It's a Go Figure

I was fortunate to live on the island of Aruba for three years in the mid'80s. The island was full of goats. I have always loved bones and skulls and secretly hoped I would come across a goat skull as a souvenir. As the date to leave got closer and closer, I gave up hope. Then two days before our things were to be packed up for shipping back to the States, I was climbing on some rocks and there was the carcass of a young goat who had broken its leg. I was filled with both sadness and glee. My husband could not believe when I quickly snatched it up, along with a few other bones and rolled it into the bottom of my shirt.

I was looking around for inspiration when I remembered the goat skull and decided to use it as a stepping off place for a mask. It turned out much better than I had anticipated but I never thought I would get the response it when I brought in the finished mask. Five people said that they wanted one! Jeff was the most impressed and asked how much I would charge. I asked if he was willing to trade because I love the things Jeff makes and his curmudgeonly ways. Having a piece of his work would be a wonderful reminder of him.

I am going to digress here for a moment and share the International Society of Curmudgeons' definition of a curmudgeon to give you a better idea of what Jeff is like:

A curmudgeon often has a black sense of humor. They don't just complain about things, they do it with flair, style, panache, satire, and a sardonic view of life! That's what makes them memorable. They also, deep down (very deep down), believe that by saying something about it, life will change. Saying even more about it will hopefully make life change faster and sooner.

Jeff brought in several pieces of his artwork for me to choose and I selected this wonderful turquoise pot which sits on a table in my family room. Jeff felt he got the better of the deal and I thought I got the better of the deal. Who could ask for anything more! Of course, I am still trying to figure out why my goat skull mask was such a hit. When I asked people they just said that it was "different" and "cool." Since many of them watched me create the mask while having the skull in front of me might have contributed. I guess I will never really know and no, I am not making more goat masks.

Your thoughts on why so many fell in love?

This is also my contribution to Off the Wall Fridays.

Gathering Stillness

What does gathering stillness look like to you? It took me a while to figure it out and while doing so I created a huge mess in my studio and went for lots of walks around the block. It wasn't until I started playing with lines and circles on a piece of paper that my idea came together.

The circles are dupioni silk that I dyed. The large one is hand appliqued, the smaller ones are fused. About half way through cutting out the circles, I had a "what was I thinking" moment. I am happy I kept cutting them out. The quilt is 27" w x 44" h. It will slightly overlap when sewed to the clay part.

I have also dipped the clay piece in the indigo vat a couple more times to get her bluer. In the photograph, she is sitting on a piece of light brown raw silk that I over dyed. I can't believe that I was able to make the silk such a great color blue without doing anything to it. It was dipped twice.

The next step will be sewing the quilt onto the clay piece then seeing if it can hang for a wall. I am also going to create a stand because it might be too difficult to hang in the gallery.

"Gathering Grief" is next. The clay part is dry enough to to be fired in the kiln. I have an idea for the quilt and am anxious to get working on it. The head part came out larger. Sculpting it was much more difficult than I thought it would be. Looking forward to also creating "Gathering Joy." What are you gathering in your life?

This is also my Off the Wall Fridays post. I do love seeing what other people have done with their week.

More Houses to Honor Carolyn

I wonder when I will stop thinking, "Oh, I need to tell Carolyn...."  Making quilts for The House Quilt Project is helping. I finished two more. Blue was Carolyn's favorite color so I had to make a blue quilt. I can tell my mood is lightening because the next quilt was colorful and fun. I don't want Carolyn's memory to be quilts that are filled with sadness. I cannot make anymore quilts until I find some more American flags (a requirement). So if you know of any sources, please let me know. My local quilt shop closed and JoAnn's did not have any fabric that had useable flags.                               

Carolyn would love the quilts and would have been touched that this was the way I choose to honor her memory.  She would have also told me that it was not necessary, but it seems more meaningful than writing a check. She meant a lot to me so well worth the time and effort even if she would not have thought so. Why do we value ourselves so little?  I hope the people who will eventually own them feel the love that went into making them.  They are on my mind too. Because my friend Marti is always reminding me that I need to share the size- each quilt is 12"w by 16" h. I encourage you to visit the project and make a quilt for a wounded veteran. How have you dealt with grief? Has creating something helped you heal?

Connecting again with Nina-Marie Sayre and her Off the Wall Friday.

