Marian Vavra shared The Cross of Renewal ©2001, her straw sanctuary cross, for Easter as it symbolizes Grace’s Re-Lent theme. Designed for inclusion in an English art book on Swiss Straw Work published in 2003, she used layers of creation and renewal imagery to honor generations of stewards of the land created by God: people who instinctively trusted in the never-ending circle of creation: birth, life, death, and rebirth.
In The Cross of Renewal, this truth is represented by a straw appliquéd circle: an eternal circle where God enfolds his people, his creations, with communion and endless love. The spiral cross visually resembles a DNA strand, our most basic genetic code. The Trinity is represented by the three ovals of colored mosaic straw edged with plaited straw. Mirrored shapes are worked in crimson red straw edged with a decorative straw thread where the red color is congruous with the red thread of the back circle, representing sacrifice. And the slightly chaotic, undefined movement of the center work beckons one to discover the order that lies beyond. The cross is finished with a profusion of straw thread flowers using a variety of colors and Swiss techniques. Marian dyed straw, spun straw into thread to make many flowers and edgings, and opened and flattened straw for appliqué work which covers the circle. She used Kansas wheat harvested in 1998 from Dwight and Mary Cowan’s and Matthew and Laura Voth’s farms.
Her Prayer
Creator of all, you encircle us with your love, grace, and peace.
Thank you for the mysteries of nature:
Birth, life, death, and rebirth, for we are sustained by this cycle…
Amen
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