This was a challenge to beat all. I read and reread the description.
Have you ever had a situation about which you formed an opinion that was later disproved? Consider one of your past preconceptions and depict your experience in an art quilt. I was stumped.
One early idea was to play with part of the challenge word, "Conception" and do a cheesecloth ultrasound of my firstborn, whose 29th birthday was yesterday. I certainly had some preconceptions about what kind of person he would be and about parenthood that were all totally disproved over the years. But it seemed too trite.
So following Lisa-Marie's instructions to the letter, I promptly bought some salted caramel ice cream and was instantly hooked. (Thanks a lot). :) When did I form an opinion that was later disproved? And then I remembered Madeleine.
My first job, at 18, was as a secretary in a high school office. On the first day, I was introduced to Madeleine, a student guidance counsellor in the Guidance office next door. She absolutely terrified me. She spoke in a deep authoritative voice and it was clear she did not suffer fools gladly. She was smart, efficient, professional and very intimidating. Over time, I got to recognize the twinkle in her eye and to see she had the biggest heart and would do anything for the students who needed help, and I enjoyed many conversations with her over coffee break. She helped persuade me that by missing university, I had missed the best time of my life, and with her urging, I applied for and was accepted to Mount Allison University in New Brunswick. Years later, she threw a wedding shower for me with all my former friends and colleagues at the high school. But I moved far away and wasn't particularly good at keeping in touch - I had a career, then kids - and one day, I moved back to Ottawa and that first September, when I attended the 100th anniversary of my eldest son's school, I stopped in my tracks when I heard a familiar voice across the auditorium. Yes, it was Madeleine.
We picked up where we left off and the 10 years I had been away dissolved. It was only then that I learned that when I met her in 1971, she was facing the most challenging situation of her life - her husband had become disorganized, forgetful and difficult, and the only diagnosis doctors could come up with was senile dementia, though he was only 55. What I perceived as a brusque and impatient person was the result of her being embroiled in this horrible situation: seeking information about his condition with scant information available, meeting with doctors and looking for support. When she had no luck, she established the Ottawa Alzheimer Society, so she could provide assistance and answers to other people in the same situation. "I will never let another woman go through what I did." Only someone with the fortitude and obstinacy of a Madeleine could have accomplished as much as she did. I am in awe of her courage and tenacity and I hope I have conveyed some of her strength in this portrait, along with the tremendous love and affection I feel for her.
Today, Madeleine is as strong-willed and feisty as ever. She celebrated her 100th birthday this year.
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Sculpted cheesecloth on face, hands and hair; painted with Neocolor II wax pastels and Inktense pencils.
Here we are, completing our first full
cycle of nine challenges. A year ago, Martha Wolfe pulled us all together
from around the world to participate in a virtual fiber art collective focused on
exploring alternative sources of inspiration. She proposed we borrow from the theory of multiple intelligences (lo and behold, there are nine!) to inspire our work. What a ride it has been, and what innovative work has resulted. For this final challenge in the first series, we will focus on the area of Naturalistic Intelligence (good at appreciating the world and nature). 
So I wracked my brain - would I have to go back in history and visit the ancestors in Scotland and Ireland to use their imagery? But Canada is the homeland of some very creative indigenous peoples - the first nations tribes, the Inuit, and - from the Pacific northwest coast just off British Columbia - the Haida nation. Luckily for me, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, just minutes from where I live in Ottawa, has beautiful Haida artwork by renowned artists like Bill Reid and Robert Davidson, and some ancient artifacts like this garment depicting an eagle and the carved ceremonial dish below. I also discovered a beautiful book Haida Art by George F
MacDonald, where I learned the history of this fascinating people. 
Haida art is distinctive in that there is little
realism or naturalism in most of their drawings and carvings - creatures often depict large staring eyes, open mouths exposing rows of teeth and tongues, and faces can be seen in body parts like hands, eyes and torsos. Most of the traditional designs I found are in black and red on white - beautiful, graphic images that are very appealing. Here is Dogfish Mother by Robert Davidson and Haida Beaver Tsing by Bill Reid:
It always elicits guffaws of disbelief in everyone but my immediate family when I reveal that I am an introvert. I'm not off the charts (if you haven't done the Myers-Briggs personality type inventory, it is a fascinating and revealing experience - there are lots available online for free), but I test decidedly on the Introvert side. Why does no one guess this? Because I wear the mask of an extrovert. Sometimes I feel like the character played by Roy Scheider in the film All That Jazz when he looks at his reflection in the mirror each morning and intones, "Show time!" When I have to engage in public speaking, that is almost literally what I do while donning my Extrovert Mask. To be clear, here, I don't engage in the use of cigarettes, dexedrine, Alka Seltzer and Visine that the protagonist in the film does! But I do have a Public Persona, and that is the face I show to the world.
to tell us what we should do ... 
