Life Begins at the End of Your Comfort Zone

Reaching for the Boro'd Moon

I like storms. They let  me know that even the sky screams sometimes too.   
                                              - Alice James-Book

For more than fifteen years, I have made putting stretch marks on my comfort zone a practice. Whenever I feel I am getting complacent, I look for something that makes me uncomfortable. When Cathy Neri approached me at Fantastic Fibers and suggested I do an artist residency in Paducah, I was hit with an uncomfortable moment. Crap! I applied and to my surprise, I was granted a two week residency at A.I.R. Studio in Paducah, Kentucky. I begin on September 2 so the count down has begun and I will be sharing more about what I want to accomplish in the days to come.

A Woman's Work, A Woman's Story

But first, I want to catch you up since I have been terrible about keeping this blog up-to-date. I have been going through old journals. I had high hopes after a crushing 2013 with nine friends dying that 2014 was going to be better. Only it wasn't. It was a year of lots of rejection, my husband being laid off from his job and all the stress that it caused, and my dad died. Remembering these tough times makes me appreciate all the great things that have been happening in my life. I try my best to practice gratitude. I have had lots of successes the last 19 months to the point that I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.  My work continues to be accepted into gallery exhibits. The most recent is Something Boro, Something Blue at the Brush Art Gallery and Studios in Lowell, Massachusetts. I entered two pieces and both got in! Not only that but "Reaching for the Boro'd Moon" was selected as the postcard image for the exhibit! To honor the Japanese tradition of boro I only used fabrics leftover from other projects that included a discarded print of my hand and arm and the indigo dyed dupioni moon. My other piece is a dress that is part of a series. It is titled "A Woman's Work, A Woman's Story." The opening is next month (August 11). Wish I could be there. If you get a chance, send me your thoughts.  Keep creating! 

Ending 2017 on a High Note

I'm going to make everything around me beautiful - that will be my life. 
                                                     -Elise DeWolfe

2017 ended on a high note. "Simpler Times" was juried into Big Fun Art at the Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center in Dowell, Maryland. The exhibit will be in the Kay Daugherty Gallery from February 16 - September 23. The idea behind the exhibit was to bring joy in these often troubling times. I love being a part of something that will hopefully make people happy. Truly wish I could be there to see it. 

"Simpler Times" was created to remember the summer I played Jacks with my best friend. The summer was not just about competition but finding the perfect spot to play. We declared the "tournament" a tie and planned a rematch the following summer. However, she moved at the end of the summer so a rematch never happened. And while she only moved three blocks away, her step father ended our friendship. It was the first time in my life that I was called "white trash." "My step father says that I cannot play with you anymore because you are white trash." I was ten at the time and had no idea what that meant.  I simply grieved. 

"Simpler Times" was created to turn a bad memory into a good one. It was to see if creating it could also help me heal. Whenever I decide to embrace a major change, I am forced to evaluate my thoughts and beliefs. The older I get the more I realize I need to pay attention to what is happening with my thoughts. So one of my goals for 2018 is to eliminate the unnecessary and I think my art is going to help me achieve that goal. 2018 is going to be an awesome year! 

Triangular Notebooks

We can’t script every detail of our lives. But we can solve the riddle of fulfillment when we plan ahead while simultaneously embracing the surprises of each moment. 
― Gina Greenlee, Postcards and Pearls: Life Lessons from Solo Moments on the Road

Christmas evening had me anxious to create something and too tired to do something that took a lot of thought. Now don't laugh, okay you can laugh, I was thinking about Valentine's Day and what I could make as gifts when I remembered a triangle book I had seen on Pinterest. However, Pinterest didn't have a how-to so I did a Google search and turned up a nice post by Making Lovely. The instructions were clear and easy, except I could not get my stapler to work and my notebook would not close. Instead of continuing to be frustrated, I sewed the pages into the books and I added a button and fiber closure. I am so happy! I think this will make nice gifts and I used supplies I had on hand (one of my goals for 2018). It also helped me feel creative again. I went to bed feeling really good. Are you planning ahead? What goals are you making?

When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Plans!

One of the happiest moments in life is when you find the courage to let go of what you can't change. - Unknown

A few months ago I developed a lump about the size of a pea on my right side. When I went for my mammogram, I was told it was a cyst and not to worry about it. I had it checked out during my physical on November 30. My doctor said that he could easily remove it, but recommended that I wait. At the time, I thought, "why not remove it," but trusted my doctor. Well just 12 days later, I started to have problems. Went back to the doctor, got antibiotics and told to apply moist heat. To make a long story short, the antibiotics did not work so the infection got much worse. New antibiotics and lancing had to be done. Needless to say, I could not use my right arm much. I could not sleep well. This has been a long two weeks. I could not do much so I decided to plan out 2018.  I put together lots of lists. Things I want to explore. Things I need to do to prepare for my artist residency. It has kept me hopeful and surprisingly happy. I am so thankful that I was ahead of the game this year or it might have been a different story. I do hope that your holiday was wonderful and that you too are looking forward to 2018. I cannot wait to share it with you. 

Putting Stretch Marks on My Comfort Zone!

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. - Neale Donald Walsch

Yesterday as I removed the cover on my yogurt the message was "Think big. Dream big." It made me smile. Last month I decided it was once again time to do something that scared me so I applied for an artist residency with A.I.R. Studio in Paducah, Kentucky. It was my understanding that acceptance was heavily placed on artwork and project. Only four people knew that I had applied (three were my references and Cathy Neri, who had pushed me to apply). I spent a lot of time telling myself that it would not be the end of the world if I did not get accepted. When the email arrived, it took me an hour to get the courage to open it. The message started out by thanking me for applying and ended with my acceptance! While I did not get my first choice for time (May), I did get my second choice (September 2 - 15). I will have lots of time to put together a plan to maximize my time in Paducah. The mission is to add to and fully complete a body of work that explores loss, memory and the things we leave behind when we die. While I always begin each year optimistic, 2018 is already looking pretty good to me. It is my hope that it will be the same for you. 

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!