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| amid pieced blocks I added in an applique stem see? |
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This week has been full of art making and learning in many forms. I spent time in studio one working on the "growth" piece, as well as making a row (36" X 5" tall) of stems for the crocus piece. While sewing these I just look at contrast, use scraps which sometimes leads to 1/8th inch finished stems, color and line.
I start with an idea, stems, and then let my artistic soul make the work.
I watched several videos this week of interviews with Liz Gilbert and Ann Patchett, and jotted down quotes, but one statement resonated with me a lot. Liz admits to being very fearful, as am I (as are a lot of thinking creative smart women in America today) but says she has 1% more curiosity than fear so she creates.
me too
I have a design wall that faces the door in my tiny studio sewing space, and see my latest projects as I walk in. This week I see two green works "growth" which has become approx 21" wide by 30" long by adding in tiny scraps one by one. The other "crocus" has become three long banners but I'm deciding how to join them.
Both pieces made from throwaway sized scraps that to me are beautiful
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see the little frogs? and that stripe?
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I sew components together and put them on the wall, and often notice meaning showing up, as in the above section... to me it feels like a greenhouse, flowers and trees arounnd it, a path leading to it thru trees, the dab of red above the "Cyprus" tree finishes off the point, totally serendipity. A choice of botanical batik scraps fills in and leads the viewer to my intent, an organic piece about growth.
I realized I write, paint, cook, and sew in the same kind of additive
process. If I notice while sewing an area will be short, I stop and sew
in a piece (to bridge) and when I cook I taste and add in a seasoning or
ingredient, while writing I get it all down on paper, then go back and
edit adding in, changing, or deleting words, while I paint I can amend a
painting with ink
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"FLY" after a video by Louise Fletcher on being free with paint
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as in the above painting, done as a lesson in being free with paint starting with no concept at all
I scribbled with neocolor 2 crayons, then brushed sideways with pure water on a wide flat brush which created an interesting strata. I went over with the stabilo chubby stick in black and water... then tombow markers and more water. stamp acrylic black with bubble wrap, scrape acrylic white paint with a palette knife, then at the end, add in small drawing of water lilies
It's too messy for my style but I learned what I liked doing, what I like seeing, and where to go next.
around one painting, I added in a R. Henri quote, The object isn't to make art, it's to be in that wonderful state where the art becomes inevitable.
yes, my goal is to remain in a state of the possible, the "what if", all that area outside the box that holds possibilityon the other hand, DH brought me two shirts this week both of which had worn out collars. I cut one up for scraps, and saved the buttons, (16 of them!) . The other one is my favorite of his shirts
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IZOD with just the right weight and color and preppiness
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not wanting to let this go I thought, it's just the collar... heyyyyyy I love Irish collarless shirts what if I turned the color inward to cover the worn part, and stitched along the collar lining... and dang if that didn't work a charm. Simple and a look I love reminding me of the 1900's
I took time out to make a monthly color block for the RSC
In recap I am taking advantage of a free workshop by a group called Messy May, with daily prompts for journaling. I started a free painting course with Louise Fletcher on Friday and that will go on for 5 days. I enjoyed listening to a brilliant author discuss creativity and overcoming life's obstacles (on youtube)
I drew countless zentangles of botanicals in my sketchbook, sewed, wrote articles, baked cakes and made dinners with ingredients to hand, and sewed for hours while listening to two books being read to me.
It takes a lot of will power and activity to overcome the bodily pain, the climate change to extreme heat and wildfires, the neighbors who all seem to have bought loud muscle cars and park them next to our bedroom window, the threats of gun violence and willingness of so many Americans to believe someone with a personal agenda for power, over facts... the continuing threat of a virus that would kill me (and my allergy to the vaccine) The hate that surrounds me instead of finding the magic brought by diversity if only we could see it. I am doing my best to cope and feel at times misjudged because I get cranky and don't fit in to the anti environment anti science people around me. Or invisible as I slowly fade away because I am an aging woman in America.
I stand with those women who want to be treated with dignity, who want control over their bodies and to be respected for what we offer. I feel so powerless so I turn inward and create art... for me.
I hope you like it too.
also, blogger is messing with comments often not showing them on the blog but I see some showing up when I use the comment button on the side of the main blogging page... please try to comment and my email is on the top right of my blog.
Linking to
patchwork Sunday
oh Scrap Sundays
design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts
lovelaughquilt.mondays
finished or not
![Collage, Paint, Draw: Explore Mixed Media Techniques and Materials by [Sue Pelletier]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/617nLco6uAL.jpg)
