This year brought me a big commission for a large institution and I have spent the last five months making 'Better Together'. It was really a dream project for me! ​

I was asked to create a piece utilizing T-shirts from Epilepsy Awareness campaigns and any other materials I wanted to use to create this 36x48 inch piece. I got started in early January 2022 embroidering some of the flowers and the bird, and I have just completed it in mid-May. Below you will find a link to the Youtube video which compiles many clips over hours and hours of making, compressing 5 months into less than 5 minutes. 

The process start to finish entailed: First I designed the brain using fabric collage techniques, carefully considering what fabrics look good together and where to place the pieces of T-shirts I received. Each of the cerebral lobes is done in a slightly different color range and yet they all blend together. Once the fabric design was done, I sewed all of the pieces onto the canvas back using my sewing machine and invisible thread. When that was complete, I began the intensive period of hand embroidery which took about 3 months. I even took the piece on the road with me during a long road-trip and you can see me stitching in a hotel room at night, During the final stages of embroidery I added bits and bobs of trim, lace and buttons and even a golden neuron charm that I had in my stash. In the final steps, I stretched the canvas onto a large canvas frame, stapled it into place and added gesso and finally several coats of paint. 

The really great part about doing this commission was that I learned a lot about Epilepsy along the way. Some of this shows up in the piece: purple being the predominant color as that is the color used to promote epilepsy awareness during the month of November every year, and red is not used (except very sparingly) as it can be a trigger for some kinds of seizures. The title 'Better Together' was taken from one of the T-shirts I received and reflects the role that so many people play in the treatment of Epilepsy. 

The most startling piece of information about epilepsy is the prevalence of it. One in 26 people will experience some form of epilepsy during their lifetime. If you'd like to learn more about epilepsy - I can recommend these sites:
Epilepsy Foundation
Cook Children's Comprehensive Epilepsy Program

I'm celebrating the end of Brain Awareness Week - March 12-18, 2018 - with a fundraising art auction. I'll be sending the below 12x12" original work of art ($450 value) to the highest bidder who makes a donation to a brain-related charity of their choosing. The bidding starts at $100 and closes Sunday, March 25 at 5PM EST.

Pretty much everyone is touched in one way or another by brain disease or injury. Personally, friends and family of mine have been touched by Alzheimers, mental illness, multiple sclerosis, brain tumors and traumatic brain injuries. We can all help by donating to organizations that support research, care and education.

Here is how the auction works:

• Pick the charity you want to support - must be brain related.
• Note in the comments here or send me an email with your suggested donation amount and the charity name. If the charity is not already on my list below, please include a link to their website. I will keep a running tally here of the highest bid.
  
• Bids close on March 25th at 5PM EST - and I will email the winning bidder.
  
• Winner makes their donation directly to the charity and sends me confirmation from the charity by March 31st.
• I mail out the above piece on April 1st and will cover shipping to all U.S. locations.
  
• The winner enJOYs a lovely piece of art and that good feeling that comes from donating to a good cause!
  

Unfortunately, I can't take international bids on this one, but maybe next time.

Suggested charities :

• Brain Research Foundation
• Brain and Behavior Research Foundation
• Cure Alzheimers Fund
• A Kids Brain Tumor Cure
• NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness

I'm particularly interested in those organizations that fund neuroscience research but I also highly value the organizations that give support and care to patients and caregivers. I've made the above list of the top organizations I'd love to see supported and I'm happy to add to the list if you'd like to make recommendations in the comments. Please note that I will look them up online and make sure they are viable nonprofits with track records and high ratings from an online nonprofit rater such as Charity Navigator.

You can email me directly at Bundesen(at)gmail.com or just leave comments below. Make sure you add your email address and note that it will not be published. I'm the only one who will have access to it.

Thanks as always for stopping by and taking the time to visit my website. Hit the link below to see what work of mine is for sale. I have a wide range of originals and prints available - almost all of them are BRAINS - Yay!