Progress

While I am making progress, I do not have a clear vision on how to finish which is getting frustrating.  "Look Deeper" has not been sewn down as I am not sure if those are the words I want to use. "Look Deeper" is from a photograph taken while standing in line to get into MOMA in San Francisco. I looked down an alley and there were the words on a door.Anyway, I want to get this done soon so I can begin working on the discharged feather on black. Thoughts? Is it time to just stick a fork in it and call it done?

Once again participating in Nina- Marie Sayre's Off the Wall Fridays.

Serendipity Strikes Again!

It is my job to betray people's expectations. - Koie Ryoji, master and "rebel" Japanese ceramic artist (born 1938)

The side trade for heARTist Trading Cards this month is to create spring themed thrinches (called because they are 3" x 3").  The last three years spring has meant a relationship with a female crow so I used her as my inspiration. I love thread painting which I have not done in quite a while. My first attempt was too small. At first I was discouraged until I realized that it fit perfectly on top of a box (3" x 2.75" x 3") I had created just for that purpose! Serendipity again. Rejoice! I want to continue to explore ways to combine clay and fiber (beads, wire, buttons, etc. too).

This was my first time creating thrinches. After spending so much time thread painting the crows, I decided to keep the backs simple. I thought using the words "Expect Magic and Miracles" was perfect. Spring is a magical time and the rebirth of everything always seems like a miracle to me. I hope the people in the group enjoy them. I know that I love the treasures I receive from them each month always brightens my day and challenges me to be a better artist. When people ask me why I participate in these kinds of trades, this is my answer. Besides, who does not like going to the mailbox and finding a treasure? With Nina-Marie Sayre's Off the Wall Fridays, it has more to do with accountability and supporting another person's efforts. What motivates you?

Gratitude Friday and a Travelling Journal

 Above all else, it is about leaving a mark that I existed. I was here. I was hungry. I was defeated. I was happy. I was sad. I was in love. I was afraid. I was hopeful, I had an idea and I had a good purpose and that's why I made works of art. - Felix Gonzales-Torres

The Sisterhood of the Travelling Art Journals is having another round. I was so excited to receive Helen Lindton's journal because I had an idea for her "Icons" themed journal--Uncle Sam. Helen is from Australia so I thought this was perfect. Why not give give her an American icon? I didn't like the first background I created so I scrapped it and started over. Once I got going it came together quickly and I was having fun. It felt so good to be in a creative groove. I think the warmer temperatures today had a much needed positive effect on me. I put a short history of Uncle Sam in the envelope I created. I even learned some things I didn't know too.  Since it is a fold out page, I am still thinking about what to do with the other side of the page. Thoughts?

Nolwenn Petitbois does Gratitude Friday on her blog.  I remember Christine Castro's "Good Things" journal entries. More than twenty years ago, I started my "affirmation" (affirming good things) journal where each night before I go to sleep I write down at least five good things that happened that day. It changed my life. I love the idea of actually sharing and hopefully getting other people to do the same. Just think of all the positive energy we could put out there. I think I will start more of an art journal just for my Gratitude Fridays. I don't think Christine will mind.

So here is my list from this week:

1. Nathaniel going to Pensy's for me and picking up salt free lemon pepper.
2. Tyler singing with me. I know he is not even three months old but when I sing, he sings! It is so incredible.
3. The followers on my blog. Can't live without you and your kindness.
4. All the artists who share their art and lives with me- Sisterhood of the Travelling Art Journals, heARTist Trading Cards, Crossing the Line: Artists at Work, and Postmark'd Art.
5. Sunshine
6. Johnny at Trader Joe's for the daffodils and telling me that I had "good karma." All I did was wait patiently while he took over and bagged my groceries. I'm good at it! It's like a puzzle.
7. My new camera
8. The light box now installed in the basement
9. Encouraging words
10. Tom who may not get what I do but never stands in my way and never complains that I use the laundry room for clay
11. The female crow who continues to visit me
12. Watching the expression on the little boy next door when his mom read him my chalk message for him on the sidewalk in front of his house. Priceless.
13. The wonderful people at my Dominick's store. I love them! They make my grocery shopping experience a joy.
14. Moroccan stew
15. Changing the stories in my head
16. A clean sink
17. An organized closet
18. The battered women's shelter resale shop for taking my donations and helping me have fewer unneeded things
19. Michele Bilyeu
20. Nina-Marie Sayre and her Off the Wall Fridays

UFO Done and Perfectionism

My applique leaf UFO quilt is done! Thanks to everyone for their suggestions and kind words. I tried to find something to use as a sashing and could not find anything in my stash that worked. I have vowed not to spend money on fabric to finish my UFOs. I realized that I was beginning to over-think. When the over-thinking mode happens, I start to spin, feel tense and nothing happens. I can be my own worst enemy. The realization that over thinking may be a form of perfectionism also occurred to me.

