Abstract Floral, Do Over, and Experimenting

Sometimes changing direction is just the best thing to do...
Do Over
Once in a great while I might wonder if a "do over" of a life situation might have been better. But not very often, as, I generally am content and consider myself blessed in many ways. Why am I talking about this? Well, I recently discovered what "do over" means on painting. Having used watercolors for so many years, I didn't see many opportunities for those. But, with acrylics, "do over" is a definite reality.

I was painting in my studio recently and I kept glancing at an annoying painting. It was a crane of some sort, and I really did NOT like it. The shape was wrong, too much of a certain color, wrong feel, you get the idea. I can't remember painting completely over a painting, but I decided to work with it. And I tried out a different style of painting for me. It came out great. So my lesson was, yes, "do over's" do exist, especially in the art world. And sometimes I need a little annoyance, like an unresolved painting, staring me in the face waiting for the fix and a fresh coat of paint.

Abstract Floral
I will show that painting in another post, as I have more to say about a different subject with that painting. But meanwhile, I remembered the painting below, an abstract floral, that also languished for a while in my studio. Until one day I took my pen out and doodled all over it, the finished (for now) version posted at the top, a very different look.
Experimenting
This week I continued my pantry experiments with fabric dyeing. Last week it was avocado skin. This week I have an earl grey tea muslin and a stunning tumeric yellow (canary color) fabric. I tore off a scrap and put it in a glass bowl with each, set it in the sun in a window overnight and voila! What's next? Maybe chili powder? Such a lot of fun. Pictures to come soon. I am getting ready to take a Jude Hill (Spirit Cloth in my sidebar) class on hand stitching soon. She uses natural fibers, many hand-dyed.

Today I painted the edges of 2 large bird canvases. And gessoed 3 small ones to add to the 3 mini bird canvases I already finished. These will be entered into a miniature show this weekend.

And looking about I found another "finished" canvas and started repainting it too. Now I've got my eyes looking for "do over" possibilities... let's see, what do I have sitting in a drawer, a back room somewhere with a sad look, that only needs a new look and fresh coat of paint...?

Sunday Meditation
This photo was shot out of the windshield at a stop light, I couldn't resist that luminous sky, always at the ready with the camera for possibilities.

May the direction you are going, be the one you consciously choose.

Sunday Meditation, Shibori Dyed Fabric, and Patterns

A deep bucket of creativity filled the circle within...
Shibori Dying
Our machine embroidery group got together this week (Thank you yet again, to our talented June), and this is what we brewed up in a big bucket of dye. To start, we folded, scrunched, twisted, and more to the plain white fabrics. Some were tied onto a pvc pipe, other stuffed in those net bags that oranges come in, and others just folded and tied up and dropped in.
Patterns
This process has quite a chaotic feel to it, but in the end, there is vast amount of creativity in that process and that bucket. It is another adventure into randomness, because, you can never predict with certainty what will emerge into the cloth, but the patterns are always organically beautiful and unique. Kind of like people. Sometimes I'm sure we ourselves feel scrunched, twisted and folded, stuffed into the midst of our ever changing lives, and dropped into the bucket of chaos. But like the strength of the cloth, we withstand the treatment and hold the markings of life. And like the cloth, if opened, unwrapped, we relax. And then, we emerge yet again into another pattern that has been imparted to us - like another unique and beautiful cloth.
Look here if you want to see more examples (in bright colors) of my shibori dying.

More Dyeing and Experimenting
I had read a while back about dyeing with natural items, which would be more environmentally friendly, and have wanted to try it. In particular I read that you can get lovely pinks with avocado skins. So I did put a skin and a small portion of the flesh into a pot, boiled it and dropped in a test muslin piece. Here is what I got, the original pure white on the left, and the soft beige on the right. It doesn't look pink to me, perhaps I'll try it again with more than 1 avocado and without the flesh. I have it on my list to try things like beets, tumeric, and onion skins, among others.
Sunday Meditation
Here's a little nod to all the beating heart's in the world... may they all be full of love, good intentions and open to life's blessings, such as, unexpected freedom. What a wonderful condition, freedom, having choice, access, a voice, many voices being heard, making changes, weaving a new cloth, a new pattern.

Here's a little Valentine I created a few years back with fibery things.... enjoy your day.

Fiber Art, Snow Geese, and Sketches

Enjoying nature, shapes, lines and colors.....Snow Geese
We headed north to LaConner on Friday to the Skagit Valley farming area to see if we could spot some snow geese or eagles. There were thousands of snow geese! And I counted 12 eagles. As always, I carry my sketchbook, and captured a quick sense of the shapes. Lately I am paying more attention to shapes in my paintings and perhaps these will end up more refined in paintings to come.
As far as the eye could see, white covered the farmer's fields. They did look like snow, and up close, lovely swan shapes with black tipped wings, honking madly. We were lucky to see this entire flock raise up as one, flooding the sky with beating wings, turning on a dime altogether, like one massive organism changing directions, here, then there, and turning back around and landing again.Fiber Art
I have been focusing on birds the last year. Two weeks ago I worked on a fiber/paper stitching project. Here is a close-up portion of it. It incorporates fabric, my sketch of a heron transferred to fabric, embroidery stitching, tea bag paper, beading and more. I'm not done with it yet, it's an experiment but I'm liking the mix of textures and the pale muted colors, different for me.We visited the La Conner Quilt Museum again. There's a wonderful exhibit of contemporary hand stitched items which I would post pictures of, but they weren't allowed. However, there were also some outstanding examples of crazy quilts from the 1800's, with their amazing quantity of handstitching on every one.
And a final quick sketch - from the turret window of the museum looking across the street.
Taking time for nature, art, sketching, stitching with good company, what could be more satisfying...

