Using Art to Connect and Stay Sane

Here are more of my dress cards. The first one is inspired by the Korean traditional dress- Hanbok. I never thought I would continue to make this but going through my scrap paper container keeps providing me with inspiration. Creating these helps me to relax and concentrate something that can be a challenge these last few months.

Surviving Stay at Home with Art and Connection

I knew that I needed to find something to do that would keep me being focused and creative. Both of these things have, at times, been difficult. Making dress cards has helped me not only stay creative but also a way to connect with family and friends. Covid has been a reminder that I need to let people I know that I love and care about them so creating a card with a theme (kimono/dress inspired) was a winner and has gone on for more than a month. I made a rule to only use my paper scraps. Silly, I know, but it keeps the focus and uses what I have on hand.  Not being able to go shopping has not been an issue for me. A limited pallet and supplies is something I often embrace. Hope you are finding time for creativity and coneection.

More Collages

 I have been collecting quotes for years so deciding which ones to use was not easy. And even though the 100 day challenge is over, I am continuing to make these mini collages. These were purchased by Marie Gnesda, another amazing ceramic artist at ClaySpace Ceramic Arts Center. Creating these small collages have caused my creative juices to go into overdrive. I have done lots of sketching and made lots of lists. Now life needs to cooperate! Hope you enjoy.

100 Pieces of Art in 100 Days

 Jean Burnett issued a challenge for the Resident Artist of ClaySpace Ceramic Arts Center to create 100 pieces of art in 100 days. I knew that doing 100 pieces out of clay would not happen so I decided to do little collages (approximately 4.5 x 5.25 inches). I am on a mission to use up what I own. I am happy to report that I made more than 100 in the 100 days. This also lead me to start making small journals and intention cards and it inspired a new quilt! I have been asked to share the collages so hopefully I can share 5 or so a day here. I am also hoping this gets me back in the habit of blogging even if no one reads it. These sold when the group got together to share. The reception of my artwork was a wonderful surprise. These are now owned by Linda Lee Kiepke. I encourage you to check out her amazing ceramics. Linda did pick a few of my favorites. Enjoy!

Working, Working, Working

I am trying to be very disciplined and focused. It took a while to harness my nervous energy and now I just flow from one thing to the next.  I have completed a couple more collages. I work on them while the glue is drying on the assemblage pieces. Today I hope to actually fill some of the assemblages with stuff. I truly appreciate the time and space that A.I.R. Studio and my family has given me. It is a gift and one that I plan to make the most of it. Now that the Labor Day holiday is over, I have begun open studio hours. It should be interesting to see if anyone stops by. If not, you will find me working.

I do plan to venture out. Today I am making a trip to an art supply store named Ephemera Paducah. Does sound right up my alley! I will also make a trip to the Quilt Museum before quilt week starts. Until next time, go do something that makes you happy!

A.I.R. Gallery

I am pleased with how the gallery space at A.I.R. Studio is coming along. I need to take a photo at night for you to see it in its entirety. This will give you a taste.

I had two people stop by yesterday evening and both of them were draw to these new collages I made the week before I got here. I found that interesting. Brenda said that they spoke to her deeply. To say that I was surprised is to put it mildly and deeply touched. I loved making them and I plan to make more while I am here.

My newest in my "A Woman's Work, A Woman's Story" series also got attention. This one has the subtitle "The Crow" because I do collect things. I dyed the silk dupioni by placing it in the ground for several months just to see what would happen. The earth turned the very white fabric a very nice shade.

Now it is time to go to work! I am determined to make the most of my time here.

More 8 x 8 in 8

To get through the hardest journey we need only take one step at a time, but we must keep stepping.  -Chinese Proverb

I am surprised at how many people said to me that they could not do artwork in 8 minutes. My response is, "Have you tried?" Don't think of it as making great art. Think of it as play. Teaching in places like Georgia (country not state) and Kyrgyzstan, taught me that having limited resources is actually a good thing. I limited my resources so I had fewer choices which helped me create quickly.  I kept things simple. I decided it was fun. I also allowed myself, if the spirit moved me to create in a series, which also made things easier. I am sharing part of a series that occurred about nine days into the month

I think it is important, no vital, for me to do things that put me outside of my comfort zone. Each time I do that I learn more about myself and what I am capable. I think we are all happier if we know ourselves.  And one closing thought, just because you make something does not mean you have to share it. I will tell you that there were days after I finished my collage that the trash can was the best place for it. I am glad that I resisted this urge and let the work rest because pieces that I thought deserved the trash actually have provided me with the need for further exploration. So be kind to yourself and just create. 

