At a crossroads

Why is it that a blank slate can be so darned intimidating? That first mark is so difficult to make? I've been sitting here, fingers poised on the keyboard, looking at the computer screen and trying in vain to figure out what to say in my first post...oh...for the past 10 minutes at least.

Lots of things have gone through my mind. Like I knew at 8 yrs old that my dream was to be an artist. That I grew up with a mom and grandmother who quilted, sewed, crocheted, cross stitched, etc. That I still have all the Barbi clothes that my mom and aunt sewed - including sequined gowns! That growing up surrounded by fiber, fabric, color, texture and craftsmanship ensured my love of craft and all that it entails. Is it any wonder that I became a fiber artist?

I currently find myself at a crossroads in my creative life. Until a couple years ago, I was a contemporary basketry artist and a resident member of the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, VA. Weaving was my love. Playing and experimenting with my weavings was as natural as breathing. I knew what I wanted to do.

Then we moved to Connecticut, I took a workshop from Dorothy Caldwell on mark making and we adopted twin girls from China. All within a two year period. The move meant giving up my studio at the Torpedo Factory. Adopting twins leaves little time for art. But it was Dorothy Caldwell's class that really rocked my creative world.

  

It was like someone flipped a switch. I suddenly began seeing finished pieces which combine fiber, text, marks, sewing, photos, etc. Any artists reading this will know what I mean. Non-artists may not. I would dream finished pieces - pages actually, like from a book. Anything can be inspiration - a color, the way light plays on the sidewalk. An image will instantly appear in my mind.

Dorothy Caldwell's class was in 2006. For over 3 years, images have been flitting in and out of my creative mind. It's time to do something about it, don't you think? I do. It's time to make that first mark. Time to play and experiment again. Time to re-discover my creative voice.

Here's to a fun journey!