"Water" Challenge Final Result

Late last week I finished my water challenge pieces. Originally I intended for the two to be one--I was going to have the glass slides hanging down from the canvas--but that didn't seem to work. I think if the canvas had been larger it would have been all right, but it was too small to support three. Going on the premise that sometimes one has to be ruthless and jettison one's favorite thing (advice from writing class in college), I pulled the slides out completely and made them their own piece.

Much to my surprise, I have to say I'm really pleased. It's a great feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment.

Here were some of my musings when I was contemplating having words on the piece:

Surrounding
     Supporting
          Enveloping
Lifting us up
     Carrying us along
Rhythmic waves
     Currents
Motion and complete stillness
     Simultaneously
Our beginning
     Somehow we recognize this
     deep inside
Lulling
     Utter peacefulness
     Deep calm
Best when the sun shines
     Thousands of tiny mirrors
     Sparkling

What does "harmony" mean to me?

I checked this morning on Mixed Media Monday to see what this week's challenge was, and it's "harmony". (My jaw dropped when I noticed that before noon there were already 24 responses. How does anyone do that so quickly?)

So I am considering whether I can produce anything for this and trying to think about what harmony means to me. With so much interest in music, I have to say that the first thing I think of is audible harmony, but I don't really know what I could do with that. Perhaps my challenge is to figure out how to represent aural harmony in a different medium?

When I think of harmony, I think of different things coming together and finding some common ground. Rather like the saying about the whole being more than the sum of its parts. How could I represent that? Maybe go back to the prism idea, showing how all the different colors become one.

Or, perhaps, harmony means peace. I could make something that just feels peaceful, like coming home. The opposite of dissonance. That makes me think of strings vibrating, as on a harp or any stringed instrument. Could I use that imagery in combination with colors? Definitely vertical strings, not horizontal.

As I write this, I find I am thinking only of colors, since sounds are not an option (lack of ability to make my own chimes!). No images are presenting themselves. Interesting. I wonder why not?

Harmony. Also speaks to what my yoga teacher said this morning--we are all happiest when we are doing what we are meant to do. Find what you are meant to do, and do it. That is harmony, being at one with the universe. So I could do something involving an image of someone or something doing exactly what it's meant to do, fulfilling its purpose. There's no greater harmony than that.

I shall have to think about this some more!

15 September 2008

Well, I got started on my piece and am very pleased so far, but then I got sidetracked with the preparations for the surprise baby shower I hosted last Saturday. I think sometimes I avoid doing something creative (procrastinate) because of what I have mentioned before—it’s all great in theory, but I’m committing myself once I actually start, choosing a path and thus shutting off all the other potentialities. But I have started my water challenge, now it’s just finishing it that will be the challenge!

I do find that I have a lot more confidence about this piece than I have any other original item I’ve done so far. It has been a leap of faith for me to do what I have done so far and trust that the piece will reveal itself to me as I go; very different than following instructions for a project and knowing at the beginning what the end result will be. But it’s exciting! I did spend the first week of this month just thinking about the piece, and that was very useful. It prepared me so that when I went to my studio area one evening, I knew I was ready to make a start. I still don’t know how it’s going to end, but I knew to begin, and that was something.

One thing I find interesting is that for all my thoughts on words and the enjoyment I get from other’s collage pieces, I am really resistant to putting words on my own pieces. Seems it will lessen them somehow, make them less serious, I don’t know exactly what it is. So I may, if I have time, make multiple items (perhaps meant to be hung in a group) and use words on some but not on others. But it’s a funny prejudice I’ve discovered, especially since I like it in others’ work.

31 August 2008

This is harder than I thought it might be to keep an art blog going while in real life rather than on holiday at my in-laws. I knew it would be tougher, but I didn’t realize quite so much! Of course, I did also have my parents visiting for a total of about two weeks, a baby shower at my house, and my cousin had her second baby, so I guess there have been more than the usual number of distractions. At least I am writing now!

Tonight I gave A. our first challenge, and by 30 September we will share our creations. The challenge is “water”. Once I settled on it, I tried really hard not to think about it, but now I can let myself toy with ideas. Here are some off the top of my head:

--glass paints on a bud vase
--bring out the idea mentioned earlier in this blog on the dolphins
--do something with some of the sea rocks and shells I brought back—use Dimensional Magic somehow to simulate water?
--shades of blue keep occurring, for obvious reasons—do another shrine like one for Danny—liked the teeny vase painted with blue glass paint
--try blue alcohol ink on acetate to see how that looks, then maybe use as an overlay on something

Perhaps I should think about how water makes me feel. More than anything, it makes me feel calm inside, serene, still, at peace, connected to the earth in a larger way . . . even the stormy water does that, enhances that connection and being caught up with something larger than oneself. I like the rhythm of the sound of the waves. It does also make me think of Kayleigh’s birth. There is a sense of weightlessness, fluidity, gracefulness. I do not find water threatening or dangerous, I find it welcoming. I like the sense of translucence associated with water. Also I like the freedom that seems to come with vacationing by water—appearances are less important, everything is more relaxed and laid back, meals and bedtimes come at all times—I guess it’s a sense that time is looser by the water.

Could try something on the glass tags from Stampington. Or instead do something on microscope slides—maybe a mosaic-style broken-up picture, using about five slides of different shapes? Hmmm, that’s intriguing. Place those five on a background to create the whole piece. I like the idea of having them in one of those frames like I have in the bathroom (can’t recall the name just now—floating?). Or take a picture of water, or poster, put slides on top of some parts, none connecting, and use those to do the mosaic-style piece? Maybe, thinking big, get a poster of water on a beach, then do slides to place on top of various parts of the picture . . . I like that too.

Could find a poem or words about water that I like, then do an accordion-style piece.

Along those lines, I like the Andre Gide quote used by Melody M. Nunez on p. 23 of Transparent Art: “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.”

Could write my own haiku to go along with the piece, rather than using someone else’s words. Form is five-seven-five syllables.

I wonder: can the mica tiles be colored with anything? That might be interesting.

Also had thoughts of stitching onto the background, rather like water would run off from something. Use light blue metallic thread, maybe a few crystals here and there. Another thing is that I have always loved the way the sunlight shimmers on the water, if I could work that in somehow.

Could do multiple things to show (Dad’s card of sailboat could be one). Many small treatments rather than one great thing.

Okay, that’s enough brainstorming for one night.

11 August 2008

Remember this from Suze Weinberg’s July newsletter:

--Push out the die cut shape from the papers (shown at R)... (there are a few different triangular bead shapes)
--Roll it on anything cylindrical (a pencil, etc), pull it off and glue the tiny end of the paper bead to the now rolled bead. The size of the cylinder determines the size of the bead center.
--Hold with tweezers & roll the Beadle in melted Clear UTEE in The Melting Pot. Never panic....A heat gun can always be used to smooth out any rough edges.
--BTW: if you prefer....you can take the paper bead, coat it with clear embossing ink, dip it into Clear UTEE powder & heat with a heat gun !

Jewelry Idea from Suze Easter Update 2008 newsletter:

"No Glass is needed in this new technique !
--Work on Craft Sheet. Melt Clear UTEE then add 1 drop of To Dye For & stir in color slowly.
--Insert paper image into Memory Frame. Yes it will be a bit loose in there. Be sure frame is laying flat on work surface.
--Pour UTEE into frame to fill. Looks like colored glass when finished. Embellish frame with rhinestones!
I used our sterling silver jewelry bales (attached with Loctite Brush On Super Glue) to attach the extra hanging bale on the bottom of the green frame."

27 July 2008

Need to think about what projects to tackle upon arriving home—

9 August—need baby book for Joanna, tin for Danny
6 August—need baby book for Jen?

22 August—must have finished birthday card for Mom

Start producing Xmas cards!

29 August—must have finished anything for Mom to take back

On plane, try to write out steps for Danny’s tin.

Get 1” square punch.

Re seascape item: use Opalite Sterling Frost to do small shells, starfish.

Start working on steps for sea piece.

Make Japanese card for Irene.

Look up Japanese philosophy of Wabi Sabi (p. 45 Mixed Media Collage).

Really like the layout pp. 50-51 MMC.

Look up a book by Joanne Mattera on using encaustic—The Art of Encaustic Painting.

25 July 2008

In water piece—or any piece—apply paint thickly and use palette knife to make rough swirls—indicate unsettledness, roiling, turbulence. Gradually change to perfectly smooth to indicate area of serenity, calm, peacefulness, tranquillity.

Idea: collage of the 9th Street house in Wichita Falls.

Notes from Duxford and Tiger Moth flight: Dale said his favorite part was the takeoff. He loved the uninhibited view of the fields and meadows below him and mentioned that he could see Saffron Walden.

24 July 2008

Some thoughts for what to do with Danny’s notes before his wedding—try using it in a mint tin assemblage as per CDW p. 85. Could paint the tin chocolate brown and Tiffany blue—try the peeled paint technique for both (pp. 100-1) colors. Use the notes as the liner for the main part of the tin.

Elements could include a key, as the notes are a key to his thinking. Fit some of the ribbon in somehow. Any other things—seed packets, small dried flowers, miniature paddle in honor of the gondola ride (or mini gondola!).

What to put on the cover? A pic of just Danny—have something of Joanna on the inside, since she was on his mind when he wrote those lines on the notepad. Maybe put a marble inside, to highlight or magnify something? Look for a wedding charm for the inner lid, or maybe my wild woman button.

Maybe, on the inside put a film strip length and put mini pictures from the photographer in the spaces. Put in either vertically on either inner lid or tin, or horizontally running across both.

Maybe add one of my little bottles with the wedding date and names in it? Or one of the silver capsule holders. (Paint bottle Tiffany blue glass paint.)

Could cut memo lines in half and extend across both inner lid and tin.

Think about what I’m trying to convey with the piece. As Rita said, it’s a glimpse inside his mind on one of the most special days of his life. Glimpse inside, revealing something hidden, providing insight, looking through or behind a veil (string up a veil that can be pushed aside to reveal the contents. Could do on wire, sew a little bit of tulle (from wedding aisle?). Or look for dollhouse curtain. Possibly a small doll’s bridal veil? Hate to use Barbie, ugh, but something like that.) I could call the piece “Behind the Veil” (not beyond).

Find image/background of brain diagram? Might be too obvious, that.

20 July 2008

Thoughts on the “foggy” challenge: I thought of the fog of memory and how people can suddenly pop out of one’s mind when if asked an hour before you wouldn’t have recalled anything about them.

So I thought about having a piece that had a foggy look all over but with faces emerging at certain points between the clouds (use Stampscapes clouds stamp recently purchased?). Not clearly defined, maybe some kind of transfer. Or transparencies.

Have to think about how to make it interesting and also how to make it pretty, or at least not dull.

I did have the idea of having the faces appearing in a circle on the piece.

Maybe the idea with “foggy” is that all the images should be obscured in some way, as though there was a fog or haze or veil in the way. Encaustic? Vellum? Angel hair? Nothing too hard, like metal or wire mesh. Fog is soft, no hard edges, can’t be contained in a form.

NOTE: for dolphin/sea piece, try using heat-transfer method to put a celestial map in the sky (p. 18 Collage Discovery Workshop).

Apply transparent colors on top of each other.

NOTE: try using Cobalt Blue first then Turquoise Phthalo on top for ocean (pp. 22-23 Collage D. Wkshop).

NOTE: try using a combing tool to make waves in the paint (p. 26 CDW).

NOTE: sprinkle sand or crushed shells onto the paint?

Something to try: apply plain white vinegar to copper sheeting.

Something to try in the right piece would be to use incense sticks, either tied together or just glued in place, to frame an element (p. 60 CDW).

15 July 2008

Today Joy, Brian, and I took the kids on the train to Southend. It was fine but not terribly exciting for me until I realized the tide had gone out—a lot—and that I ought to be able to get tons of seashells out there. Oh I had fun squelching around in the mud and found lots of pretty or interesting things to boot. The first “seashell” I picked up was still in use by its owner! A little “foot” was sticking out but pulled back in quickly. We saw lots of crabs scurrying about. And I didn’t know things grew into clamshells—other shells, snails, etc. They are a work of collage all by themselves!

At Clacton the rocks I found most of that appealed to me were white, but today at Southend it was black ones. I found lots that had a deep rich hue and nice shapes with a flat surface. Now to think what to do with them.

Would like to try Opalite inkpads on them to see if they work on rock. Could make some sets with Celtic or Mexican small stamps and use as wine charms? Have to be small rocks for that, or padded on bottom. Would need to write up a small card (find those recipe cards I got for Joy & Brian a long time ago) noting source of stones and then brief description of symbols on them.

I’ll keep exploring what I like about them, and that will help me find out what to do with them.

NOTE: challenges this week from sites are “let’s have tea” and “foggy”.