8 x 8 in 8

Art replaces the light that is lost when the day fades, the moment passes, the evanescent extraordinary makes it quick silver. Art tries to capture that which we know leaves us, as we move in out of each other's loves, as we all must eventually leave this earth. Great artists know that shadow, work against the dying light, but always knowing that the day brings new light and that the ocean which washes away all traces on the sand leaves us a new canvas with each wave.  -Elizabeth Alexander, The light of the World, a memoir

When my friend Barbara suggested that we do an quick art project a day and then share it, I was all in. I loved when I made my 8-minute collages (the time it took my oatmeal to cook). After some back and forth, we decided to create 8-minute collages that were 8" x 8." And so each morning for a month, we created. Some days were easy and others I struggled. I really believed since I had done this before, I would not have any problems.  Wrong! I limited mine to whatever was on my work space plus one box of scrap paper. I loved playing with used tea bags and using my stencils. The days that I struggled had to do with overthinking. I also noticed as time moved on my collages got simpler. I highly recommend projects of this kind. If you can find someone to do it with you, it keeps you honest and it helps create a habit. I will share a few more of my collages next week. Enjoy! 

Adrienne Der Marderosian

I love the Internet for the connections that it brings. I was thrilled when I received an email from Adrienne Der Marderosian who also had work in the ARC Gallery exhibition Home. In my post about the show and opening, I was not able to get a decent enough photograph of her work and now I get to share them (the first two images were at ARC). She lives in Massachusetts so could not attend the opening. We all know how unpredictable Chicago's winters can be.

 Adrienne shared, "When I saw the call for submissions for the ARC's exhibition Home, I was interested in applying as the curators broadened the traditional definition of  "home" to include homelessness and the refugee crisis. My current body of work investigates how migration to a new homeland affects one's psychological, social and cultural identity so it seemed a good fit." It was also Adrienne's first time entering ARC. I feel like I have met a kindred spirit.  

I am also thrilled that I get to share with you her artist statement for her series. As I shared in my post concerning the exhibition, I wish that there had been an opportunity to read the artist statements because I love learning more about the person's thoughts on her work.  Finding out that Adrienne is Armenian gave me even more insight because I curated and traveled an exhibition of thirteen quilts from Gee's Bend, Alabama, to three different cities in Armenia. While in Yerevan, I visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial and Museum which is dedicated to a time in Armenian history (1915-1923) where the Turks tried to exterminate Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. It was estimated that two million Armenians lived in the Ottoman Empire and one and a half million of them were killed including women and children and the rest were exiled. Images from the museum will stay with me for the rest of my life.  
  

My memory is

the history of time.

Charles Olson

This series of works, entitled Tattoo Trails II, explores the relationship between memory and identity.  As an artist of Armenian descent, I carry a history that embodies not only my past but that of my ancestors as well.  My families’ stories of survival are not only rich and textured but also complex and traumatic.  Their collective history has led me to consider how exiles that are separated from their homeland navigate their lives.  How does migration affect them psychologically? Do immigrants face feelings of alienation, isolation and displacement? How are their cultural identities impacted by their separation from their homeland?

Throughout my work, I investigate these questions and challenge the viewer to consider the strength and endurance of the human spirit.

  

This series is based on a video still by Edwin Wurm, 1995/96.

  

Adrienne Der Marderosian

2016

I you would like to know more, you can read an inspiring interview, here. I love that you also get to see her studio.  Do you agree that learning more about an artist enriches your understanding? 

Mixed Media

There is something about mixed media that makes my heart go pitter patter. I started a new series of sculptures with the intent of using my vast supply of things that I have collected over the years. She was well received at ClaySpace today. The piece deals with trying to find calm in the craziness life so often brings. The second piece which I am working to complete has to do with what we keep inside. The work makes me excited.

Since I committed to the 60 Days of  Crow/Bird challenge, I wanted to try mixed media too. The piece I did for it is approximately 6" h x 9" w. It includes interfacing, three different kinds of paper- tissue, watercolor and commercial paper, hand dyed fabric and hand dyed pearl cotton. It's not easy to see but the paper with the squares punched out has the words "everything is possible." I also wrote on it which is had to read but being able to read what I wrote wasn't important. I have been exploring handwriting for a while. Mostly to overcome all the negative remarks about my handwriting while in elementary school. I shared another crow fact- "A group of crows is called a "murder," a designation thought to date to the 15th century." The term is more literary or romantic than scientific. Crow experts usually refer to a flock, pair or family group of crows. Anyway, I painted the interfacing and the tissue paper. I want to do more because it was so much fun!

I am enjoying stretching myself in new directions. Today I was complimented on my fearlessness which made me happy. It is not that I don't have fear, because I do, it is that I no longer fear failure. I just want to keep learning.  What is on your list to learn? What makes you come alive?