Perfectionism is a killer to creativity. I have watched it happen with friends and students. I have experienced myself. Just Monday night I was talking to the intern in my pottery class. She never finishes any of her painting because she is worried that she won't get it "right." Yesterday I talked to a former student who shared that she could not create "serious" art until she had the "perfect" studio. It did not seem to matter to her when I shared that for years I created on a small rickety card table set up between my washer and dryer. Or that I always travel with handwork of some kind.  I wish I could have made her believe a little more in her abilities and less the need for the "perfect" place to create. Hopefully she will realize this sooner than later. Thanks to everyone who shared that perfectionism has been a problem too. It is good not to be alone and have support.

Julia Cameron in her book Finding Water: The Art of Perseverance said it best. “Perfectionism doesn't believe in practice shots. It doesn't believe in improvement. Perfectionism has never heard that anything worth doing is worth doing badly--and that if we allow ourselves to do something badly we might in time become quite good at it. Perfectionism measures our beginner's work against the finished work of masters. Perfectionism thrives on comparison and competition. It doesn't know how to say, 'Good try,' or 'Job well done.' The critic does not believe in creative glee--or any glee at all, for that matter. No, perfectionism is a serious matter.”

Here is to gleeful creating with no need for being perfect!

And once again I'm participating in Nina-Marie's Off the Wall Fridays.

Fighting the Downward Pull of Too Much Winter

I thought I might have beaten the winter blues this year. Alas, I have not.  I have been able to keep moving even with the downward pull. Yesterday I finished a Java inspired mask that I created. I think the colorful nature of the mask reflects my need for spring with all of its wonderful greens and colors. Winter often brings out my most colorful work. How about you?

I love how I am pushing my pottery in new directions and using my arsenal of art supplies. For this one I used Viva Decor's Inka Gold in yellow green.  I have to say that I love it! Since it is paint that has a bee's wax base, it has no smell and it easily cleans up. I only own the yellow green so I will be adding more colors in the future. There are 19 more to choose. I also used Pebeo's Prisma Fantasy (one of the purples) which didn't quite give the effect that it does on paper, but I am still pleased.  And so I continue to work hoping the groundhog was correct and I'll get my early spring.

Decided to make this post for Off the Wall Fridays. Thanks Nina-Marie!

Happy Dancing!

 Done! And in time for the Nina-Marie's Off the Wall Fridays. It feels good to have a UFO completed. My hope is finish one UFO a month this year. Of course, I have not checked to see how many UFOs I have so I guess that will need to be the next step. It feels good to have focus and a plan for the year. This also helps as winter seems to have finally arrived making spring seem far away.

I also posted on the Ideas of Inspiration's blog.  This month's prompt is "things that you love" in honor of Valentine's Day.  I chose "found objects" even though my list of things that I love is quite long.

"It matters not who you love, where you love, why you love, when you love or how you love, it only matters that you love." -John Lennon

So here is to finishing and love! It is a great day!

Birthing the Crone

There are days when I look in the mirror and think, "Who is that?" For the most part, I like getting older. I am becoming more comfortable in my skin and I care less and less what others think of me. I laugh loud and often! I say what I mean and I mean what I say. That said, I still have to deal with not being able to do all that I did when I was younger. Masks have been my things for a long time  so it seemed perfect to make one that deals with aging. She's not done yet but I wanted to share what I have been working oon  and to accept Nina-Marie Sayre's offer to join in on her Off the Wall Fridays challenge. What a great way to create support and accountability!

I also want to thank Pride of the Prairie Quilters for once again inviting me to share and warming embracing me. What a fabulous group of women! For the first time in my twenty-five years of being involved with quilt guilds, I saw a guild with multiple people running for board offices because they wanted to be involved and make a difference. It was amazing as was their show and share.