Feelin’ Summery
May 25th, 2007
I did the above art "Time Travel" a couple weeks ago in that mixed media class. It's collage and acrylic on watercolor paper. I think the teacher was disappointed that I didn't do it on wood as we had wood boards available. I could mount it on wood later. I see her point in a way though. I like working on paper because it takes some of the pressure off. If I hate it, it's nothing to toss it or rip it up to use in something else. But on wood, that's harder to do. Also on paper, there's room for change. I work somewhere within the boundaries of the paper, so that later I can crop it where it looks best. A canvas or piece of wood has fairly fixed boundaries, working with those materials, I'd need to be more clear about composition when I start. At the same time, it's true that art tends to look more professional when it's mounted in some way, whether that be built in (as in a canvas or piece of wood with the sides painted) or when a work on paper is matted and framed or even just matted. I often don't take that extra step with works on paper. I don't care for them as well as I could. I want to start taking my work, I want to say more seriously, but that's not quite it...maybe more professionally?
Woo! It's toasty out! Feels like summer! I know it happens every year like clockwork, but the amount of green that blooms in spring always takes me by surprise. Looking out the windows...well, I can barely see anything but green leaves! The trees have expanded, pregnant and full of leafyness. Birds are chirping constantly around the bedroom windows, driving our kitties batty. My car is simply unrecognizable. The trees shed more and more pollen on it everyday and I'm not driving as much, so my car seems to take on a rediculous amount of the stuff. It looks like it's camoflauged. I'm embarrassed to bring it to the car wash, it's that gross. The other day, I came out and there must have been a hundred inch worms (and I'm not exaggerating) all over it. Ack! If I don't wash it soon, I'm afraid it might drive off into the woods by itself like the car in Harry Potter. Ooo, I'm SO excited for that movie! Eeee!
Life is good. I get anxious about gatherings and changes, but it's so silly that I need to remind myself that everything is great. Yoga has been helping this week. Sometimes, I need to remember to just breathe. Speaking of which, Kathryn has a great interview with author, Eric Maisel on her blog regarding his new book, Ten Zen Seconds. I mentioned it in a comment on her blog, but I also wanted to mention here that I recently found out that Alyson Stanfield (author of the Art Biz Blog) is offering a free teleseminar with Eric Maisel regarding this book. Very cool! Hope you're all having a beautiful day!
8 Responses
I totally understand the reasons you use paper. Lately I ask myself, exasperated, why am I not creating art? Why am I spending too much time on the computer (not necessarily even reading new, interesting stuff), why am I avoiding? Then I think about the fact I’m shedding belongings because I feel squeezed and know my baby and her things will need room, and think about how to store my creations (just more THINGS to clutter the world), and maybe that’s why.
It’s weird. I want a more streamlined life regarding material goods, but by creating anything not edible — knitting, collaging, painting, etc. — I’m simply adding to the material world. Giving it away to others adds to their clutter. Keeping it adds to mine. So I withhold. But that also feels unsatisfying. Can you understand this? Do you have suggestions on how to mediate the impulse to create with the need for lightness?
Posted by: kathryn | May 25, 2007 at 2:54 pm |
i totally hear what you’re saying. i guess, that’s why even though it’s sad to see my art leave sometimes when i sell it, it feels good because i feel a certain amount of space open up that allows for new creations.
i suppose that since you’re creating quite a bit internally and you won’t be selling your child (haha), things are a little different. perhaps if you’re creating things for her (art for her room, blankets for her bed, decorative painting on her furniture or something like that) it may feel more useful.
at the same time, i want to say that nothing you make is clutter. the process of creating is so important to a healthy psyche (at least for me), so if that means more clutter, well, i guess i’ve resigned myself to that fact, to a degree. perhaps it’s a matter of having a space (a room or a corner of a room) that is dedicated to creating. and if it gets cluttered from time to time, so be it, you can always shut the door or tuck things into a box when company comes.
another way to get creating without bringing in more stuff, is to recycle your art. i love doing this, taking creations that i didn’t like or just didn’t work and painting over them, tearing them up for new collage or re-working them. well, those are some ideas anyways.
but then i’m the queen of messy, so i may be the wrong person to ask. heh.
Posted by: leah | May 25, 2007 at 3:27 pm |
The discussion in the comments is as interesting to me as a post! I’ve been struggling with that same issue as your first visitor – and I’m not a new mom (by any stretch of the imagination!) But after years of creating, there’s tons of stuff around here that need to clear out – yet I don’t want to give up creating either. Maybe I’ll recycle more art myself. I tend to get to sentimental with some of my old work – and that’s all it is – OLD work…
Hope you’re having a beautiful day, too, Leah.
Posted by: tinker | May 25, 2007 at 3:44 pm |
I hope that you are having a beautiful day too! Looks like you are… your mixed media piece is just great. Love it. The texture looks really amazing!
Posted by: Karen Beth | May 25, 2007 at 6:10 pm |
hi leah, thanks for visiting my blog and for your comment. Wax transfers are really neat, aren’t they? I can’t wait to do more.
This piece you have posted here is really beautiful.
You mentioned wanting to take your work more seriously/professionally and having trouble finding the right word for it…if I may, I think what you mean is giving your work the respect that it deserves. I had to go through that mental switch myself. I feel that my pieces are like little pieces of me, like children. Sort of. And as such, shouldn’t be tossed in the corner or denigrated. I don’t know if I’m making any sense. It’s a bit early in the morning.
you have a wonderful blog here. I will defnitely be back!
Posted by: bridgette | May 26, 2007 at 11:12 am |
Leah-
You always seem to find the greatest things to share.
Thank you for all the discovies you make and for continually doing great art!
Posted by: Tori | May 26, 2007 at 6:05 pm |
Thanks for the cheer! It will help me get through the week.
Yesterday was my first time working on a paper collage and it was fabulous! I agree the part I liked the best was that if I didn’t like it, I wasn’t wasting much; and I could use it for something else. It was fun creating the paper too!
love the time collage…I’ll have to give this a try when the craziness subsides.
Posted by: Marie | May 27, 2007 at 12:19 pm |
More lovely work, love the colours. Glad you kept doing your own thing, regardless of ‘teacher’ ( you can always mount it on wood afterwards). Glad things are good for you
E
Posted by: Elizabeth | May 27, 2007 at 3:25 pm |