I never tire of listening to Maria talk about the meaning of her art, and the same is true of many people. I love doing our videos together.

Last week, we made a video of her newest quilt, “Memory Of Belonging,” which got more than 5,000 views on YouTube. It’s one of her strongest quilts in a string of wonderful ones.

The striking thing about my relationship with Maria is that the depth of her artistic brilliance never stops emerging and still surprises me, even though I know it’s there. It made a deep impression when I saw it hanging on the line this morning.

The interest in Maria’s art is a testament to its growing popularity.  Her work has always carried messages and meaning, but as she continues to work, think, and experiment, it becomes even more exciting.

Maria’s humility is a defining trait. She never speaks highly of herself, a behavior she was taught to be inappropriate and even dangerous.  Her family, embracing every superstition and warning, was among the first to buy mail shredders when they came out.

It can make a kid cautious. Like so many of us, she is afraid of seeing how good her work is continuing to become.

Maria kept growing as an artist from the second she started making potholders and selling them.

Her thought process and imagination are evident when she talks about her art.

Like many these days, the quilt was sold without even being finished.

But I am fascinated by the story behind this iconic, even historic fabric, what inspired it, and how it was put together.

So I suggested we do another one this morning now that it is just about done, the elements hanging out in the sun to be clean, dry, and bright. The process is fascinating to me and, apparently, to others as well.

But she is finishing it this week, along with another round of wondrous potholders, this one about children, rabbits, and fertilization (she’ll explain it, not me.) One breeds another, she says in the video; they are all tied together.

Our relationship makes our videos more accessible. I’m not nervous about getting them going, and she is not anxious when I’m on the other end of the camera. This is one of our best ones; look and decide for yourself. This quilt and the strong messages it triggers make it one of my favorites, and that’s getting to be a long list.

As I mentioned, it was sold the second she put it on her blog. Go, girl.