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I participated in a wonderful workshop at the Artist's Nook earlier this month in which we did mixed media collage. What I made that day will someday be posted in my blog, but for now I want to show you what I made as we were warming up. Our task was to create a self portrait in less than two minutes out of one sheet of black construction paper. We then hung them up on a white wall amidst each other's. The placement of each person's piece generally enhanced it. It was a good exercise, remembering that art doesn't have to be complex, nor does it have to take forever. And it was fun to see how, if we create together, we create more art than we know, and it is all so interesting. Different perspectives are very enlightening!
Another type of art: pie! I helped make these with two of my former German students who visited us for a weekend. They wanted to have an "American" experience, so we made pie. It was some of the best pie I've made, with fresh peaches. Soooo good!
There's this neat website called Illustration Friday in which the people who run the site determine a word of the week, and then artists are invited to create something that represents that word, then post it by Friday. It is a neat website. Ambra suggested we try it out together. This week the word is detach. So here's mine. I've thought all week about it. Meanwhile I've hosted company, my bathroom is a construction zone, I've had an extremely busy week at work (lots of stuff to do on the computer), there are dishes to be done, birthdays to remember, babies being born (or new mothers to support), and we have three days before more company comes. There is a lot to do. So I drew this tonight, a visualization of me "using the force" to keep all that at bay while I deliberately make time for myself to make art. To detach from everything I feel keeps me from doing what I most want to do. If I'd had more time, I would have liked to make it all of fabric and paper combined, a sewn picture.
Drawing is something I've done for a really long time, and my drawings often look more cartoony than I'd like, I think because of my use of thin black lines on white paper. I hope to someday take a drawing class. So this type of medium is comfortable for me, and I appreciate its ability to get exactly what I'm trying to say in the image. I can focus so much on detail. How can I move away from that comfort zone and still feel like I'm getting what I want into an image? How can I develop the patience to try new mediums out, experiment, take the time, when I can count on my old standbys to get me through in times of need?
I want to trust my instincts more in my art, and feel ok about having a few more ruffled edges, a few less clear lines.
My mom and I figured out how to paper piece about a year and a half ago. I love the medium because it is small scale, and paper and fabric together! I've thought a lot about how I could sell this, since at least an hour goes into each one. Up till now, I've given them away as cards. Ambra has suggested framing them, perhaps in shadow box-type frames. I love the idea. This has been one of my favorite things to create in the last year. Each one ends up measuring about 5 inches square.
Until yesterday, I poo-pooed blogs. So many seem to be full of ramblings, inside jokes, poor spelling, and not enough pictures or comments I'm interested in. But then, something shifted in my brain. My best friend's blog is full of words and images that I soak up like a sponge! I crave more, and check hers nearly every day to see if she's posted again. We've been talking about me documenting my art more regularly, and I always want to show her what I've most recently made, and others too.
So... introducing my blog! I plan to use this as a venue to display my art, for better or for worse. I feel like it will allow me to think of my art as work. Assignments due, things to turn in. I have always functioned well with deadlines, and perhaps my wanting to regularly post something fresh for you will be incentive enough to get my bum in gear!
Here's to constant inspiration and making art as often as possible!
heart,
H
