s been so rewarding to learn the language, even just the basics. I can’t wait to try it out my Duolingo Italian—ordering food, asking for directions, saying hello and thank you. Even fumbling through it is part of the fun.

This trip is a chance to reconnect with my inner explorer—to wander, to notice, to be curious. I’m going with open eyes, a notebook, a big appetite, and a heart ready for whatever magic Italy decides to offer.

So yes—I’m counting the days. Jubilee 2025, Roman ruins, ancient art, and new adventures? Yes, please.

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Blackity Black Blanket Library Drape Invited to FIBER 2025

I’m honored to share that Blackity Black Blanket Library Drape has been invited to exhibit at FIBER 2025, a prestigious international contemporary fiber art exhibition. The show runs from May 10 – June 19, 2025, at Silvermine Galleries in New Canaan, Connecticut. If you’re in the area, I invite you to the Opening Reception on May 17.

This body of work holds deep meaning for me. It explores the often unspoken terrain of implicit bias and the exhaustion that can come from navigating unproductive conversations around “isms”—racism, sexism, classism, and more. These dialogues can often feel circular or emotionally draining, especially when participants aren’t fully self-aware or willing to acknowledge the biases they carry. And let’s be real—implicit bias is a universal experience. It’s not a moral failure. But how we respond to it—that’s the real work.

Each zip tie in this installation is a micro-marker, a fragment of memory and tension, a moment where something was said, done, or left unsaid. The 12,000–15,000 zip ties that make up each blanket aren’t just numbers. They are reminders of the daily weight of microaggressions—small, often invisible cuts that compound over time.

The piece is anchored by two 8-foot antique library ladders, their rungs obscured by cascading black zip tie blankets. These ladders symbolize ambition and ascension—but weighed down, they speak to the difficulty of rising when systemic bias clings to every step.

Blackity Black Blanket Library Drape asks: What are we carrying? And what do we ask others to carry, often without even noticing? This work doesn’t claim to have answers, but it insists on holding the question in view, and hopefully opens a door toward deeper awareness, mutual accountability, and healing.

If you’re in or around Connecticut this spring, come see the work in person. Stand beneath it. Feel the texture of the conversation it invites..

FIBER 2025
Exhibition Dates: May 10 – June 19, 2025
Opening Reception: May 17, 2025
Location: Silvermine Galleries, 1037 Silvermine Rd, New Canaan, CT 06840

Blackity Black Blanket, ladders and emotional baggage cart installation
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April: Finding Inspiration in Nature and Culture

This month, I’ve been drawing deeply from the land and its stories for inspiration. Spending time in the Provision Grounds and food forest, I’m reminded of how nature and culture are intertwined. Each plant, from the vibrant cassava leaves to the medicinal herbs, carries a history—an untold story of survival and resilience.

This connection to the land has been feeding into my creative work. I’ve been experimenting with textures and colors inspired by the landscapes around me. The greens of new growth, the earthy tones of the soil, and the rhythmic patterns of woven baskets are finding their way into my current projects.

April has also been a time for storytelling. I’ve been gathering notes for the Provision Grounds Book, speaking with local elders and historians who’ve generously shared their knowledge. Their stories remind me how important it is to preserve these legacies—not just in words but through the art I create.

By looking closely at what’s around me, I’m finding endless inspiration for new ideas and perspectives. Nature has a way of grounding us, showing us that creativity isn’t something we need to force; it’s already present if we slow down enough to see it.

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Krishna Reddy Viscosity Printing Demo

As I am setting up the new studio with a printmaking area, this video is providing food for thought for upcoming studio experiments.

Mark Johnson, former graduate student of Krishna Reddy’s and long-time collaborator, as he explains the viscosity printing process while printing from Reddy’s Clown Dissolving plate.

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March 27: Join Me During HGA’s Fiber-A-Thon

The HGA Fiber-A-Thon will be a day filled with inspiring stories, uplifting creativity, and an opportunity to make a difference. This event will be broadcast live on Zoom for 12 hours on Thursday, March 27th, starting at 12 noon Eastern Time, and promises to be an incredible showcase of talent, compassion, and community spirit.

I signed up for 2:10pm for a Studio Tour! After eight months of construction, I’ve finally moved into my new studio in St. Croix, USVI! I can’t wait to take you on a tour and share updates on the eco-artist retreat I’m building at Sky Garden STX.

Registration and more details HERE.