Yesterday I was able to spend most of the day working in my studio...I was so happy...a place to call my own, where I could work in peace and be surrounded with the supplies/tools/objects that inspire me.
Virginia Woolf had it right...a woman needs a room of one's own...
In another life of mine...many years ago...this would not have happened...I wouldn't have a room of my own...I put my key in someone else's pocket...luckily that was not for long...
I hope you have your key and hold on to it tight...
a gray quiet day after a sunny week devoted to much gardening...
not my favorite activity but I do enjoy the end results...
plenty of new art projects underway, plenty to keep me busy...
As the calendar page turns to May, one cannot help but be reminded of Mother's Day...
and to think about Mom...
My mom passed away 8 years ago but still holds a strong influence in my life...
she taught me a love of sewing and a desire to create...
to make do with what one had at hand and to take the initiative to figure out problems...
to try new things and not give up when the going got tough...
In my bout of purging earlier in the year, I unearthed a box of clippings, photos and mementos...I came across a photo of my mom and dad in the early years of their marriage...and decided to play around with it...
and I'm thinking about having it printed up so I can hang it in my studio...SocialPrintStudio has some great metal prints...perfect for my metal mania...
I like this photo mostly for the expression and attitude of my mom...young, fresh, full of anticipation. My parents settled in a small Wisconsin town and that's where I spent my childhood...and throughout the years, my mom continued to have a healthy dose of anticipation for what was up ahead...whether it was raising 6 kids in a small house, moving across the country to Oregon when my dad lost his job, rebuilding her life in a new town after my dad died and finally coming to live with me in her final years. She wasn't one content to sit by and let things be...
Unfortunately, I don't have many photos of her...I guess we were always so busy that one didn't think about stopping a minute, reflecting on the moment, and taking a photograph to capture the day...
So to honor her memory, I'll take the time this weekend to stop and reflect...shoot a few photos...
and be filled with anticipation of all that still lies ahead...
the first light of morning...the quiet hush of the house...the warmth of my coffee cup...
this is the simplicity of stillness...
I seem to have a pattern here...been posting a creative art photo on Sunday for the last couple of weeks...
I guess I should make this a regular feature...so here is today's posting...
Cold, rain and gray today...but I am hopeful that spring will come...
because I enjoy telling stories with pictures...because it's good to be reminded...
whatever it might be, wherever it may lead...however long you can...
Throughout the holiday season, I was constantly at work on projects...on my dining room table. Whenever we wanted to eat at the table (thanksgiving dinner for example) I needed to clear everything off...only to resume my work a day or so later...thank god the Southern Man is understanding...
For those of you who have no other area for creativity, this is likely a common scenario...but for me...I have three other areas designated as work areas...my office with a small table, my workshop studio where I hold classes and my basement studio space. Other than the fact that my workshop studio has no heat (and thus a little chilly during the winter) I really have no excuse to be commandeering the dining room table for my projects.
I seem to be in a perpetual state of cleaning up my spaces...but never seem to make much progress...this time I decided to dig in deep and vowed that I will get my basement studio space into a manageable condition...
I've started with the west wall of the studio, lined with shelves...I pulled out everything and cast a critical eye...
I'm assuming that I had some project in mind...but really...this many vintage graters...
You know I have a soft spot for well loved metal...but its time to let it go...the flat graters have been slated for a future art party project (and put into a bin designated appropriately), the others into the box for giveaway.
More scrounging abounds...I find a horde of drawing circle compasses...yes, one is insignificant, more than one makes a statement...but this many is overkill...and this doesn't include the three I found after I took this photo...
True, one of these would be a lovely addition to a future mixed media collage...a couple of them are rather unique...but its exactly that kind of rationalization that has led to this overpopulation.
Which leads me to my word for the year...rather than a list of resolutions, I have found it helpful to have a word on which to focus...to guide my actions throughout the year...some years, its been difficult for me to pinpoint the exact word to describe what I want to achieve...this year, it hit me square in the face about a month ago...