Sunday Meditation, Abstract Painting, and Possibilities

"When I'm painting, I'm not aware of what I'm doing. It's only after a get acquainted period that I see what I've been about." Jackson Pollock

Abstract Painting
This is a portion (maybe a third) of an abstract painting I worked on a couple of weeks ago. Very vivid colors, including gold which doesn't always photograph well. I believe I may be working on a series of this kind of abstract, as half a dozen more along this line sit in my studio. I'm in the "get acquainted" phase that Pollock mentions, and am discovering the meanings for me.

"You begin with the possibilities of the material."Robert Rauschenberg

Sunday Meditation
This so inspiring well done video is worth viewing. It was created and is copyrighted by Elia Saikaly in an attempt to share the spirit of a man who carried a message of hope and understood life. Sean Egan died on a Mt Everest climb in 2005 living a dream. Sean said "How sad it is, for a man to grow old and not know the beauty and strength of which the body is made. Your soul and the body function together." He encourages us to live in our bodies, enjoy and appreciate our environment, as he did in a grand fashion.

What had promised to be a very busy packed week, instead became a week of rest, contemplation, tea and soup. I am finally feeling over my flu today, it's time move about, go for a walk, maybe enjoy the hummingbirds in our yard feeders from outdoors instead of from behind the windows and look forward to the possiblities of spring coming.

A Basket, Weaving, and Randomness

"So much of life, it seems to me, is determined by pure randomness." Sidney Poitier
And this is how I feel today, random, tangled... I had to look up a quote as the words are not flowing easily. I've managed to come down with fever and a cold or flu. So it's hot tea and chicken soup for me for the next week.

Meanwhile, a bit of creativity from a week or so ago. This basket (about 7.5 inches across and 4.5 inches deep) I made in our sewing guild, a whole day spent learning how to ply the wet fiber into a shape. A whole day of random weaving. I think that's why I signed up for that workshop. The randomness is so appealing. No pre-ordained pattern, nor rows, nor specified colors or anything. Just weave as your hand leads.
There's a kind of Zen feeling to this randomness, just tapping into spirit and letting the piece evolve as it will. Looking straight down at it, I see a mandala.....
So, here is my Sunday meditation (on Tuesday). Randomness is a good thing and I shall meander in my art creating more often. Not think too much. Let the rhythm of making take over and lead me on. And for today I shall savor tea and let the ideas come.

Sketchbook Project, Organizing, Just BE

"Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast..." from Alice in Wonderland
The Sketchbook Project
Above is the outside cover from my sketchbook "Lights in the Distance" just submitted to the ArtHouse Co-op a couple of days ago. This previous posting talks a bit about it. I made 2 originals, so I could keep one. I used the moleskin sketchbook sent by ArtHouse, but removed most of the 80 pages. My book has 16 finished pages plus the outside/inside covers..... The paper was so flimsy, so I glued some of the ones I left in the book together, then collaged/ gessoed more on top of them to make them more sturdy. I included a few sketches but found my subject lent itself more to some personal photos (altered in Photoshop), and previous artwork (also altered in Photoshop).
All in all a very fun and productive art project. Some of the the pages will lead to other pieces of art, paintings or 3d, for example the one above. I have used this photo in other art pieces and it's one of my favorites. I've posted the ArtHouse tour schedule for the sketchbooks (thousands of them from around the globe) in my sidebar. Additionally, ArtHouse will be digitizing and posting quite a few of them online too in a couple of months. If you click on the link, scroll down to see what they are about, since they currently have a special message for the sketchers at the top.

Organizing Art
Speaking of impossible things - maybe this year will be the year? I've seen at least half a dozen blogs talking about cleaning out the studio's. Hmmm, I wonder, is "organized art" an oxymoron? I think I need a certain amount of chaos or jumble to stimulate ideas, you know, unexpected things or colors randomly colliding in a great way...

