Sins and Needles by Melanie Materson

Sins and Needles by Melanie Materson

Ray Materson wanted to be a priest when he grew up. He was an A student and sixth-grade class president. But in college Ray began drinking, which led to drug experimentation, which devolved to an addict's life of living fix to fix. Finally, petty acts of theft and the end of loans from friends led to carjacking with a toy gun and a sentence of twenty-five years behind bars.

One miserable day in prison, Ray remembered an image of his grandmother sitting on the porch with her embroidery. At about the same time, the University of Michigan was to play in the Rose Bowl. Improvising a needlework hoop, Ray made a maize-and-blue Michigan M so he could officially cheer his team to victory. Soon Ray was sewing small flags and emblems using threads pulled from socks for pieces commissioned by fellow inmates, who paid him with cigarettes. Over time his work became more intricate-miniature masterpieces that told stories from his past and illustrated his dreams for the future. In stitching his artwork, Ray found hope and salvation.

Enter Melanie, a woman who sees Ray's work in a local exhibition and writes him a fan letter. Ultimately she marries him while he's still in prison. With Melanie's encouragement and perseverance, Ray's artwork gains national attention and is a smash hit. To this day, his work is represented by the American Primitive Gallery in New York.

Illustrated with fifty pieces of Materson's artwork, Sins and Needles is the riveting story of Ray's journey-of how a broken man manages to put the pieces of his life together in a most unexpected way.

Materson, Ray: - Ray Materson is an internationally recognized outsider artist. He and his art have been featured in major newspapers and national media. A Michigan native, he now lives with his wife, Melanie, outside of Albany, New York, where he continues to create his unique artworks and counsels troubled youth. They have three children.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781565123403
ISBN 10	1565123409
Title	Sins and Needles
Author	Melanie Materson
Condition	Unavailable
Publisher	Algonquin Books
Year published	2002-08-19
Number of pages	212
Prizes	Winner of Independent Publisher Book Awards (Inspirational/Spiritual) 2003
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable