Esmerelda

This is the story of Esmerelda.

Once upon a time there two artists who were friends. They lived in the same state, were part of the same art group, enjoyed each other's company and generally had fun together. All was well in the state known as Virginia, located very near to Washington, DC. Then, one fateful day, one of the friends moved far away. To Oz, in fact.

The friend who remained behind, we'll call her The Weaver, walked into a shop one day close to Christmas and immediately spied the perfect gift for her friend, we'll call her The Water Mystic.

There in the store hung the most wondrous mermaid...made of glass, wearing indigo shoes, a starfish on her forehead, arms outstretched to guide them through the water, and shimmering gossamer wings. Wings? you ask. Yes, wings.

You see, Esmerelda is no ordinary mermaid. 

Esmerelda is a seeker, an explorer, a storyteller.

In her travels she met Cecil, a starfish with 6 tentacles, who became her most trusted friend and companion. 

Cecil was with Esmerelda the day she decided it was time to leave the waters in search of one she'd heard of.

One who lives above the waters. 

One who possesses such mystical powers 

as to be able to transform 

whatever She touches into Water.  

 Water that sustains life. 

Water that inspires.

 Water that is High Art.

Esmerelda knew to the core of her being that this was The One to tell her stories to for She possessed the power to turn Esmerelda's water stories into High Art.

Yet seeking out The One, The Water Mystic, would bring great change. For living above the waters meant exchanging air for water, 2 legs for 1 tail, wings for flippers, settling down for roaming the world.

Esmerelda embraced the change as did Cecil. They had heard that The Weaver was friends with The Water Mystic and so made sure to cross her path. Few would have recognized them for what they really were, but The Weaver did and gladly sent them on their way to her friend as a gift that Christmas.

Well...that New Year actually, for first she had to record their story.

The Water Mystic welcomed Esmerelda and Cecil to her home. They immediately settled upon the studio as the best spot to relate their stories and to view the water.

It's cause for much merriment and celebrating all round when The One Previously Known As The Weaver visits...we call her The Rust Junkie now. Esmerelda spins and dances from her most excellent perch. Poor Cecil gets quite dizzy at times, but wouldn't have it any other way.

During one of Esmerelda's more exuberant celebrations, she managed to lose a wing. And that's just fine with her...and a story for another day. After all, muses do not need wings to fly.

3rd Annual Artist Retreat - Tuesday part 1

One could say that I was on a tear Tuesday. And one would be right. However...yes, there is a twist...my definition of the idiom varies a bit.

With 3 pieces collaged and set aside, I decided to go really big and work on the triple circles.

So...it was hung this way. No whispering from the muses.

Then it was hung this way. Still no whispering from the muses, yet a giggle or two did escape and I could swear the phrase looks like boobs in the middle was uttered. After sitting, staring, sighing and only being able to see boobs in the middle, I decided to go on a tear and

voila! 1 became 2. The muses were happy. Esmerelda and Cecil were starting to dance. I pondered, viewed the pieces from varying angles, pondered some more and decided to go on another tear.

1 had become 2 had become 9. By now Esmerelda was fairly twirling in place and demanding more.

So, I gave her more. The triple circle piece went from being one huge, boob filled, overwhelming yet not very exciting piece to 16 squares full of energy, interest, focus and movement. And this is much closer to my vision of how the rusty fabrics should be displayed.

Imagine a set of 9 or 16 or 25...or even a simple row...of fragments of circles. That's my vision. Focus on the marks rather than the rust. Cotton is my palette, rust is my medium.

Phew! How's that for a Tuesday's worth of work?

What if?

what if?
they filled a large gallery space
us - circling your magnificent circle series

That's part of a response left by Elizabeth of Be...Dream...Play... in answer to my query of her thoughts on my idea of making a series of the large rusty circles...with pieces measuring 30" wide x 72" long...and maybe even a few 58-60" squares.

Since reading Elizabeth's lovely answer, I've been seeing it...the gallery space filled with my circles. The funny part...to me...is that normally I can't do this with my own work. Can't see the exhibition. Not really. Not with any clarity. With others' work, yes. My own, no.

Ask Pam. One glance at her work and full blown stories spew forth. She's seen and heard me in action. I look at one of her visually and texturally exquisite works and can see the light playing on a section, can see the movement caused by the stirring of the air as people stroll by or stop to look or simply breathe nearby...can see exactly how it would hang. Can see...

I can do this with a few others' work as well. But never with my own. Not in the same way. Until Elizabeth's comment. By the time Pam and Fiona concurred, my creative mind was on overdrive and the muses were whispering furiously. Nearly everything was sorted out - except the actual location of the exhibit. Two local galleries come to mind and one has distinct possibilities.

Of course, I'm getting way ahead of myself. First, enough work has to be completed and photographed to even be able to apply for a solo show. I'm working on that part. As for the rest, I can see it. Can you?