Tag Archives: inspiration

22 months and counting

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It’s been almost two years since I have posted any artwork, processes, or collaborations. It’s also been almost that long since I have completed a piece of art.  With the exception of a few gifts and illustration commissions, there has been very little follow through on any creative ideas.

What has occurred, you may ask,  that has resulted in this lull? Well, I may say, I moved to California a year ago this week. I accepted a position at Hidden Villa, an educational nonprofit I have a decade long relationship with. It solved the distance dilemma with the boyfriend, now spouse. I gave up the seasonal associative disorder of  overcast Central Pennsylvania and embraced the sun induced psychosis of the Peninsula. It is hard to be so far from my family and pup, Andromeda Starchild, but a gift to be near my Love, and my best friend and her family.  Despite the amount of time, the move here has left me unsettled. It’s been a challenge to start, work on, and complete an art project of any scale. And although I do not lack for ideas, I’ve felt creatively vacant.

With a year of California behind me, and a future that promises a lot of continued change, now seems like the appropriate time to start making art. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, here is a snapshot of the past 18 months through journal entries.

 

 

April

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We all can use a little inspiration now and then. All those creative ideas ricocheting around in our heads can make it difficult to just choose one. Sometimes, we can’t overcome the entropy that has temporarily taken over our thought process. Occasionally, deliberating for even a few minutes, about whether or not to put some beauty in the world, feels like a herculean task. April was a project taken on to encourage daily handwork and creativity in my routine and to bring a little unexpected delight to the people I care about.

Each day for the month of April 2016, I made a small piece of art measuring 2 x 3 inches. They varied in complexity and included drawings, a stencil, a stamp, sayings, handmade paper, a recipe, dried flowers, miniature books and paintings. Materials included wax, paper, watercolor, drawing fluid, ink, colored pencil, crayon, hand dyed fabric, paste cloth, polymer clay, seeds and photographs. I made three versions; each individualized for it’s intended recipient (all creative people with limited time and so much going on in their lives).

I put all the cards, willy nilly, in an altered cigar box. I thought about maintaining more order with the pieces, but in the end, the joy of discovery, and sorting through unknown treasures, exceeded my need for structure.

It is my hope that when my people are in want of creative stimulation, they can pull this box off the shelf, sift through its contents, and kick-start a brainstorm of their own.

It so happens that one friend has re purposed the project to entertain her almost two year old. Most of the cards now live in a wallet that travels with them. When he get impatient, the wallet comes out and he plays with the cards. How’s that for creative reuse?