Small Art to the Rescue

I have been struggling with focus and the downward pull of our extremely bitter cold winter. I decided to go back to making small art each morning while my oat meal is cooking. That means I have less than 8 minutes to create something out of my box of scraps. I have chosen to use 3 x 5 inch cards this time.  First, I have to say how disappointed I am with the Oxford blank 3 x 5 cards that I purchased. They are not much thicker than a regular piece of paper making them just about useless for my purposes. I am pushing forward anyway. Creating the collage made me want to do something else. I've been thinking about Valentine's Day so I created two ATCs! I felt my creative mojo coming back. The ATCs came together quickly and I had fun making them. Relief!

Too Many Ideas

There are too many ideas and things and people. Too many directions to go. I was starting to believe the reason it matters to care passionately about something is that it whittles the world down to a manageable size. - Charlie Kaufman, Adaptation: The Shooting Script

I was flipping through an old journal and came across Charlie Kaufman's quote and my thought on having too many ideas. This seemed perfect for this collage so I wrote the quote on the side and moved the shell buttons to the top. It's mounted on canvas. I am happy! Another collage done and ready for a new home. Of course, it is titled "Too Many Ideas," some that definitely influenced its creation.

Several people wrote me to ask about my torso (you touched my heart). If you look closely at the photo you can see it. I cannot tell you how relieved I was when the kiln was opened and my torso was there intact.  I so admire potters, they have so little control because of all the variables- firings, glazes, interaction with other pieces, etc. This was true for me too. I purchased a matte black glaze which ended up being shiny and slightly green. I am now working on expoxing the pieces together- crow and wings. I promise to share the piece when she is complete. I also strongly encourage you to explore an art form that is unfamiliar to you. You learn more than you can imagine and I promise you, it will open your world and your art.

Tuesday Collage and the Moondance Diner

When nothing goes right, go left. -unknown

Yesterday I spent two wonderful hours at the Moondance Diner in Westmont with five art teachers eating powdered sugar covered French toast topped with bananas, strawberries and kiwis. I was invited to join the group for an adventure of conducting art pop-ups next summer. Between the conversation, sugar and coffee, I was truly on a nice high. Anyway, I was bouncing ideas around until late into the night and well into my dreams. This also meant I struggled with making my Monday night collage. I just wasn't happy or focused. Of course, in the light of a new day, the collage does not look as bad as it did last night.

Sculpture and Collage

Last night I helped load "Don," the gas kiln at ClaySpace. My torso is finally going to be fired! I am so excited. Today I will be spending the entire day at ClaySpace learning all about firing in a gas kiln, playing with clay and hanging out with some truly incredible people. I won't be able to see my torso again until Friday when the kiln will be cool enough to open. I must trust the kiln gods to protect her and everything else in the kiln. I purchased a matte black glaze and have no idea if or how it will ultimately look. For me, it is like being a kid again on Christmas Eve.

Once all the pieces are out, I will have to work on putting the white crow that sits on the shoulders together. Since some broke the crow, this will present another interesting challenge/experience for me. I will need to also attach the wings I made. I view all of this as a learning experience. And while I would hate for anything bad to happen, I know that I can make it. Hopefully my next piece will be even better.

For my second collage, I painted tissue paper and interfacing and added them to a commercial Ricky Tims fabric and topped it with a piece of paper. I mounted the collage on a black painted canvas. Definitely want to continue playing in this direction. The collage is 7" w x 5" h and mounted on a 8" x 10" canvas. I like the juxtaposition of the shiny black background and the collage. My youngest son does not. He thinks it should be matte. It was fun! I already know what I will be doing next Monday night.

Off to learn and play! Make it a great day!

Altering Papers

I got several emails asking me how I alter paper to use in my collages so over the weekend I played with some of my favorite techniques.

Altering magazine pages is fun and you never fully know what results you will achieve. Remember that the paper needs to be fairly saturated with color and a heavy weight. The first two are from a page torn out of an old National Geographic. The first one I used 100 grit sandpaper on it to remove some of the green. I could now go back with paint if I wanted to change it some more.

The second one (from the same page) was rubbed lightly with Nevr-Dull. I find that dark colors almost always turn a shade of orange. Remember to wear gloves when using Nevr-Dull to protect your hands. I find Nevr-Dull at my local Ace Hardware where they keep polishes. A little goes a long way!

Continuing to play with Nevr-Dull, I placed different papers onto different things with texture then gently rubbed with the Nevr-Dull. I love the textures that can be created by placing the paper over different things-stencils, plastic cross stitch sheets, sequin waste, texture plates, etc.

For the next piece of paper, I simply crumbled it in my hand then rubbed copper fabric paint on a make-up sponge. The paint stuck to the crumbled part but not the paper.

And finally one of my favorites, using old coffee grounds and coffee filters. Coffee grounds are mixed with the polymer medium in its own container. The mixture is brushed on and allowed to dry. Instant gratification!

Hope this answers your questions and helps you jumpstart a new creative journey. If you have any questions, let me know. Happy creating!