JILL RUBY-WAHBA, MA, LMFT, ATR-BC

Jill Ruby-Wahba is a LMFT, and Board Certified, Registered Art Therapist, with a private practice in Torrance, CA. Her passion is utilizing art making to help people improve their overall wellbeing. Along with traditional talk therapy, she includes art as a tool for communication, exploration, self-expression, self-acceptance and integration of deeply rooted beliefs and ideas in treatment.

“Far Away, Inside, Up Close”

(Fiber Art, Mixed Media, 5” x 14”)

I am a sucker for a soft, cuddly blanket. It brings back memories of watching my grandmother knitting or working on an intricate needlepoint piece, sipping hot cocoa, feeling safe and loved at home with family. I needed to feel close to those memories this year, to ease my mind at the end of a long day. Knitting and making a few more little tapestry squares to the series I started several years ago.

Working with my hands, feeling different textures, smelling the earthy and various fragrances of yarns and threads helps me feel grounded and centered. I purposely like to work small when playing with threads and yarns in this way, and I am always surprised by the finished piece. I let the textures and colors of the media guide what I do with them while sewing. If they get snarled or stuck going through the fabric, I work with it, if my needle moves smoothly in and out of the burlap weave, I enjoy it. Sometimes I see patterns forming, and build on them, sometimes, I disrupt them, just to see what may emerge. Sometimes the piece feels unsettling, other times, it makes me feel at peace. I think each of these three grapple with moments of peace, contemplation, tension and joy.