I am overwhelmed...not just with a physical amount of extraneous stuff...but also with overly involved art techniques...and for that matter, complicated procedures in many areas of my life...
I want to take this tangled mess of materials, methods and madness and pare it down...
Now, believe me, this doesn't mean that I'll be living in a naked house with white walls decorated with one single feather...but I'm hoping...no, I am confident...that by the end of the year (if not sooner) I'll be able to work peacefully on my art...and eat at my dining room table any time I want...
Do you have a word for the year? I'd love to hear what it is...
and if you have a compelling story behind your word, maybe I'll send you one of my compasses...
No sooner than turning the calendar page to November and putting away the goblins and the jack-o-lanterns, do thoughts turn to the holidays ahead...
There is a decidedly cooler chill in the air and the leaves swirling along the sidewalks belie the naked branches above...
I'm all for one to enjoy each day, not wanting to rush ahead...
but I also believe in a little preparation and planning so that whatever holidays you celebrate.... Thanksgiving...Winter Solstice...Hanukkah...or Christmas...can be enjoyed at their time.
I'm starting this series called Rustic Luxe that will highlight simple ideas for the holidays ahead...small touches that can add to whatever you might be enjoying...whether its a big festive gathering or a solitary evening...
Believing in the strengths of opposites, there will be natural elements foraged from your yard combined with glints of gold...
well worn flannel with silken ribbon and rhinestones...
tattered linen and rusty wire with silver beads...
Look for the first post next week...and then randomly throughout the next six weeks...meanwhile, make yourself a cup of tea...relax in your favorite chair...knowing the holidays will arrive in their own time...but this moment is yours to enjoy now.
Yesterday I actually got out my real camera...as opposed to my phone...and shot some still photos. I'm on deadline for a magazine article about holiday gift wrapping (yes, its August, its hot and dry but I'm trying to get in the Christmas spirit as I write this piece due on Monday) and I needed a couple of pictures to complete my tutorial.
I decided to play around a bit after I got the shots I needed...I was reminded this week of a book I own when I saw a shot on Instagram by Barb of Keeping With the Times, where she used the book "A Life Less Ordinary" as a prop...I was inspired...
Its a beautiful book...filled with simple and uncluttered images...and attests to the beauty of friendship between two women...
And it made me think...about my own life...it is a life less ordinary...for the last 15 years, I've been pursuing my ambition to be an artist...and though I am not rolling in the dough, I am rich in other ways...deciding how I spend my time, determining how my energy will be used, discovering a wealth of talents...
And I too have some wonderful friendships that have formed along the way...both within my local community as well as online...others who support what I am doing, offering encouragement along the way, building a network that strengthens all who participate...
One of which is Barb of Keeping With the Times...today I'm linking up to her Instagram post Sunday Sundries...which encourages each of us to celebrate whatever we wish...today I celebrate my life less ordinary...and the friends who are a part of it...
I was recently asked by a friend about how I begin a collage...do I have an idea and then go looking for the materials to pull it together...or do I start with a piece of ephemera that inspires me and go from there...
I thought for a minute...it really had me stop for a moment and consider...
"How do I begin?"
More often than not, its a piece of paper, a scrap of material, a torn page, a faded photograph that sets my mind wheeling...thus begins the process...
My most recent collage series started with a trio of vintage seed packets...ones that I picked up many years ago...the vivid colored vegetables along with their European monikers motivated me to action...I started collecting materials...
I painted three wooden boards coordinating pastel colors...and glued down the first layer of papers...since I wanted these three collages to relate to one another, I used similar (though not identical) papers with each collage...
The names of each of the vegetables included reference to three European cities so that guided my choices...London, Paris and Florence...old atlas maps, historical timelines and garden/botanical pages were all gleaned for inclusion...I wanted to include a piece of silverware on each collage for the crowning touch...auditioning forks for the Florence collage was a challenge...which one would fit the best...
