Hanging on a line, waiting for a sign, smelling the scent of August pine

It’s a lovely afternoon in mid-August and my pugs are enjoying moving from sun to shade as we sit outside enjoying the breeze and the chirping crickets around us. My view of the backyard is blocked by my canvases – that is, my virgin white sheets of fabric hanging on a makeshift clothesline that have a long journey ahead of them. Will they be wall hangings? Quilts? Bookcloth? Or, abandoned good intentions on my storage shelf? I hope not the last one as I have next to me my art journal where I have some sketches and ideas ready to bring to fruition for these lovelies swinging in the summer breeze. The fabric, cotton, silk, rayon, and linen are washed (primed), and ready for some dye (paint), imagination (a haphazard plan), and some practiced skill (uninterrupted work time).

Today is an awkward day as I took today off, and all this week, to be home for the pugs as we have our bathrooms remodeled. It’s an awkward day because the workers didn’t show up as one of them had an emergency plumbing problem. I am known for my anxiety (worse than the pugs for whom I took a few vacation days for to spend some time with them), so how can I create my art, even think about projects when I’m worried when (and now “if”) the doorbell will ring to announce the beginning of the construction workday? It’s an awkward limbo status not knowing how to accommodate the workers and my studio time and I want to say today is a wasted day as I didn’t create but instead I managed to do prep work. This kind of busy work can be done anytime, usually in-between layers of paint or when I have artist’s block (just like writer’s block but with a paintbrush in my hand and my brow furrowed in agonizing creative pain).

I did mention it was a lovely afternoon outside and so with that I am grateful I am not at work answering phone calls and e-mails and being a problem solver. Wait, I’m still needed as a problem solver with my fabric projects. I think I’ll make some coffee, iced of course, and lament on my next step with or without the contractors coming tomorrow.

And no apologies for the title of this post, I didn't have my breakfast toast, I'll blame it on the rhyming ghost.

For inspiration

**Megan is out attending the Surface Design Association Conference**

The Art of Disappearing
by Naomi Shihab Nye

When they say Don’t I know you?
say no.

When they invite you to the party
remember what parties are like
before answering.

Someone telling you in a loud voice
they once wrote a poem.

Greasy sausage balls on a paper plate.
Then reply.

If they say We should get together
say why?

It’s not that you don’t love them anymore.
You’re trying to remember something
too important to forget.

Trees. The monastery bell at twilight.
Tell them you have a new project.
It will never be finished.

When someone recognizes you in a grocery store
nod briefly and become a cabbage.

When someone you haven’t seen in ten years
appears at the door,
don’t start singing him all your new songs.
You will never catch up.

Walk around feeling like a leaf.
Know you could tumble any second.
Then decide what to do with your time.

It may seem I'm a bit busy.... but then boredom scares me

I didn’t manage a post last week due to my flower and herb garden-planting extravaganza. I took vacation from work to concentrate on putting in my garden since I don’t usually manage to finish this task until July comes around. But this year is different and I wanted a fully planted garden before June (and well, I got about 98% done). The Surface Design Association Conference is next week and the following week will be in a soy wax workshop by Jane Dunnewold, which I am very excited to attend not only to learn the soy wax techniques but to also be taught again by Jane who is a great teacher and has inspired me on my artistic textiles journey. So June will revolve around studio art and I can now look out and see my flowers blooming as colorful inspiration.

The pressure is on. There are so many things needing attention to in the next few weeks that I’m afraid I will not be able to give my full devotion to everything needing my attention. This is my life as an artist working a full-time job to pay the credit card bills full of purchased art materials.

On a side note: Over the past few days I’ve been working on a few items - even one that had to wait when we had to seek shelter in the basement for a tornado which thankfully didn’t hit my area. One of the thoughts running through my head during this was, will the paint I just mixed on a palette make a mess if the tornado hits us? And then through such an event when life could have been unexpectedly gone down another path, I am grateful for the road I am on as I chose it and I maintain it as hectic as it may be sometimes.

Creating

I had a photography instructor who corrected the workshop into rethinking what we do when we click that button on the camera. It’s common language to say you’re “taking” a picture but in the artistic world, Doug Beasley introduced an idea to “create” a picture instead. Now it took me a while to understand this new photography terminology but I used it today for the first time and it not only sounded good (try it, “I created a picture today” or “Can I create your picture”) but it was good to my art soul.

A simple walk to work turned into a moment where I stopped and saw beauty and decided to create a picture. It only took a moment out of my daily auto pilot walk from my car to my office building, a moment that slipped me out of the weekday dull routine, a moment to take time out and create something. And it made my day all the better knowing I used my creativity today,


“Taking” a picture conjures up thoughts of stealing, impolite and rude behaviors, and even possession of the objects in the viewfinder. But when a photographer “creates” a picture, the artist brings something new into this world for others to enjoy. So let the “creating” begin and let it be inspiring.

Something Better to Come

It’s been a gray week where a thunderstorm came on Monday morning during my commute to work. The drive may have been difficult but I had the courage to face it even though I wanted to stay in bed for a few more hours. As hard as some challenges are, something better will come and in the instance of that thunderstorm, I didn’t need to water my flowers that day. But then my request to spend a few more hours in bed came unexpectedly yesterday while a migraine decided to ruin my day.

I might not always recognize it but something better does come along and when I’m faced with a dilemma in my studio, I need to take this possibility into consideration. For example, I have this (cotton) book cloth I’ve been working on and it’s not cooperating with me, it’s not making me happy.


But if I were to halt every project when I’m not happy, then I have a very big problem. I feel the alterations with the paints have obscured the interesting dyed visuals. I feel I’ll need to make some additions specific to the length/width of the cover when the book has been bound.

Here’s another part of the same fabric without paint.


However, halfway through that last sentence, a brainstorm hit and I have a new idea to experiment with on my next project. Something better will come and it was just a matter of writing out the problem. And this is one of the reasons why I have this online journal; sometimes I just need to get a different perspective and a resolution to my block will turn up.

Waiting for the good things to happen

I’m going to share one of my favorite quotes:

When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.
~Alexander Graham Bell

This quote currently resides in my wallet on a little piece of newspaper I carefully ripped out years ago and it reassures my optimism and confidence in times where I feel nothing good can come in my life. When I registered for a summer conference in February, I was disappointed that I was unable to register for a post-conference workshop with the instructor who taught me surface design. Downhearted and mad at myself that I didn’t register earlier, I changed my plans for that week I had already had vacation time and instead planned on working independently in my studio. A whole week dedicated to the studio! One door closed, one door open.

And then I get an e-mail from the conference saying an opening for the class became available and I snatched that empty spot quickly! So, one door closed but it reopened to my fortunate surprise.

The Art Muse

Didn’t I just step on my soapbox and encourage patience? Well why can’t my creativity take a moment to consider a little restraint? There are times when my mind floods with ideas, projects, and inspirations and all I can do is stare into the distance and absorb everything. I try to jot down all these ideas and for the most part I capture the main ideas but I feel my muse teases me by doing this. And of course I can’t find the time to do everything, but hey, at least my muse isn’t ignoring me. I’m glad I have my artist journal with me…. most of the time.

The weekend is here and it’s time to get some work done from all the ideas I’ve collected. Keep me going my wonderful muse.