So
my pal Jo asked Lenna and I if we would participate in a blog tour sharing why/how/ what I do. I was
extremely flattered and said yes…realizing this morning I needed to post my
blog! Go check Jo's post answering the following four questions last week. Here
are my responses…
What
am I working on?
Stuff…some because of deadlines (thank goodness, I need those
from time to time) and others because I am curious…
New Studio Piece aka Bad Ass Island
First and foremost – my “studio”(aka laundry room). It has
taken me awhile to call it my studio. While I was married I couldn’t seem to
allow myself to take everything I do more seriously (it was considered a quirky
hobby). That has changed and I have come to realize it IS a Studio and it IS
Art (how’s that for self-affirmation!). So the last couple of years have been
spent changing up my home to more reflect me. My goal is to have gatherings
(maybe proper classes) with others – we have very little here in town specific
to the kind of things I have taught myself over the years. That said though, my
undies still get cleaned in the same room LOL….
This Pattern but Girlie Fabric
I am going to be a great aunt (yikes, I consider that to mean
fantastic aunt) later this summer so
need to make a Baby Quilt (similar pattern to this one I made). Fabric has been chosen,
just need to start cutting into it! I had my heavy duty quilting period around
early 2000 but over time found the big quilts too much. My sewing machine still gets a good work out though, sewing
into all kinds of media to create small pieces like Artist Trading Cards and
Mail Art…
Hats Theme
I regularly exchange Mail Art with different peeps which I
love to do – the themes are fun but even better is the chance to try new things
with others who may critique but always LOVE it (no matter how I may feel about
it)…..My next 
Gelli Plate and Water Colour Scraps
Typically when there are scraps on the counter from different
endeavors I “see” an ATC in the works and can quickly pull it together – more a
JIT kind of thing that I regularly do.
Italian Accordion (what a hoot)
I have stalled on doing an art journal forever – not sure
why. I have several “blank” canvases begging to have the pages filled. I
finally took the plunge a few weeks back and am working through a box of
ephemera that I have set aside…
And of course whatever
else strikes my fancy…including my garden which gets filled with junk art this
time of year…
How
does my work differ from others of its genre?
The librarian in me forced a look up of what genre means…
noun
1. a category of
artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by similarities
in form, style, or subject matter.
Summer of Colour 2013 (can't wait for 2014 to begin!)
Whoa Nellie!
Little too highfalutin for me LOL! Since I am all over the map in terms of what
I produce, I guess I would say the only
consistent theme is “retro”. Awhile back I hit a jackpot when I scored seven
banker boxes of 1940-1960’s Better Homes and Garden magazines and I haven’t
turned back.
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Summer ATC (still trying to figure out what 50% faster means )
I don’t know
what it is about the graphics (a highly fanciful ideal lifestyle?) but I love
them – just don’t read the articles or the tag lines – they make me cringe to
think how different it was for women then…
Why
do I write/create what I do?
I consider it a sanity thing...I have a very full time job that does not always allow the
creative side of my brain loose. All my life I have had the need to be “busy”
doing something so when housework and work work is done I get going. Over the
years I have tried many things – macramé (my teenage years in the 1970’s LOL),
decorative painting, quilting to name a few). I have no problems with the fact
I move on to different things – though I am a lot more careful about my
“investment” in supplies if I think something is only going to be a passing fancy (after all, it cuts into my supposed retirement fund!).It took me awhile to commit to a Gelli Plate for that very
reason – though I am having fun with it now…
How
does my writing/creating process work?
There’s a
process? LOL Seriously I am constantly thinking about different ideas I would
like to try especially when I am trawlin the Web. For themes I dig around in my
stash or do some searching on the web till I get my “ah ha” moment. Sometimes
my ideas turn out rather difficult to execute on (you know, you have that image
in your head what the end product will look like but dang you can’t reinvent
it).
Renaissance Mash Up
Sometimes it
is just serendipitous – I see something at one end of the room and something in
front of me and go WOW those would look awesome together.
Vintage Glue Book Page
I give a lot
of credit to Mary Green who used to have online classes on collaging. She was
the one who really got me started on my mixed media journey. I still go back to
those classes to refresh my memory on techniques.
BOOKS and
books and books (I have thing about magazines too)… and not just art books.
Another jackpot was when a second hand book store went out of business near my
cottage. I made two visits and filled up boxes of old books with wonderful,
wonderful images. If I was to go by the prices penciled in the front cover I
would have spent a small fortune – but the new owners very badly wanted to
convert the store into something entirely different and were selling inventory
at rock bottom prices (I still remember walking into a back room where there
were literally stacks of books on the ground and you actually had to crawl over
them (no uncovered floor!) to go through everything).
I have a
lot, a lot , a lot of folks to thank for their inspiration – some have become
very good friends over the years. Others are those individuals who share their
work through the web for others to see – I may never visit their pages again
but it all makes me want to try and get better at what I do.
For this
post two of those individuals graciously agreed to share their answers to the
four questions. Both just happen to be named Beth!
When I first
started doing Mail Art back in 2010 Beth B agreed to participate in a regular
exchange. Just so happens she lives in the same State as I do and we even had a
chance to meet in person. Beth is an AWARD winning artist who has had several
pieces in different shows (that always impresses me). She loves trying different
medium and I am the proud owner of two of her art pieces. Check her out at BethBynumArtist and find out where she will be showing next...
Around the
same time I started Mary Green’s classes I came across Beth L’s website
Gathering Dust. Wow – I not only loved all the vintagy stuff she had (and sells), but
through her I cascaded into all kinds of different connections where I learned
so much more. I remember Beth kindly agreeing to have me do a couple of pages (my
first) for a Journal she was doing at the time – I look back at them now and
think how far I have come! You can regularly find her work in Stampington
magazines like Sew Somerset. Recently she has been doing wonderful embroidery work to create her
“Pinnies”.
Both of
these ladies are examples of the generosity I have found through the past few
years in blog land. So many individuals are willing to share how they do
things (like Leslie, Kimberly , Frieda and Jan), be cheerleaders for your work and offer support in so many different
ways. Go check them out next Monday to hear their stories!