Eventually all fell into place...the trio now complete...
You can see this trio for yourself...I'll be one of the artists participating in the Fresh Paint art show this coming weekend, August 15-16 at the Everett Marina...
please, stop by, say hi and chat with me a bit...I'd love to see you...
I've been working on collages for summer art shows...
and in keeping with my word(s) for the year, dig deep, I am doing just that...
I've dug out a few past collages that somehow didn't work...
and taking them apart...removing some elements, tearing apart others, cutting portions out...
and then combining the elements back together, strengthening the composition, adding in new objects, layering on paint or transfers...
This piece originally started out much larger with a long vertical orientation...I cut it apart and turned one of the cut paper portions on its side...other torn pieces were discarded or sanded down...
I've had the typewriter key image for a while...it was an transfer process on metal that went awry...forgot to flip the image before printing...but it was still compelling so I held onto it...and for good reason...
I thought I was finished with the collage but something seemed to be missing...the theme of the piece is "all in the day's work of a bird"
a feather tied on with jute twine was the last serendipitous touch...
Reconstruction has been happening on other fronts too...with all the changes in social media, I've been thinking about the best creative outlet for me...re-examining what works and what doesn't...maybe you've noticed that blog posts have diminished...when I started blogging five years ago, this was the only mechanism for sharing one's inspired thoughts and ideas...though I love this format for more in-depth topics, it is not my sole platform any more...so my schedule for blog posts is going to change from 2-3 per week to 2-3 per month...but if you want a daily hit of four corners design, please hop over to Instagram...my user name is fourcornersdesign...its quick, its on the go, its a photo with a tagline...a little hit of eye candy each day...
and if you want to see my collage work up close and personal...please visit me at my upcoming show -
Shoreline Arts Festival, June 27-28...I'll be in the Artist Marketplace...get all the details on the event here
I love old things...and the stories that they tell...
Some people see a pile of useless junk...I see a former life, a past event, a fleeting thought, a momentary wish...
Sometimes I let my imagination run ahead...and spin a tale...pulling the thread of the story...seeing where it may lead...
Last week I participated in the 7 vignettes challenge on Instagram. Sponsored by Interiors Addict, there's a list of 7 prompts for you to follow and post your photographic inspiration. I had such a grand time chasing down my story that I thought I would share with you here...
Day One - Blush
I can't say exactly what prompted me to pull out these things...most likely it was the large spool of linen thread in a dusty pink color sitting on a shelf that caught my eye...and then the photo on my inspiration board behind my computer screen...it was the start of the tale...
"blush...the color that rises in a young girl's cheeks when an admirer notices her in all her beauty..."
Day 2 - Bloom
"the fresh lilac blooms brightened her outlook that spring had arrived on this first day of April"
Day 3 - Light
"and so she had a thought...an inkling of an idea...perhaps this young man who made her blush...and brought her such lovely blooms...was the one...her face lit up with anticipation..."
Day 4 - Soft
"she felt like she could soar...her heart unfettered...but if she fell, she knew she would have a soft place to land...is this what one calls love..."
Day 5 - Easter
"rebirth...a new awakening...a fresh start...could this be the direction she sought...the path to follow...her heart guides the way...
Day 6 - Weave
"she remembered him hanging around her father's auto shop...never saying much but always tinkering...papa passed away while she was away at nursing school and now he had taken over the shop...their lives had been intertwined at the edges for years...perhaps it was time to strengthen the weave..."
Day 7 - Gold
"tied up with hopes for the future, a home filled with love and a promise of time eternal, the circle of gold on her ring finger signifies, not a closed chapter, but a new beginning..."
Pulling the thread of imagination, you never know what you might find...
joining with others over at kim klassen's Friday Finds...
and I invite you to follow me on Instagram, you'll find me as four corners design...
let me know if you're on IG, I'll follow back
