The Sanctuary Within

This design was long coming. The Sanctuary challenge at first brought images of places I had visited, both the sacred in nature and in structure. In the end, nothing felt quite right. No one image embodied my personal sense of sanctuary. Until I looked inside.

Music and logic are my sanctuary. The score on the left is from the Thomas Tallis Puer natus est nobis written in 1554. Reproduced here is part of the Agnus Dei movement reading dona nobis pacem or grant us peace. The chorus sings in seven parts - all voice parts splitting into their high and low voices except the tenor line. The result is a stunning, rich, meditative sound.

The nautilus shapes are formed through the number series Italian mathematician Fibonacci discovered in the 13th century. Such logic and order appeal to me. The three represent water, earth and growth.

Polished wood buttons were added for their visual interest and the old key to represent the power to protect that internal space.

I used commercial batik fabrics. The music was first 'aged' by tea-staining a photocopy of the score and then photocopying onto freezer paper backed muslin. The piece was machine quilted.