I have art all over the house, some is organized (kind of) and some not so much. I think it's because my art from very early years evolved from watercolor painting and some sewing into "why not try everything". I suppose it's an organic process & grew so much with all kinds of art, that I didn't create "homes" for some things. So that's my thought now - instead of getting lost in the details too much - to envision "homes" for everything, how all the space in the house would be most useful, and then reorganize from there. And at the same time, consolidate some things that are scattered. It would eliminate some occasional "search & rescue" missions for tools or supplies I sometimes can't find. Here's a very small glimpse of my art messiness...
And here are examples of some things, but not all, that I do now; at least it's a start....
Labeled clear drawers or plastic boxes - "Adhesives" drawer for wet, stick or tacky tape; "Tape" drawer for masking, dble-sided, washi, packing, etc.; "Tools" for some larger ones (hand drill, heat gun, etc); "Sewing Notions"; "Ribbons"; "Threads"; "Felting"; "Embroidery", "Stencils", "Inks", "Pens, Colored Pencils, etc", and more
Zip plastic bags (the kind linens or sheets come in) - easy to find & take along somewhere. I have one bag that is all about matting, framing paintings & hanging up a painting show. I have one that is for bookbinding kind of tools..... And then a misc general tool bag.
Small clear boxes - for pricey tube acrylic paints; separate ones for watercolor tube paints. Old thrift store wooden CD holders - for cheap $1 acrylics
Wood CD holders & wire baskets & closed cabinet - for fabric quarters & larger pieces
Clear Over-Door Shoe Holder - great for art mediums, gesso's, etc.
Plastic bags for projects - I haven't been doing this consciously, but I always have a bag with one or two small handstitching projects (fabric books, embroidery, collage, beading) ready to be worked on. And another bag with my small sketchbooks, journal with pens & mini-palette & waterbrush also at the ready. I do make time every night working on something as I wind down maybe watching tv at the same time. But I think I might expand this, and "bag" up more at-the- ready projects that are small and portable. Or possible "art experiments" I have been dreaming up and wanting to try.

I don't know about any of you, but I've decided that as part of figuring out how best to use & reorganize my space, I must include a "staging" area. As well as arting alone, I often come in and out of the house - going to sewing or painting groups, meeting friends, a workshop now & then - so tools/supplies/art projects come in or go out with me... and often don't get put away, then I'm scrounging to find something later. I'd love to hear some ideas for this problem!

Sunday Meditation
In spite of the post New Year's organizing frenzy, do remember this: all those lovely art tools and supplies are there for a reason - to support your creativity, nurture your inner soul, provide ways to express yourself... Maybe it's ok to have them visible to remind oneself to take the time, to make the time, to just be, just play. And maybe it's about a balancing act between how much time you owe to play and how much to maintenance. Perhaps an organized space is possible with time for play too...

A quote from Einstein: “... although I have a regular work schedule, I take time to go for long walks on the beach so that I can listen to what is going on inside my head. If my work isn’t going well, I lie down in the middle of a workday and gaze at the ceiling while I listen and visualize what goes on in my imagination.”
Meanwhile, here's an interesting blog read that I've followed off and on, and added to my sidebar, Zen Habits. Here's what they say in their "About" page..."Zen Habits is about finding simplicity in the daily chaos of our lives. It’s about clearing the clutter so we can focus on what’s important, create something amazing, find happiness." How true.

Sending you a Peace-Filled Artful Day,
Namaste

Art Show, Art Play and Projects

Taking time for art, it's so relaxing...
Kaewyn Gallery Miniature Show
Their annual show is still on until January 25, so if you are local don't miss the opportunity to see lots of wonderful small art pieces in the gallery. You can find the address and hours at the link to their website.

This and That
Lately I have created an array of art pieces that I have yet to post.... some fabric dying & stamping, a collaged hand-stitched fabric piece I resurrected from two years ago that I never finished, a couple of small experimental abstract canvases, two 10x10 mixed media pieces that I submitted for possible publication, two mixed media sketchbooks - almost done, and some journaling. One of the sketchbooks is for me and the other is for the ArtHouse Coop challenge to add to their Brooklyn library, it's due January 15... so I'm managing to stay focused on that project. I decided I needed to have one to keep, that's why I'm overachieving by making 2.

But meanwhile, this week in three fiber groups I belong to, I'll be experimenting with making simple books, dying fabric shibori style, and checking out a museum exhibit. And I decided to sign up for Mary Ann Moss Remains of the Day sewn fiber journal. I'm sure there's more on my plate, I just can't think of it now!

An artist's life is never dull... too bad the housework doesn't do itself....

Night Lights, Dawn & Winter Solstice

Time for reflection, savoring the wintry weather, darkness leading to light...Playing with my camera, this is a night shot of our holiday trip to Canada a couple of weeks ago. We were just there in October too, we can't seem to get enough of going to this peaceful quiet exquisitely beautiful place. I love the way they leave the lights up in the trees at night - all year long, making it seem magical for those evening walks in the cold air and letting the imagination take the lead.

And this is a lovely dawning of another day in this valley of mountains....
Winter Solstice this week, Dec 21 came in with a special heralding this year.... and I managed to see a small part of the total eclipse of the Moon as it had started - a banana sized sliver with that dark shadow over it. Then we had our Northwest cloud cover.... Imagine, the last Moon total eclipse was over 400 years ago...
As the winter officially begins I think of the cycles and seasons of earth, life, myself. Winter is a time when the seeds dropped earlier in the fall lie dormant underground, but gestate towards emerging into new life in the spring light... as we do. I wonder at it. What random seed was planted in our consciousness, something we glimpsed, some small remark received, an experience lived and felt, that waits for the wintering to bring it forth... are we not all so full of possibilities waiting for the light?

Peace and Blessings