January

What comes to mind when you think of January? For several of my friends, January has become a month of play and experimentation in the studio. They've given themselves permission to wonder what if and then to pursue the thought wherever it leads.

For me, January is a time of refocusing. Time to take stock and decide what to keep,

what to purge or repurpose, what to listen to.

The tea bags are fairly singing these days.

It is also a time to simplify. My new waiting = stitching series embodies this. What began as an experiment in embracing chaos and the wabi sabi-ness of life has quickly become one my favorite creative endeavors.

And then there's the January sun that demands one to stop and admire it as it streams through the windows and reflects off the snow. We scraped through with only 14 or so inches as compared to my brother's 30+.

January will soon be turning into February and I'll pause to wonder just how we got to February already? After all, it was just New Year's Day a few days ago...

Perspective

Seems ages since I've been here - way longer than the little more than a month that it has actually been. The time away began as a byproduct of the holidays - too much to do and too little time so something had to give and the blog was it.

But as the holidays came and went, the time away allowed for much contemplation

and rumination as to what I hope to achieve in 2016.

All that thinking lead to changes in perception 

and perspective

regarding my art. 

2016 just might be a year of very creative art math - figuring out how 

1 = 15 and how + 1 more = 22.

Here's to fulfilling and creative year!

2 = 9 + 1

Last week found me doing a bit of art math. 

The 3 largest below became 15. 

Yesterday, the smaller two, desiring to get in on the fun,

found themselves on my cutting board.

That's where 2 

became 9 + 1.

3 = 15

Start with 3 pieces that measure 6" x 64". 

Set them aside and forget about them

until they begin to whisper their discontent. 

Listen to their pleas

 for transformation.

Let them guide you in turning

3 into 15.

In the studio

Been doing a bit of art math this week.

Paper +

paint +

text +

stitching =

x.

What answer do you arrive at for x?

Art math - when does 1 = 4 = 5?

Start with 1 very long piece that is intended to become accordion book 5.

Hang it in the studio for viewing and pondering.

Get really close so its whispers of what it truly wants to become are clearly heard.

 Listen. Agree.  

Take it down from its lofty perch. 

Lay it on your worktable...back side up...and

just do it.

 Cut it into 4 equal lengths measuring approximately 64".

Give them a lofty perch again and stand back to listen to their whispers.

Of contentment? Of dismay? Of not-quite-there-ness?

Listen to one who yearns to be more.

So...it is possible for 1 = 4 = 5.

Don't you just love art math?

(sorry for the poor lighting...it's darker on that end of the studio)

Art math

Tea bags + cotton + organza + 

rusting + mono printing + stitching +

a bit of storytelling + a few what ifs =

 My Morning Tea Series © 2012 

12 collages

So far...

Art math

It started with going out in the garden

and taking a look around.

 There was bee balm,

mint

 and lots of coreopsis

all just begging to join in the experiment.

 

On the way to the studio, pink roses caught my eye. 

Yes. They wanted to play too.

So I took a bit of this

and a bit of that,

 even a tad of this. 

Then put it all in the crock pot.

[adding more roses and coreopsis, of course]

The results were surprising...to me, at least. 

 Japanese red maple =  lots of potential

 Pink rose petals =  a soft, yet brilliant yellow

 Rust + layers of rose petals = one of my favorites

Coleus + rust = wonderful lines 

Coreopsis  = orange...lots of orange.

Can anyone tell me why it works this way?

Round 2 of experimenting with my garden took place Monday night. Less coreopsis this time, more coleus, bee balm and ferns. Need to get better photos before showing you those results. I played with folding the paper first - quadruple and quintuple folds, in fact, just right for cards or accordion books.

Tomorrow is Thursday and that means boarding an airplane for London in the evening. My trusty iPad is accompanying me. Lap top too to store the zillions of photos I'll no doubt take. My husband showed me how to take a photo on the iPad and instantly upload to Facebook. So...if you'd like to follow my jaunt kind of in real time, just click here or on the Facebook link to the left and like my artist page.

Next post from London...

Art math - the answers cont'd

Fresh red roses +

rusty bits +

300 lb watercolor paper =

lovely muted purples.

Or is it mauve?