Positive Ruminations book
Hardcover limited edition book by Margaret Bruning, 24 pages, 8x8,” 2021
“I think the best way to become a folk artist is to inherit it from someone we love. When we accept their challenge, we pick up the pieces and continue the flow of the tradition from her hands through ours. ”
If a sheep doesn't ruminate, known as chewing its cud, they will die. And for humans, what can we ruminate on that will feed us as we make our way in the world? Positive Ruminations is a compilation of reflections from a one year folklife apprenticeship called Sheep to Shawl: The Art of Raising Sheep and Creating Fiber Arts. Apprentice Margaret Bruning realized early on that she set out to learn in one year what would now take a lifetime to refine. When she confessed this to her mentor, Kathy Evans, what the seasoned farmer and artist told her "It takes us all a lifetime." And what a time it will be.
Published in 2021. Book design, photos, and text by Margaret Bruning. This book accompanies a video and zine also produced by Margaret Bruning, for public education. This Folklife Apprenticeship was supported by the West Virginia Folklife Program, a project of the West Virginia Humanities Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations do not necessarily represent those of the West Virginia Humanities Council or the National Endowment for the Arts.